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* The ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Surro-Gate", which is about gay people adopting. Sure, the episode isn't as sentimental as the other episodes listed here but it's nice.
** It also shows that extremists on both sides can be complete hypocrites.
** "American Dad After School Special" shows that eating disorders aren't just something that can happen to women and teenaged girls, as men and boys can become obsessed with their bodies to the point of becoming bulimic and/or anorexic (even though the eating disorder counselor doesn't realize this, as he still refers to Stan as a teenaged girl and thinks the fact that Stan doesn't have his period is from anorexia drying up his ovaries like tobacco in the sun).
** "Daddy Queerest" shows that some homophobes can have no reason to dislike gays. Here Stan tries to convince Terry's father to accept him for who is, but he instead tells them he just doesn't like them and leaves. When Terry gets incensed at it, Greg tells him to forget it and move on.
** "The Boring Identity" and "Haylias": Trying to change someone to fit your own needs is ''a very bad idea''.
* The ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "The Juice is Loose" delivers two: Cold-blooded, psychopathic killers can behave just as normally and friendly as your next-door neighbor, and idol worship sometimes isn't worth it, especially if your idol is a cold-blooded psychopathic killer.
** As controversial as "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" was, it actually does have a few good morals (even if it comes off as mean-spirited due to Brian's sudden atheism):
*** Irrationality and fundamentalism in religion can be a ''very'' dangerous thing (if you want real-world proof of that, check out the Westboro Baptist Church or any Islamic fundamentalist with a death wish).
*** Sometimes religion doesn't have all the answers on why we're here and why life is what it is (though had the writers also added, "...but it doesn't mean you should give it up just because an atheist points out that your life sucks so much that believing in God is a waste of time," then the episode would actually be commended for its thoughts on religion and atheism, not trashed for it).
*** Much like the moral on "The Juice is Loose," idol worship of your favorite celebrities is not worth it, as they're human and can be whiny assholes (cf. the "Stewie spends the day with the cast of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' after missing out on asking them questions at a sci-fi convention" plotline, plus Meg gets introduced to Christianity by Kirk Cameron, whose viewpoints have strongly divided christians and non-christians alike)
** "Friends Of Peter G.": "Keep you addictions in moderation."
** Peter's speech at the end of "Boys Do Cry" saying that TV viewers with children should actually be the ones who care about what their children watch and not have to rely on TV show creators to tone down the content.
** There's also "Peter-assment" for challenging the DoubleStandard by having Peter a nervous wreck from being sexually harassed by his female boss and his family and friends not giving a crap about it, as they either believe that women can get away with sexually harassing men, or they think the notion is ridiculous. In fact, one reviewer of the episode criticized the plot, but praised it for actually showing that sexual harassment isn't always a man giving a woman unwanted attention.
** [[DarkerAndEdgier "Screams of Silence:]] [[VerySpecialEpisode The Story of Brenda Q."]] portrays DomesticAbuse in an accurate and serious way and gives us the message that domestic violence is horrible and that abusive men like Jeff will never change their ways -- [[HypocriticalHumor this coming from a show that shows women getting abused and made fun of for laughs, often by other men]].
-->'''Joe:''' Quagmire, you're talking about murdering a guy. I doesn't matter what he's done, it's still murder.
-->'''Quagmire:''' No, Joe! It ''does'' matter what he's done! These people won't change! Y-You think they suddenly wake up and see the error of their ways and clean up their act?! NO!! They just keep ruining other people's lives, and the world is better off without them!
** "Extra-Large Medium": Not every person with special needs (i.e., the girl with Down Syndrome Chris had a crush on) is a nice person and using DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery is not okay nor should it be used to get what you want.
** "I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar": Feminism is about what women can choose to be (even if they choose to get married and have kids) and men need to be more sensitive to women and realize they're people too.
*** Also, being oversensitive can be just as bad as being insensitive.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' episode "Deadly Force" is anything but subtle about its message, but is generally considered one of the best episodes of the series for treating its subject matter with respect, and instead of using the easy {{Aesop}}, "Guns will kill you if you even so much as think about them," they opt for the more mature and reasonable, "Guns are only dangerous if you don't know how to handle them."\\
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It's also notable in that the {{Aesop}} sticks with the two central characters: Broadway spends the rest of the series destroying any gun he comes across (even though that's more of an overreaction), while Elisa is shown taking better care of her gun by taking the bullets out and locking it up when she's not using it.
** The show also lays it on thick about the pointlessness of revenge and how killing causes more problems than it solves. This is reinforced by David Xanatos. Why is he such a successful, well regarded, and enduring villain? Because he ''doesn't go in for revenge''-- ''ever'''. While villains in other cartoons inevitably [[MotiveDecay forget their original goals to seek revenge on the heroes]], Xanatos never even holds a grudge because, as he put it, "Revenge is a sucker's game."\\
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It's also reinforced by "City of Stone" and "Hunter's Moon."
-->'''Goliath:''' No! Killing her (Demona) won't solve anything! Death never does!\\
'''Luna:''' He is right, Macbeth. Duncan was afraid that your father would make you king. [[SelfFulfillingProphecy Did your father's death stop you from becoming king?]]\\
'''Macbeth:''' [[YouCantFightFate No!]]\\
'''Seline:''' You wanted revenge for your father. [[CycleOfRevenge Did Gillecomgain's death settle that score?]]\\
'''Macbeth:''' No.\\
'''Phoebe:''' [[SenselessSacrifice Did your own death save your son Luach from Canmore?]]\\
'''Macbeth:''' [[TearJerker No...]]\\
'''Goliath:''' Death is never the answer; life is!
* The Christmas Episode of ''SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' did a unique spin on the typical ''Christmas Carol'' plot where a Scrooge is scared into being nice for the holidays. Sabrina is fed up with Gem's attitude to Christmas (which itself gets cranked up for the episode, even having Gem make people line up to hear what gift they have to buy her, based on their family income and popularity in school) and tries to cast a spell to scare her with the Christmas Carol touch. However, it doesn't work and only makes Gem love herself even more (even after being told that she will die alone and no one will visit her grave, Gem counters that she still has her popularity even in death) so Sabrina ends up giving her a gift anyway and wishing her Merry Christmas. Gem then realizes that no one else cared to be with her on Christmas and so joins Sabrina's family for dinner. So the message becomes "Don't try to change someone just because you don't like their attitude. Instead, try being nice in the hope they'll reciprocate".
* Though ''CaptainPlanet'' as a whole was {{Anvilicious}} in a negative and very laughable way, the episode ''If It's Doomsday, This Must Be Belfast'' is a remarkable exception. For all its faults[[note]]such as attempting to condense complex history into a version for children, complete with lots of AsYouKnow exposition, [[{{Scotireland}} mangled Scotirish accents]] and Wheeler as the embodiment of AmericaSavesTheDay[[/note]], it delivers a very clear Aesop that long histories of violence and bloodshed are complex, difficult problems without clear heroes and villains or quick, easy solutions, and a secondary one that ''nobody'' wins when a nuclear war is waged.
** Also, the episode that focused on a kid being infected with HIV due to a blood transfusion mishap. It wasn't even remotely subtle, but the message that people with HIV or AIDS victims ''don't'' spread the disease by merely existing and are still human beings who need love and support. It was an anvil that needed to be dropped from as many roofs as possible in the late 1980s into the 1990s.
** The episode about animal testing. After some of the overblown Aesops delivered by the show, the subdued message of "Animal testing is sometimes necessary, but can often be minimized or avoided entirely and should never be used unnecessarily" ''is'' a breath of fresh air.
** "The power is yours!" As oversimplified and full of {{Broken Aesop}}s as the show is, both kids and adults need to be reminded that they have both the ability and responsibility to protect the planet.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' is fantastic for not only having {{Anvilicious}} episodes, but having that {{Anvilicious}}ness most often being completely justified and absurdly hilarious at the same time. Sometimes they remind celebrities that their egos are outstripping their talents or that they have gone too far (''Fat Butt and Pancake Head'', ''The Biggest Douche in the Universe'', ''Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset'', ''The China Problem'', and ''Fishsticks''), how absurd some trends are (''South Park Is Gay!'', ''Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset'', ''Chinpokomon'', and ''Smug Alert!''), or just how crazy humanity is and has become as a whole (''Freak Strike'', ''I'm a Little Bit Country'', ''Butt Out'', ''Douche and Turd'', ''Follow That Egg!'', ''Britney's New Look''[[note]]It also carries the Aesop of "Celebrities are people too, and shouldn't be pushed around and mocked just because their lives aren't going so well."[[/note]], and ''The Ring'').
** The two-parter ''Cartoon Wars'' with the message that using the threat of potential terrorism to get people to do what you want is also terrorism. This needs to be repeated time and time again.
** The episode "Trapped In The Closet," and the views of the destructiveness and nonsensicalness of Scientology. They were willing to alienate a long-time cast member and fan favorite to get the message out. Although Isaac Hayes didn't want to leave the cast; he was pressured into it by Scientology and was in tears when he went to Matt and Trey to break the news. He had enough of a sense of humour to say "they've done that to every religion"; Scientology did not.
** There's also [[WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut the movie]], where 139 F-bombs are ''just about'' enough to remind people that there are far worse things in the world than swearing - a message that ties in nicely with ''It Hits The Fan'', which shows that some swear words become completely meaningless if you use them repeatedly and should be curbed as they aren't suitable for everyday conversation. Especially since, ironically, when the movie came out, a lot of people were complaining about it, and they acted akin to Kyle's mom (minus the whole war thing). Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren't bad at predicting the behaviour of MoralGuardians. It, amidst all the uncensored swearing, also has a few big ones: violence can be just as bad as swearing, and the "blame the media for your children's bad behavior and lobby to censor it" approach to taming unruly kids is a ''very bad idea.''
** The episode "Butterballs", illustrates that ''anyone'' (including family members, people trying to stop them, [[RefugeInAudacity and Jesus Christ Himself]]) can be a bully.
** The two-part episode "Go God Go" (the one where Ms. Garrison is forced to teach evolution in school while Cartman freezes himself so he can be around to get the Nintendo Wii) has a rather dark yet necessary moral in response to RichardDawkins and the belief touted by some [[VocalMinority vocal gnostic atheists]]: removing religion will not stop conflicts or end the world's problems. And if we did get rid of religion, we would still have those problems, but use something else as an excuse to justify them. This is exemplified by "The Great Question" of the atheists, which is "what should the atheists group call itself?"
** "An Elephant Makes Love To A Pig" challenges the DoubleStandard by showing the others making fun of Stan for getting beat up by his sister, then showing how bad it is. Seeing that Trey Parker had that experience with his own sister, it's a very well-played (if frightening) moral.
** Also, TheMovie and its predecessor "Death" show that parents should spend more time with their kids and stop going on senseless attempts to sanitize the world.
** Also, TheMovie and a few other episodes show that there are ''much worse'' things in the world then swearing.
** "Miss Teacher Bangs A Boy" shows that student-teacher relationships are ''not okay'' no matter how attractive the teacher is, or if the genders are reversed. It also shows that teachers in those kind of relationships usually aren't right in the head to begin with.
** "My Future Self and Me": Be honest with your kids, especially when it comes to talking about the dangers of doing drugs.
** "Conjoined Fetus Lady" has a rather nice anvil about how people with handicaps or physical deformities shouldn't be put on a pedestal to be worshiped, as the attention makes them more of an outcast than the actual deformity.
** "All About Mormons" teaches that while religions may have some crazy beliefs that do not make sense, they still promote good values that everybody should live by such as be kind to others and help those in need.
*** In fact, most of the show's episodes on religion focus around a central theme: seeing the proverbial forest for the trees. Religion, at its core, is about being a good person by promoting virtues like generosity, selflessnes and altruism, and that's what you should be focusing on, rather that minute details of your religion's canon.
** "Butt Out": Even noble, "good" causes can have horrible people working for them and using them for their own gain. Also, people who smoke are not inherently evil.
** Also it and a few other episodes show that people should really stop blaming corporations for everything.
** A more subtle one in "Raising The Bar" is that even through obesity is unhealthy and something must be done about it, it's still wrong to mock and dehumanize people suffering from it.
** Butters' rant in "Cartman Sucks" to the counselors at a "Pray the gay away"-style camp was one that ''really'' needed dropping.
* While tracking down Norman's nemesis via his trail of destruction in ''MightyMax'', they arrive at a house whose occupants were slaughtered. Norman was the only one to see the carnage and absolutely refused to allow Max to enter. Max tried to reason that he has plenty of experience with violence on television. Max tries to enter, but is blocked by Norman, who replies that he should not go in there. When Max asks why, Virgil responds simply, "Real violence has real consequences." It makes it clear that there is a difference between entertaining action shows and how it would actually affect the real world.
* The central plot of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' is that [[WhiteMansBurden forcing one's way of life upon others]] - the Fire Nation's conquest of the world - is [[MoralEventHorizon the most monstrous act imaginable]].
-->'''Zuko''': Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was! The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation! They don’t see our greatness - they hate us! And we deserve it. We’ve created an era of fear in the world. And if we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.
** The show two notable ones: No one can give you honour or self-worth except yourself. (Zuko) "Power and perfection are overrated." (Iroh)
** In the episode "The Deserter", Aang discovers a Firebending master and is eager to learn firebending. The master is reluctant because he knows Aang has not mastered water and earth (and true focus) yet. To start with baby steps, the master gives Aang a tiny leaf to burn a little. But an impatient Aang yearns to show off his potential and creates giant flames that badly burns Katara much to his horror. Distaught, Aang decides he will never firebend again and suppresses his firebending abilities (until the later 3rd season). Katara reminds Aang that he has to learn firebending someday, just not now. Even if you feel you have more potential, dangerous lessons must be learned gradually. And if you mess up real terribly, it does not mean you must abandon learning it; you will learn it someday, but not today.\\
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A later third season episodes completes the Aesop that a dangerious ability can be beautiful and vital once you understand control and its meaning. Zuko and Aang learns this when [[spoiler:they witnessed the last two dragons on Earth fire beautiful flames around them without burning them.]]
** "Zuko Alone" has two: Even the 'good' side in a war can be morally ambiguous, and it's unrealistic to expect long-lasting enmity to be smoothed over by a single act.
** The horrific breakdown of Azula drives home the point that [[MachiavelliWasWrong you can't keep people from hurting you by controlling them with fear]], because love, like the love Mai had for Zuko, is more important.
** Being a good parent isn't about loving your child because they meet your expectations, it's about ''always'' loving your child even though they've lost their way. The series demonstrates this by contrasting Ozai and Iroh's relationships with Zuko, and showing that Iroh was more of a father in the three years he spent with him than Ozai was for the other thirteen. On top of that, a real parent is the one who always loves you no matter what, rather than just being related to you.
** "The Painted Lady" had a point: Although all the miracles are blessings, you shouldn't just believe that circumstances will eventually improve, but ''act'' to make things better. It didn't matter if the Painted Lady was real or not -- the fact that they thought that she was acting for them was enough to turn things around and get people hopeful again.
** Another anvil is dropped in "The Avatar and The Firelord," by Aang (they did a lot of these in the third season). What's interesting is that it brought all the random, seemingly unconnected plots of the previous episodes, where the Gaang had been laying low in the Fire Nation and interacting with the locals in disguise, and united them under a common theme, simultaneously subverting the BadPowersBadPeople viewpoint that had been prominent in the other two seasons:
--->'''Aang''': Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right?? If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good ''and'' great evil. Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation, have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance.
** "The Southern Raiders" takes {{Forgiveness}}, an aesop commonly found in children's shows (most of which [[{{Narm}} don't handle it very well]]), and completely [[JustifiedTrope justifies]] it. Interesting in that Katara doesn't forgive the man who killed her mother, instead realizing that letting revenge(even ''[[KickTheDog incredibly justified]]'' revenge) dominate her life will destroy her. In the process, she ''does'' forgive Zuko for betraying the Gaang, recognizing that he's trying to atone. It was an intelligent way of handling the aesop that counts as a {{Reconstruction}}.
** Killing people isn't always the answer. It pulls it off rather well by means of WhatYouAreInTheDark; "Aang? If you really want to [[spoiler:defeat Ozai without killing him]], you'll have to ''[[FateWorseThanDeath risk your immortal soul]].'' '''How far are you willing to go for your ideals?"''' Answer: [[spoiler:Aang is without a doubt TheMessiah - so he '''''[[EarnYourHappyEnding EARNS his Happy Ending]].''''']]
** The theme of sticking to your ideals is especially prevalent, since his mentors (previous avatars), his friends, and pretty much everyone else in the story told him to [[spoiler:kill Ozai]], but instead he stuck with what he thought was right and it worked out for the best.
** "It's okay if you've made mistakes - it's never too late to do the right thing", as shown with Zuko's [[spoiler:HeelFaceTurn]], ''especially'' after it had been subverted (he had made the wrong choice) in the season 2 finale.
** WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra also follows these up. For example, the moral that when trying to fight evil, one shouldn't become too extremist yourself. (For example, many people became anti-bending Equalists so they could prevent the damage that some benders do. When they themselves became dangerous terrorists, powerful benders such as Tarrlok resorted to martial law and internment of the innocent. Both these reactions were wrong).
* The 1939 short ''PeaceOnEarth'' is a Christmastime story. In it, {{Funny Animal}}s discuss a not-so-funny topic; that is, how "men" went extinct due to warfare (WorldWarII was clearly on the horizon at the time and this was ''before'' nuclear weapons were developed, mind you). We see some of the horrors of warfare depicted WWI-style. And when the men had gone, the animals afterwards read the "[[Literature/TheBible humans' book of rules]]" and express disappointment that the humans had some good rules (e.g. ThouShaltNotKill) but weren't able follow them.
** The same goes for its 1955 remake ''Good Will to Men''.
* On the JusticeLeague episode "Flash and Substance" -- it's okay to be happy, and feel good after a job well done. You don't ''have'' to be emo, depressed, or "dark" for people to like you -- and you should [[NiceToTheWaiter always be kind to those weaker than you]]. Maybe this isn't an aesop-- but in a world of dark and depressing storylines to show how [[CrapsackWorld awful]] the world is, and how [[HumansAreBastards horrible the people are]], it's nice to see someone out and out say that they have good days. And you don't have to beat the snot out of the bad guys. Maybe you could help them get the treatment they really need.
** The contrast between Flash's style in Central City and that of the visiting Batman is wonderfully brought home when Flash quietly talks The Trickster down -- said Trickster voiced by [[SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker the King Of Bat-Villain's]] VA, MarkHamill, speaking in something very close to his normal voice. Batman even looks envious, and shows his respect for Flash.
* WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb: The episodes "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted" and "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" dish out some Anvils about how children shouldn't have their creativity and imagination restricted, and how they should pursue what they want. While the Anvil-dropping itself isn't particularly subtle (in fact, the dropping of the Anvils incorporates some bleak themes, a lot of TearJerker for the characters, and even some AndIMustScream elements for a show directed to 6-11 year-olds), the Aesop is notably important (in a society where parents are keen on having their children follow in their footsteps, stifling their kids' imagination and having their true identity obliterated.)
** ''Phineas and Ferb'' also gives us one of the few bearable health food aesops that have been slipped into kids shows since ever: the episode "Candace's Big Day". [[HarmlessVillain Dr. Doofenshmirtz]] decides to feed everyone junk food and turn them into fat, despicable slobs. When he's finally ready to do it, he's surprised to find out that [[CrowningMomentOfFunny all the junk food is gone.]]
** "Attack Of The 50-Foot Sister" gives the message that you shouldn't be too obsessed with your looks because there are people who can take advantage of your obsession for their own gain.
** The underlying theme of all the episodes, but made most obvious in songs like "Summer Belongs to You" and "Carpe Diem" is to make the most of what you've got. You don't need to do the amazing, unbelievable things that Phineas and Ferb do to have the most exciting, fulfilling life possible.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' preached a lot of messages about honesty and not taking advantage of people. One of the best examples is ''Patty Hype'', where Spongebob starts to sell Pretty Patties, a brand of brightly colored Krabby Pattie. The Pretty Patties become a runaway hit, despite Mr. Krabs and Squidward laughing in Spongebob's face. First of all, it shows you that you shouldn't give up on your dreams, even if you're laughed at because of them. And then when Mr. Krabs cheats Spongebob out of the Pretty Patty franchise, it comes back to bite him in the ass.
** From the later seasons, ''Spongebob's Last Stand'', where Spongebob opposes a highway being built through Jellyfish Fields. Only Patrick supported him, but still, he tried, and in the end, he did succeed. It was a pretty good aesop about not harming the environment and caring about wildlife.
** There's also the episode ''Not Normal'', in which Squidward convinces Spongebob that he needs to act "more normal." Spongebob watches a self-help video on the topic, and eventually transforms into a [[FacelessMasses bland, mediocre office worker]]. But instead of this making him happier and more accepted, it leaves him bored and miserable because he's lost all of his unique talents and the things that he used to enjoy. He and Patrick end up spending the rest of the episode trying to [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong turn Spongebob "weird" again.]] The message, that "normal" is incredibly overrated and the quest to fit in can destroy the best things about you, feels very clear and strong in this episode.
** In its early days, SpongeBob had a talent for dropping anvils in very non-Anvilicious ways:
*** "Squirrel Jokes" shows that racist/sexist jokes are more hurtful than you think.
*** "Hooks" was a realistic look at addiction. Patrick introduces Spongebob to the hooks (fish hooks) that pull you up, from which it is great fun to float down. Spongebob tries it, seeing that Patrick's not being hurt by it, and heeds his warning "not to get too high." After Mr. Krabs gives them a [[DrugsAreBad Hooks Are Bad]] speech, Spongebob rides the hooks one more time, and gets his body hooked, which effectively means death. In a scene that wouldn't be out of place on the show {{Intervention}}, Spongebob faces [[spoiler:his own mortality, and then humiliation. Mr. Krabs tells Spongebob he's doomed, and puts out a Help Wanted sign. SpongeBob then has to take his clothes off in front of Pearl and the other girls to free himself. It turns out Squidward was on other end of the fishing pole.]] We also learn that people who don't seem affected by addiction really are, as Patrick is [[spoiler: canned as tuna fish, having apparently been captured]].
*** Similarly, "Skill Crane" illustrates the seductive nature of gambling. Mr. Krabs installs a skill crane game at the Krusty Krab, and Squidward becomes so obsessed with winning that he spends his life savings in quarters to do so. Bonus points for framing the issue in terms of a game children are familiar with, and probably was/will be their first introduction to the concept.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' had several subtle anvil droppings. Throughout the first season, Danny was terrified about telling his parents about his secret identity, because they hunted ghosts for a living. When he finally does reveal his secret to them, they were completly accepting. It goes to show that you should trust your family with your secrets. They'll love you no matter what.
** There's also one in the episode "My Brother's Keeper." Your family's there for you if you ever need them, even if it's just to talk. And even if they can be annoying sometimes that doesn't mean they don't care.
* ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'' has two episodes on voting. Daniel doesn't get his choice, but he's told to think of positve things about the alternative. It's a good lesson for everybody. Not bad for a preschool show.
* One episode of ''TheWeekenders'' chronicles Tino and his overwhelming fear of clowns to the point he's reverted to the fetal position when just seeing ''an image'' of one. It's all somewhat PlayedForLaughs, but his friends and his mom try to convince him that his fear is wrecking his life and that he should try and face it. He admits he does need help and does face his fear... at a nearby circus clown school. By the end of the episode he isn't fully ''cured'' of his phobia, but he can "live with it now", even saying that fear is okay as long as it doesn't take over your life.
* ''HappyFeet'': The last wild places in the world are worth protecting and preserving.
** "Your way of doing things is not inherently better than my way just because of tradition."
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' had VillainOfTheWeek Calendar Girl, who was once a renowned model but was fired for being unable to compete with younger models. She eventually decides to extract revenge on all the companies and networks who had fired her and ruined her career. Throughout the episode, she always wears a full-face mask since she had so much plastic surgery done before turning evil. But when the police unmask her, she begins to scream and writhe on the ground, horrified that they see her "ugly" face. She is in her late-thirties and just as attractive as the other models seen.
--> '''Batgirl''': She's beautiful.\\
'''Batman''': She can't see that anymore. All she can see are the flaws.
** This one earns bonus points because Calendar Girl was voiced by Sela Ward, who in 1995 was passed up for the role as a [[JamesBond Bond girl]] because "What we really want is Sela, but Sela ten years ago", prompting her to make a documentary called "[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476645/ The Changing Face of Beauty]]", focusing on the media's obsession with youth and its effect on women.
*** Related is the introduction of Baby Doll, who was never allowed to do any roles but as a little girl because that was what she resembled. However, in the episode, she does a Creator/WilliamShakespeare role with her normal voice, proving she's a good actress - but people can't get around the fact that she looked like a child.
* Each episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' contains a lesson on friendship, but the episode is not written by the lesson, but the lesson by the episode. One fan of the show speculates that these lessons [[http://zephyrfiction.deviantart.com/art/Bronic-Confessions-206286661 are the reasons why the show is liked so much]].
** "Suited for Success" has a twofold moral: the first is "you shouldn't try to please everyone, because you'll often please no one", and the second is "don't look a gift horse in the mouth". "Applebuck Season" is all about how it's okay to ask your friends for help when you really need it. And "Green Isn't Your Color" manages to do a pretty good job of explaining that some secrets are okay to keep, and some aren't.
** Bridle Gossip: "Do not judge a book by its cover"- echoing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Do not judge a person by the color of his skin". The ponies are afraid of Zecora- a Zebra dressed in East African garb who speaks Swahili- and accuse her of being a witch. But Zecora turns out to be friendly and knowledgeable- and not responsible for the tricks played on the ponies at all. [[DoubleAesop To drive the point home]], Twilight could have saved herself a lot of trouble if she hadn't ''literally'' judged a book by its cover: she dismisses a book called "Supernaturals", only to find out it was actually a book on natural remedies called "Super Naturals", and outlined both the cause and cure for the supposed "curse" from which her and her friends were suffering.
** Over a Barrel: The natives vs. settlers conflict has no clear cut good guy or bad guy. But solutions and compromises can be reached- though not always easily, but still possible. Another moral is: [[TastesLikeDiabetes sickingly sweet]] [[PepTalkSong songs]] with corny lyrics are not only unhelpful, they tend to make the situation worse.
** Boast Busters: Being talented doesn't make you a bad person, but thinking that your talents make you better then everyone else does. Also, [[SpoofAesop mustaches are awesome]].
** The Best Night Ever: Reality doesn't always live up to expectations. Also, the company of good friends can make anything better.
** The Return of Harmony: Friendship isn't always easy, but it's worth fighting for.
** Hearth's Warming Eve: When people spend more time attacking each other than the problem, the problem does not get solved
** Hearts and Hooves Day: You don't need a "Special Somepony" to be happy on the day dedicated for it.
** From "Putting your hoof down", the aesop of "No means no". Given that a ''lot'' of people just assume "No, I'm not interested" to mean "Keep pressing and bugging me more - maybe I'll demonstrate interest", this is a ''VERY'' solid Aesop.
*** Alternatively, "There is a difference between standing up for yourself and being a bully." An aesop that can not be stressed enough for some people.
** From "Baby Cakes", the aesop of "taking care of babies/children is hard, messy, and not always fun, but those who accomplish it deserve thanks" is something a lot of children should learn, to help them appreciate their parents better.
** A missed but important one for Ponyville Confidential: Everypony contributed to the gossip column by buying the paper to see others humiliated. They have no one to blame but themselves for their secrets coming out because everypony wanted to see them embarrassed. It's also a ''scathing'' satire on Tabloid Newspapers in general, how easily and willingly their editors can bend their crew to their will, how they are willing to go to Murdoch-ian levels to get their way, and how, as shown in the "shun" sequence, the public is so willing to turn a blind eye to the publishers, allowing them to get away with it.
*** It also shows how making up lies about someone on news can be very ''damaging'' to one's reputation.
** "A Canterlot Wedding" has the message that even if you're right, you should have a good deal of tact in making your point.
*** And on the flip end of the coin, it also gives the moral that just because a claim seems outrageous and arbitrary on the surface, it doesn't automatically mean that there isn't some level of truth behind it.
** "The Crystal Empire" has the moral that sometimes, self-sacrifice is necessary for the greater good.
** "Keep Calm and Flutter On": Whether they be a school-yard bully, a foe with a vendetta, or even the god of all chaos himself, ''anyone'' can change for the better. You just have to give them the chance.
** "Magical Mystery Cure": BaseBreaker status aside, the episode had a somewhat subtle anvil dropped regarding the switched Cutie Marks. You should never let BecauseDestinySaysSo dictate what you do with your life, especially if it's something that doesn't make you happy.
* "MonsterHigh and Kind Campaign: The Shockumentary." Anyone-on-anyone hostility, especially bullying, is NEVER hot or right and we should never think it can be either one no matter what. Just as bullying can be our problem, so too the solution can come from us as well. We must always try to "find kind"--the kindness within everyone.
** "Fright On!" has a surprising one: It's good to be in touch with your culture/heritage, but you shouldn't let it take over your identity and prevent you from accepting others.
* Creator/LaurenFaust ''really'' stresses the importance of [[GirlsNeedRoleModels girls needing good role models]], and pointing out that things don't have to be [[TastesLikeDiabetes overly cute or cuddly]] to appeal to girls, this mindset shows up in some of her material, and for very good reason.
* [[WaltDisney Disney's]] ''EducationForDeath'', as a WartimeCartoon, seems like it'd be an unlikely candidate for this. However, it hammers in the point that ThoseWackyNazis are people just like you, and most of the soldiers are victims of propaganda and a cult of personality around the REAL monsters, like Hitler, Goebbels and Goering, and they're just as afraid of Hitler as you are.
** On a similar note, the short [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYvr28-5QKw "Reason and Emotion"]] tells how overly emotional responses to fear and anxiety leads people to believe terrible people who sow hatred by appealing to your hatred and bigotry (granted the short has mild sexism, its holds up very well nowadays).
** Then there is original [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnp4kj5lLOU Chicken Little]] short, which shows how people can be taken advantage of, if they'll not think for themselves, but unquestionably belive everything they're told..
* WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill episode "Petriot Act" can be "Don't let blind patriotism rule your decisions. If you wanted to do something big like care for a soldier's pet, do it after you have your huge vacation that your family has been dreaming of for awhile." Hank learned that [[CatsAreMean the hard way]].
** "Husky Bobby": Not everyone appreciates fat people, kids can be cruel, and parents really do know what's best for their kids, even if what they do feels unfair or "not right." (In fact, the other two aesops can apply to a lot of episodes where Bobby does something that embarrasses Hank and Hank has to bail him out)
* WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons had one on "Moaning Lisa": "Don't try to bottle up your emotions. If you want to be sad, be sad. You will always have your family or friends to help see you through your crisis."
** "Bart Gets An F" shows off a rarely shown side of school in media: even if you study your hardest and try your best, it's still possible to fail.
** "Itchy, Scratchy, & Marge" shows us exactly what happens to a show if it deviates from itself in order to please the MoralGuardians.
*** Marge also learns that censorship always breeds hypocrites, animation is considered art as much as Michaelangelo's ''David'' and shouldn't be censored just because someone doesn't like it, standing up for what you believe in sometimes isn't worth the trouble (especially if it destroys the livelihood of everyone else around you), and no matter what choices you make, there's always going to be consequences.
** "Lard Of The Dance": Don't rush to grow up. Enjoy your childhood while you still have it.
** "Sleeping with the Enemy": Self-consciousness about your looks will always be with you and those problems can't be solved overnight (or in 20-odd minutes, if it's a TV show).
** "Lisa the Vegetarian": You shouldn't try for force your beliefs on those who choose not to follow your lifestyle.
** "Homer's Phobia": Parents should be more tolerant of their children's sexual preferences (so long as it's not illegal) and it's okay to be gay.
** "The Squirt and the Whale": A true animal activist respects the natural order of ''all'' animals and their instincts and and it's wrong to protect one animal if it means killing another.
* ''FiremanSam'' had a OnceAnEpisode Aesop about some aspect of personal safety that was never even remotely subtle, but highly effective. Being [[BackedByThePentagon Backed By The Fire Brigade]] helped.
* The 1938 Frank Tashlin directed Porky Pig cartoon [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Wholly Smoke]] is an interesting example of this. Had the cartoon been made today, it would seem anvilicious beyond belief. However, in the late-1930's (when most people had little to no awareness of how bad smoking was for them), a cartoon with a direct anti-smoking message was practically unheard of. So, given its context, this short certainly qualifies.
* {{Fillmore}} has a surprising view on the modern school systems for a Disney cartoon. In "Test of the Tested", the show has Ingrid, the smartest student in the school, fill out the Satty-9 test effortlessly and soon feels guilt for those who struggled through it. She points out that kids have much more intelligence than what they can show on standardized tests (Seth, suspect of the week makes cartoons and invented a wallet that makes candy bars not melt in your pocket) and says its a terrible system to put in place. Considering that this was made during the Bush administration and this subject hasn't gone away, its pretty refreshing.
* In the original ''Ben 10'' series, Ben almost invariably tried for one of the physically strong characters in the watch -at first. The Omnitrix would often shift him to a form that could actually handle the crisis better, or just required him to think to see how it could be useful. Sometimes the anvil was dropped (much) harder then others on the lessons: 1) muscle isn't everything; 2) if you're not handed what you wanted, work with what you have. "Don't be a selfish hothead" also had the anvil dropped a few times.
* The famous episode "PinkyAndTheBrain...and Larry" is a TakeThat at ExecutiveMeddling adding another character to a show. It shows that basically, Pinky and the Brain are meant to be a comedy ''duo'' whose opposite personalities even out the comedy and that another character will throw everything off balance.
* ''{{Futurama}}'': "The Cyber House Rules": Your real friends are the ones who care about you no matter what you look like. Fitting in for shallow reasons is overrated.
** "The Why of Fry": You're more important than you think you are. In fact, you could be the most important person to someone else.
** "The Luck of the Fryish" and "Cold Warriors": Your family does love you at the end of the day, even if it feels like they don't show it.
* As anyone who works with children of ''any'' age can tell you, "WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'s Big Hit" is kind of this towards DisproportionateRetribution. Yeah, what D.W. did was wrong, but what Arthur did was ''also'' wrong. He didn't understand ''why'' it was wrong. However, to some, the episode is just handled too {{Anvilicious}}ly to really get through and may come off as {{Narm}}y to people who work with children or anyone with an annoying sibling or suffering from ParentalFavoritism.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'' sometimes has individual aesops for an episode, but overall the series stresses kindness and mercy towards all, and that self-absorbed pride can have dire consequences. The series starts out with Thundera being destroyed by the lizards once they get a hold of lost technology, because the cats were so racist and oppressive of the other races due to arrogance. The rest of the series has Lion-O, the new king, repeatedly defy the ways of his people and tries to aid everyone regardless of race or faction. This includes letting lizard soldiers go and giving them the choice to desert the army and go back home, then freeing them when they were going to be executed. Even before that, lizard prisoners he freed in Thundera freed him when Thundera fell. Lion-O's actions frequently pay off for him in the end, when someone he helped in the past comes to aid him in a time of need. This is in contrast to Mumm-Ra, who uses the lizards' hatred of the cats to recruit them, and then recruits generals who are just psychotic {{Blood Knight}}s to scare the rest of the troops into fighting on. The anvil being dropped is be good to others, and they'll be good to you.
* ''FairlyOddparents'' "It's a Wishful Life" "Do nice things to be nice, not to be rewarded." Granted, it could've come across better in the episode, but it's still an important moral nonetheless.
** The first episode with Chip Skylark shows that celebrities are real people just like you or me, and some of them might not even like being famous.


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