History GenreDeconstruction / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' offers an interesting take on the teenage superhero genre in the fact the hero really couldn't care any less about school or fitting in, claiming it's a waste of time and instead stating that his work as a hero is more important. He then proceeds to cheat on his tests and homework in order to pass, since him being a hero gives him the latitude to do so, and high school is meaningless and doesn't matter once you graduate, especially since he's already a)rich, and b)a genius inventor.

* "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E13Epilogue Epilogue]]" of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' can be taken as a deconstruction of the superhero genre by having a Amanda Waller deliberately try to engineer [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond another Batman]] in response to the original Batman growing older. It fits both invoked and deconstructed, because it shows the horrible consequences of making a superhero, as well as the kind of monster you would have to be to do it (killing innocent people to do something that might achieve a goal).
** It also deconstructs the classic Batman origin: Waller plans to kill Terry's parents when he's a boy, but when the assassin she hires ([[ContinuityNod Andrea Beaumont]], [[WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm the Phantasm]]) refuses to go through with it, Waller realizes that whatever her goals, it wasn't worth it, and she's pleased that Terry has become a much more sane and stable superhero because he had a chance for a normal childhood.
*** It's also a deconstruction of what being Batman would lead to. The members of the Bat-Family have washed their hands of him, Terry's relationship with Bruce even becomes strained due to Terry barely able to cope with being Batman, and Bruce is going to end up dying alone.

* The ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' episode "[[Recap/YoungJusticeS1E17Disordered Disordered]]" deals the aftermath of a traumatic mission, with the cast of young heroes attending therapy in order to deal with the horrible things they witnessed. The ensuing interviews reveal the pressure the kids are under and ends with ComicBook/{{Robin}} deciding that he no longer wants to be Batman.
** Later episodes try to convey that being a teen superhero is not all fun and games, as we learn that [[spoiler: Aquagirl, Jason Todd, and the previous ComicBook/BlueBeetle]] have all been killed in action during the five year TimeSkip between seasons one and two. Upon this revelation, the line between superheroes and ChildSoldiers begins to blur even more.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' is a deconstruction of TrappedInAnotherWorld-type wish fullfilment stories. [[Characters/AmphibiaAnneBoonchuy Anne Boonchuy]] and [[Characters/AmphibiaSashaWaybright Sasha Waybright]] were both completely miserable when they first arrived in Amphibia with no warning, Anne surviving off plants and roots in the woods for days while Sasha spent an entire month imprisoned by a hostile army. The only one who seems to have an unambiguously happy life in Amphibia is [[Characters/AmphibiaMarcyWu Marcy Wu]], who got the favor of the king and became his chief ranger. The Season 2 finale "[[Recap/AmphibiaS2E36TrueColors True Colors]]" reveals that is only because [[spoiler:she ''wanted'' it in the first place, and knew what the music box would do when she first tricked Anne into stealing it. And even she doesn't get away from the deconstruction, as the king is actually a ManipulativeBastard who's merely playing along with her fantasy as part of his true goals]].

* There can be a very good case made for ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' being a deconstruction of ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest and Literature/DocSavage''-style [[TwoFistedTales stories]]. Some say spoof, some say deconstruction, some say [[DeconstructiveParody both]]. The main character is a former KidHero who, due to a childhood spent traveling the world with his Adventurer-Scientist father, has [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior seen and done things]] no twelve-year-old boy really should have to, and has grown up into a bitter, pill-popping, barely-functional human being. His rugged ActionHero bodyguard is basically the kind of borderline sociopath that would gravitate to a world of clandestine doings where [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer brutal murder]] is an acceptable way of solving problems. His children are socially awkward nerds, but not in any of the "good" or "endearing" ways; they were basically raised in boxes and have no clue how to interact with reality. And his arch-nemesis is a lame animal-themed SuperVillain who, despite moments of competence, is so wrapped up in planning the details of his over-elaborate and petty revenge schemes against an enemy who ''barely knows who he is'' that his schemes never actually get off the ground.
** Yet as the series continues to evolve the said genre takes more of a reconstruction direction. Rusty, while still having his share of demons, has made peace with his troubled past and has achieved success. Meanwhile, his arch-nemesis has risen up the supervillain ranks and became one of the profile members of a newly revamped guild of villains.
** Being a SuperVillain? You have to be a part of a guild that tightly regulates your behavior, from who you have a feud with, to if your mooks are allowed to use deadly weapons (who die by the dozens)

* There can be a very good case made for ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' being a deconstruction of ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest and Literature/DocSavage''-style [[TwoFistedTales stories]]. Some say spoof, some say deconstruction, some say [[DeconstructiveParody both]]. The main character is a former KidHero who, due to a childhood spent traveling the world with his Adventurer-Scientist father, has [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior seen and done things]] no twelve-year-old boy really should have to, and has grown up into a bitter, pill-popping, barely-functional human being. His rugged ActionHero bodyguard is basically the kind of borderline sociopath that would gravitate to a world of clandestine doings where [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer brutal murder]] is an acceptable way of solving problems. His children are socially awkward nerds, but not in any of the "good" or "endearing" ways; they were basically raised in boxes and have no clue how to interact with reality. And his arch-nemesis is a lame animal-themed SuperVillain who, despite moments of competence, is so wrapped up in planning the details of his over-elaborate and petty revenge schemes against an enemy who ''barely knows who he is'' that his schemes never actually get off the ground.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' does a [[CrossesTheLineTwice particularly nasty]] deconstruction of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and its AmusingInjuries in episode ''Recap/StewieGriffinTheUntoldStory'', wherein Elmer Fudd is out "hunting wabbits", shoots Bugs Bunny four times in the stomach, snaps his neck amidst cries of pain, and then drags him off leaving behind a trail of blood. In another episode "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS4E15BrianGoesBackToCollege Brian Goes Back to College]]" where Peter and friends became Series/TheATeam, the show's "amusing injuries" are discussed as actually life-threatening.

* There can be a very good case made for ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' being a deconstruction of ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest and Literature/DocSavage''-style [[TwoFistedTales stories]]. Some say spoof, some say deconstruction, some say [[DeconstructiveParody both]]. The main character is a former KidHero who, due to a childhood spent traveling the world with his Adventurer-Scientist father, has [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior seen and done things]] no twelve-year-old boy really should have to, and has grown up into a bitter, pill-popping, barely-functional human being. His rugged ActionHero bodyguard is basically the kind of borderline sociopath that would gravitate to a world of clandestine doings where [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer brutal murder]] is an acceptable way of solving problems. His children are socially awkward nerds, but not in any of the "good" or "endearing" ways; they were basically raised in boxes and have no clue how to interact with reality. And his arch-nemesis is a lame animal-themed SuperVillain who, despite moments of competence, is so wrapped up in planning the details of his over-elaborate and petty revenge schemes against an enemy who ''barely knows who he is'' that his schemes never actually get off the ground.
** Yet as the series continues to evolve the said genre takes more of a reconstruction direction. Rusty, while still having his share of demons, has made peace with his troubled past and has achieved success. Meanwhile, his arch-nemesis has risen up the supervillain ranks and became one of the profile members of a newly revamped guild of villains.
** Being a SuperVillain? You have to be a part of a guild that tightly regulates your behavior, from who you have a feud with, to if your mooks are allowed to use deadly weapons (who die by the dozens)
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' director Chuck Jones often used deconstruction on his cartoons. The best known example is ''WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck'': First the scenery changes, forcing Daffy to adapt. Then Daffy himself is erased and redrawn. Then the soundtrack fails, then the film frame, and so on until Daffy is psychologically picked clean. Another example is ''WesternAnimation/WhatsOperaDoc'', which takes the base elements of a typical Bugs Bunny cartoon and reassembles them as a Wagnerian opera. (Conversely, you could also say that it takes the base elements of Wagnerian opera and reassembles them as a Bugs Bunny cartoon.)

* The ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode [[Recap/EdEddNEddyS2E4OnePlusOneEqualsEd "One + One = Ed"]] is a deconstruction of how cartoons work, similar to WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck.
** ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow'' deconstructs most of the show's tropes, most notably Eddy's {{Flanderization}} into a {{Jerkass}}, Edd's role as the NoRespectGuy, and the blatant AmusingInjuries and StatusQuoIsGod. The movie starts off with another ZanyScheme going horrendously wrong, with the Kids displaying some very ''un''amusing injuries, and now the kids want to ''kill'' the Eds. Eddy's behavior is causing more and more problems during the Eds' journey, and finally, when Ed and Eddy fake their deathes as a joke on Edd, he snaps and tries to pull a ScrewThisImOuttaHere, stating he'd rather face the kids than spend another second with Eddy. And to top it all off, the ending. [[spoiler: It's revealed Eddy's Brother was a twisted BigBrotherBully who used Eddy as a punching bag when they were kids, which gave Eddy his InferioritySuperiorityComplex.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'' offers an interesting take on the teenage superhero genre in the fact the hero really couldn't care any less about school or fitting in, claiming it's a waste of time and instead stating that his work as a hero is more important. He then proceeds to cheat on his tests and homework in order to pass, since him being a hero gives him the latitude to do so, and high school is meaningless and doesn't matter once you graduate, especially since he's already a)rich, and b)a genius inventor.
* "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E13Epilogue Epilogue]]" of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' can be taken as a deconstruction of the superhero genre by having a Amanda Waller deliberately try to engineer [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond another Batman]] in response to the original Batman growing older. It fits both invoked and deconstructed, because it shows the horrible consequences of making a superhero, as well as the kind of monster you would have to be to do it (killing innocent people to do something that might achieve a goal).
** It also deconstructs the classic Batman origin: Waller plans to kill Terry's parents when he's a boy, but when the assassin she hires ([[ContinuityNod Andrea Beaumont]], [[WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm the Phantasm]]) refuses to go through with it, Waller realizes that whatever her goals, it wasn't worth it, and she's pleased that Terry has become a much more sane and stable superhero because he had a chance for a normal childhood.
*** It's also a deconstruction of what being Batman would lead to. The members of the Bat-Family have washed their hands of him, Terry's relationship with Bruce even becomes strained due to Terry barely able to cope with being Batman, and Bruce is going to end up dying alone.
* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'' deconstructs TheMoralSubstitute by presenting a culture where ALL MEDIA are Christian fundamentalist propaganda, and showing just how messed up and disturbing said culture would be.
* The ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' episode "[[Recap/YoungJusticeS1E17Disordered Disordered]]" deals the aftermath of a traumatic mission, with the cast of young heroes attending therapy in order to deal with the horrible things they witnessed. The ensuing interviews reveal the pressure the kids are under and ends with ComicBook/{{Robin}} deciding that he no longer wants to be Batman.
** Later episodes try to convey that being a teen superhero is not all fun and games, as we learn that [[spoiler: Aquagirl, Jason Todd, and the previous ComicBook/BlueBeetle]] have all been killed in action during the five year TimeSkip between seasons one and two. Upon this revelation, the line between superheroes and ChildSoldiers begins to blur even more.
* The episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' [[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlsS3E2TownAndOutChildFearing Town and Out]] about them moving to "Citysville" deals with what would happen if their brand of heroics was applied to a real life city.

* The ''[[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius Jimmy Neutron]]'' [[TheMovie movie]] ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' deconstructs the [[ThereAreNoAdults "having no parents would be great"]] trope by having difficulties pop up the very next day. A girl gets injured, everyone gets chronically lonely, and people get sick from eating nothing but bad food.
* ''WesternAnimation/ItsOppo'', a student film made by Cal Arts student Tyler Chen, deconstructs Nick Jr., as well as preschool television programs and morally unscrupulous media companies in general. [[http://vimeo.com/11573607 Watch the entire thing here.]] (NSFW for [[spoiler:nudity]])

* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' is a deconstruction of the whole Autobot-Decepticon War. Things ain't so [[BlackAndWhiteMorality black and white]] as before, in fact the Autobots' leadership is flawed and somewhat corrupt, with one higly racist, incompetent, cowardly jerkass general on it, who only is amongst the High Command because he blames his mistakes on Optimus Prime, whose status as AllLovingHero makes him somewhat of a push-over, and its leader is ready to commit dirty tricks to defeat the Decepticons. The Decepticons however, are as much the monsters they were in G1, and this time Megatron's pragmatic enough to blast [[TheStarscream Starscream's]] ass any time he tries to overthrow him. Starscream only survives thanks to the Allspark piece on his head. [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality Without it he would have died right from the start]]. Also, because the Decepticons are war machines while Optimus' group are just maintenance bots, fending off just ''one'' Decepticon is a struggle that usually requires the entire team. Then comes the [[AnyoneCanDie season three]]...
* ''"WesternAnimation/HeyGoodLookin'"'' by Creator/RalphBakshi (who else) is one big Deconstruction and TakeThat against anyone who believes that the [=1950s=] were really just like ''Film/{{Grease}}'' or ''Series/HappyDays''. The main character is ostensibly as cool as The Fonz but actually a DirtyCoward who can't back up his bragging, the PluckyComicRelief is actually a racist sociopath, their gang aren't really TrueCompanions despite looking like it, the supposed BigBad never [[MindScrew explictly]] does anything really bad and the ending's BrokenAesop is intentional about the [[SatelliteLoveInterest "Romance"]] between the main character and Rozzie.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', being the self-aware show that it is, devotes its premiere episode to [[DeconstructiveParody comedically deconstructing]] the premise of [[Franchise/MyLittlePony its parent franchise]] and the [[GirlShowGhetto "little girls' cartoon"]] genre which its predecessors [[TropeCodifier codified]] by asking what happens when [[SugarBowl a setting where everyone is friends with each other by default]] plays host to someone who isn't interested in friendship. Enter the introverted (and somewhat conceited) Twilight Sparkle, who is dumped in Ponyville and left to [[MetaGuy react as any of the sane, adult human beings]] [[PeripheryDemographic who may be watching]] would if placed amidst the [[CloudCuckoolander colorful characters]] that inhabit such a world: with bewildered frustration. Throughout the episode, the other ponies' overzealous attempts to befriend Twilight merely drive her to ever-greater seclusion and jadedness in their unwitting validation of her cynical worldview. The close of the episode is a DownerEnding where [[FallenAngel Nightmare]] [[MadGod Moon]] (who acts as a dark counterpart to Twilight thanks to her past exclusion turning her into an [[OmnicidalManiac omnicidal]] WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds) demonstrates the [[CrapsaccharineWorld inherent dangers]] of the fantasy setting that helps Equestria exist in such perfect harmony by [[SugarApocalypse plunging the world into]] TheNightThatNeverEnds. Miraculously enough, [[DeconReconSwitch the following episode]] manages to [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstruct]] every last one of these elements [[{{Pun}} with flying colors]].
** [[OncePerEpisode Normal episodes]] end with Twilight Sparkle sending [[AnAesop a message]] to her mentor Princess Celestia about [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle what she learned about friendship that day]], satisfying the [[EdutainmentShow Edutainment quota]] for the week. The episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E3LessonZero Lesson Zero]]" specifically begs the question: "What happens if there was no friendship message to write about?" Thus begins one of the most bizarre, creepy episodes of the series when our [[SanityBall normally]] [[OnlySaneMan calm and collected]] (and [[SarcasmMode slightly]] [=OCD=]) Twilight races to find, and eventually ''create'', a friendship problem to report about. Ultimately, an Aesop about missing the Aesop is arrived at, and [[WhamEpisode introduces a running change]] where any of Twilight's friends can provide the Aesop (likely as a way to avoid having to shoehorn in Twilight into every episode).
*** Which is then kinda mocked in one episode, where Applejack writes that she didn't learn ''anything'', because the Aesop one could've learned from that day's adventure was something she'd always known.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' deconstructs just about every one of the franchise's most iconic tropes.
%%* Along the same lines as the ''Scooby-Doo'' example above is ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime,'' which takes a grittier spin on the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' series.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' goes through cold-war spy tropes like adamantium claws through butter.
* ''WesternAnimation/TalesFromTheCryptkeeper'', despite its LighterAndSofter nature, often used this trope:
** "All The Gory Details" deconstructs the tropes made by ''Film/Frankenstein1931''. The Mad Scientist? [[spoiler: Was trying to ''protect'' his creations]]. Said creations? [[spoiler: Just want to be left alone, and only attack the heroes to destroy the evidence of their existence.]] It also deconstructs the idea of the HardboiledDetective with Harold Klump, who embodies every negative trait involved with the trope and twists every positive trait into a negative. His determination? Keeps him from getting anywhere and [[spoiler: gets him changed into one of Kromwell's creations at the end.]] His snarkiness and general misogyny? [[spoiler: Alienates him from his partner, who ends up leaving after having enough of his abuse.]]
** "Hyde and Go Shriek" deconstructs the GodzillaThreshold trope at the end. [[spoiler: Try to stop the kid you bullied when he has a werewolf formula by drinking more of it? Congrats! Too bad he set it up so that ''you'' would be captured and taken away instead. Have fun in government testing!]]
** "Fare Tonight" deconstructs the "KidHero fights monsters" genre made by ''Film/TheMonsterSquad'', as the kids in question, while able to talk big about killing vampires, end up being about as prepared to fight an actual vampire as kids with no professional training whatsoever would be in real life. [[spoiler: They only win by pure luck at the end.]]
** "The Works... In Wax" deconstructs classic monster films by portraying the climactic monster hunts... from the viewpoints of the monsters. [[spoiler: The hero actually helps them escape their deaths, and they help him in a BigDamnHeroes moment.]]
** "Cave Man" deconstructs ''Film/EncinoMan'', by showing what would ''actually'' happen if a caveman were brought into the modern world. [[spoiler: It doesn't end well]].
* ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' deconstructs family-oriented "hugging and learning" sitcoms like ''Series/FullHouse''. The titular character learns early on that he can't fix his mistakes with a simple apology, but truly has to change his behavior. Even if he has changed, other characters are not obligated to forgive him.
* Creator/BobChipman has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmSI0Ua2Uvg described]] ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' as a this to the IJustWantToBeSpecial fantasy of creative misfits whose geeky interests and outcast nature turn out to be their source of superiority, as seen with the ComicBook/XMen, [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker]], [[Series/FamilyMatters Steve Urkel]], and [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]]. He feels that the unstated implication of this premise is that creative misfits and ugly ducklings who ''don't'' "show them all" later in life deserve all the mockery they get from their peers. This perfectly describes the Belchers, who are all invested in one creative field or another, except they're all ''bad'' at it and are often [[ButtMonkey the butt of the joke]]... yet this doesn't matter, because, at the end of the day, they're still portrayed as a loving family who all have value as human beings.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' is a deconstruction of TrappedInAnotherWorld-type wish fullfilment stories. [[Characters/AmphibiaAnneBoonchuy Anne Boonchuy]] and [[Characters/AmphibiaSashaWaybright Sasha Waybright]] were both completely miserably when they first arrived in Amphibia with no warning, Anne surviving off plants and roots in the woods for days while Sasha spent an entire month imprisoned by a hostile army. The only one who seems to have an unambiguously happy life in Amphibia is [[Characters/AmphibiaMarcyWu Marcy Wu]], who got the favor of the king and became his chief ranger. The Season 2 finale "[[Recap/AmphibiaS2E36TrueColors True Colors]]" reveals that is only because [[spoiler:she ''wanted'' it in the first place, and knew what the music box would do when she first tricked Anne into stealing it. And even she doesn't get away from the deconstruction, as the king is actually a ManipulativeBastard who's merely playing along with her fantasy as part of his true goals]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutron'' [[TheMovie movie]] ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' deconstructs the [[ThereAreNoAdults "having no parents would be great"]] trope by having difficulties pop up the very next day. A girl gets injured, everyone gets chronically lonely, and people get sick from eating nothing but bad food.

** ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow'' deconstructs most of the show's tropes, most notably Eddy's {{Flanderization}} into a {{Jerkass}}, Edd's role as the NoRespectGuy, and the blatant AmusingInjuries and StatusQuoIsGod. The movie starts off with another ZanyScheme going horrendously wrong, with the Kids displaying some very ''un''amusing injuries, and now the kids want to ''kill'' the Eds. Eddy's behavior is causing more and more problems during the Eds' journey, and finally, when Ed and Eddy fake their deathes as a joke on Edd, he snaps and tries to pull a ScrewThisImOuttaHere, stating he'd rather face the kids then spend another second with Eddy. And to top it all off, the ending. [[spoiler: It's revealed Eddy's Brother was a twisted BigBrotherBully who used Eddy as a punching bag when they were kids, which gave Eddy his InferioritySuperiorityComplex.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', as well as deconstructing everything else on the planet, has a fine line in deconstructing itself. In "[[Recap/SouthParkS5E13KennyDies Kenny Dies]]", the RunningGag character they had [[TheyKilledKenny killed over seventy times already]] gets a terminal disease and slowly expires while Stan and Kyle react with utterly realistic grief and despair.

** ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow'' deconstructs most of the show's tropes, most notably Eddy's {{Flanderization}} into a {{Jerkass}}, Edd's role as the NoRespectGuy, and the blatant AmusingInjuries and StatusQuoIsGod. The movie starts off with another ZanyScheme going horrendously wrong, with the Kids displaying some very ''un''amusing injuries, and now the kids want to ''kill'' the Eds. Eddy's behavior is causing more and more problems during the Eds' journey, and finally, when Ed and Eddy fake their deathes as a joke on Edd, he snaps and trys to pull a ScrewThisImOuttaHere, stating he'd rather face the kids then spend another second with Eddy. And to top it all off, the ending. [[spoiler: It's revealed Eddy's Brother was a twisted BigBrotherBully who used Eddy as a punching bag when they were kids, which gave Eddy his InferioritySuperiorityComplex.]]

* bojack horseman could be seen as this to the traditional adult animated sitcom. the mysterious mr enter once described the premise of bojack horseman as "what if peter griffin or mr pickles or eric cartman actually had to face consequences for their actions and try to make up for them against real people".

* The ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' episode "[[Recap/YoungJusticeS1E17Disordered Disordered]]" deals the aftermath of a traumatic mission, with the cast of young heroes attending therapy in order to deal with the horrible things they witnessed. The ensuing interviews reveal the pressure the kids are under and ends with Comicbook/{{Robin}} deciding that he no longer wants to be Batman.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', being the self-aware show that it is, devotes its premiere episode to [[DeconstructiveParody comedically deconstructing]] the premise of [[Franchise/MyLittlePony its parent franchise]] and the [[GirlShowGhetto "little girls' cartoon"]] genre which its predecessors [[TropeCodifier codified]] by asking what happens when [[SugarBowl a setting where everyone is friends with each other by default]] plays host to someone who isn't interested in friendship. Enter the introverted (and somewhat conceited) Twilight Sparkle, who is dumped in Ponyville and left to [[MetaGuy react as any of the sane, adult human beings]] [[PeripheryDemographic who may be watching]] would if placed amidst the [[CloudCuckoolander colorful characters]] that inhabit such a world: with bewildered frustration. Throughout the episode, the other ponies' overzealous attempts to befriend Twilight merely drive her to ever-greater seclusion and jadedness in their unwitting validation of her cynical worldview. The close of the episode is a DownerEnding where [[FallenAngel Nightmare]] [[MadGod Moon]] (who acts as a dark counterpart to Twilight thanks to her past exclusion turning her into an [[OmnicidalManiac omnicidal]] WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds) demonstrates the [[CrapsaccharineWorld inherent dangers]] of the fantasy setting that helps Equestria exist in such perfect harmony by [[SugarApocalypse plunging the world into]] TheNightThatNeverEnds. Miraculously enough, [[DeconReconSwitch the following episode]] manages to [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstruct]] every last one of these elements [[IncrediblyLamePun with flying colors]].

%%* Along the same lines as the ''Scooby-Doo'' example above is ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime,'' which takes a grittier spin on the ''{{Transformers}}'' series.

** [[OncePerEpisode Normal episodes]] end with Twilight Sparkle sending [[AnAesop a message]] to her mentor Princess Celestia about [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle what she learned about friendship that day]], satisfying the [[EdutainmentShow Edutainment quota]] for the week. The episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E3LessonZero Lesson Zero]]" specifically begs the question: "What happens if there was no friendship message to write about?" Thus begins one of the most bizarre, creepy episodes of the series when our [[SanityBall normally]] [[OnlySaneMan calm and collected]] (and [[SarcasmMode slightly]] [[SuperOCD OCD]]) Twilight races to find, and eventually ''create'', a friendship problem to report about. Ultimately, an Aesop about missing the Aesop is arrived at, and [[WhamEpisode introduces a running change]] where any of Twilight's friends can provide the Aesop (likely as a way to avoid having to shoehorn in Twilight into every episode).

* ''"Hey Good Lookin'"'' by Creator/RalphBakshi (who else) is one big Deconstruction and TakeThat against anyone who believes that the [=1950s=] were really just like ''Film/{{Grease}}'' or ''Series/HappyDays''. The main character is ostensibly as cool as The Fonz but actually a DirtyCoward who can't back up his bragging, the PluckyComicRelief is actually a racist sociopath, their gang aren't really TrueCompanions despite looking like it, the supposed BigBad never [[MindScrew explictly]] does anything really bad and the ending's BrokenAesop is intentional about the [[SatelliteLoveInterest "Romance"]] between the main character and Rozzie.

* The ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' episode "Disordered" deals the aftermath of a traumatic mission, with the cast of young heroes attending therapy in order to deal with the horrible things they witnessed. The ensuing interviews reveal the pressure the kids are under and ends with Comicbook/{{Robin}} deciding that he no longer wants to be Batman.

* The episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' about them moving to "Citysville" deals with what would happen if their brand of heroics was applied to a real life city.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', as well as deconstructing everything else on the planet, has a fine line in deconstructing itself. In "Kenny Dies", the RunningGag character they had [[TheyKilledKenny killed over seventy times already]] gets a terminal disease and slowly expires while Stan and Kyle react with utterly realistic grief and despair.
** "You're Getting Old" portrays Stan Marsh and his parents as completely fed up with the insane events constantly creeping in their daily life, along with StatusQuoIsGod. Randy, somehow an adult SixthRanger to the children, is forced to admit how immature that makes him when he cling to whatever awful next big thing comes out in an attempt to look cool and relevant; Sharon has this speech:

** Also, this speech from Craig Tucker, one of the boys' classmate, in "Pandemic":

* The ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutron'' [[TheMovie movie]] deconstructs the [[ThereAreNoAdults "having no parents would be great"]] trope by having difficulties pop up the very next day. A girl gets injured, everyone gets chronically lonely, and people get sick from eating nothing but bad food.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' is a deconstruction of TrappedInAnotherWorld-type wish fullfilment stories. Anne and Sasha were both completely miserably when they first arrived in Amphibia with no warning, Anne surviving off plants and roots in the woods for days while Sasha spent an entire month imprisoned by a hostile army. The only one who seems to have an unambiguously happy life in Amphibia is Marcy, who got the favor of the king and became his chief ranger. And that is only because [[spoiler:she ''wanted'' it in the first place, and knew what the music box would do when she first tricked Anne into stealing it. And even she doesn't get away from the deconstruction, as the king is actually a ManipulativeBastard who's merely playing along with her fantasy as part of his true goals]].

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' does a [[CrossesTheLineTwice particularly nasty]] deconstruction of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and its AmusingInjuries, wherein Elmer Fudd is out "hunting wabbits", shoots Bugs Bunny four times in the stomach, snaps his neck amidst cries of pain, and then drags him off leaving behind a trail of blood. In another episode where Peter and friends became Series/TheATeam, the show's "amusing injuries" are discussed as actually life-threatening.
** The second ChristmasEpisode deconstructs SantaClaus to creepy levels.
* The famous ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' episode "Homer's Enemy" is a deconstruction of the general weirdness and insanity of its setting, based around the premise of ''What if a real-life, normal person had to enter Homer's universe and deal with him?'' Frank Grimes, a relatively humorless but hard-working man who is still forced to live cheaply despite working almost his entire life, encounters Homer on the job at the nuclear power plant. You can imagine what happens next - the result is funny, but also disturbing and very dark upon further reflection (one of the darkest ''Simpsons'' episodes ever made).

* The ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode "1+ 1=Ed" is a deconstruction of how cartoons work, similar to WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck.

* "Epilogue" of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' can be taken as a deconstruction of the superhero genre by having a Amanda Waller deliberately try to engineer [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond another Batman]] in response to the original Batman growing older. It fits both invoked and deconstructed, because it shows the horrible consequences of making a superhero, as well as the kind of monster you would have to be to do it (killing innocent people to do something that might achieve a goal).

* "It's Oppo", a student film made by Cal Arts student Tyler Chen, deconstructs Nick Jr., as well as preschool television programs and morally unscrupulous media companies in general. [[http://vimeo.com/11573607 Watch the entire thing here.]] (NSFW for [[spoiler:nudity]])

** "Fare Tonight" deconstructs the "KidHero fights monsters" genre made by ''Film/MonsterSquad'', as the kids in question, while able to talk big about killing vampires, end up being about as prepared to fight an actual vampire as kids with no professional training whatsoever would be in real life. [[spoiler: They only win by pure luck at the end.]]

* Creator/BobChipman has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmSI0Ua2Uvg described]] ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' as a this to the IJustWantToBeSpecial fantasy of creative misfits whose geeky interests and outcast nature turn out to be their source of superiority, as seen with the ComicBook/XMen, [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker]], [[Series/FamilyMatters Steve Urkel]], and [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]]. He feels that the [[UnfortunateImplications unstated implication of this premise]] is that creative misfits and ugly ducklings who ''don't'' "show them all" later in life deserve all the mockery they get from their peers. This perfectly describes the Belchers, who are all invested in one creative field or another, except they're all ''bad'' at it and are often [[ButtMonkey the butt of the joke]]... yet this doesn't matter, because, at the end of the day, they're still portrayed as a loving family who all have value as human beings.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' is a deconstruction of TrappedInAnotherWorld-type wish fullfilment stories. Anne and Sasha were both completely miserably when they first arrived in Amphibia with no warning, Anne surviving off plants and roots in the woods for days while Sasha spent an entire month imprisoned by a hostile army. The only one who seems to have an unambiguously happy life in Amphibia is Marcy, who got the favor of the king and became his chief ranger. And that is only because [[spoiler:She got them trapped in Amphibia on purpose, and the king is actually a ManipulativeBastard who's playing on her WrongGenreSavvy]].

* There can be a very good case made for ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' being a deconstruction of ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest and Franchise/DocSavage''-style [[TwoFistedTales stories]]. Some say spoof, some say deconstruction, some say [[DeconstructiveParody both]]. The main character is a former KidHero who, due to a childhood spent traveling the world with his Adventurer-Scientist father, has [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior seen and done things]] no twelve-year-old boy really should have to, and has grown up into a bitter, pill-popping, barely-functional human being. His rugged ActionHero bodyguard is basically the kind of borderline sociopath that would gravitate to a world of clandestine doings where [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer brutal murder]] is an acceptable way of solving problems. His children are socially awkward nerds, but not in any of the "good" or "endearing" ways; they were basically raised in boxes and have no clue how to interact with reality. And his arch-nemesis is a lame animal-themed SuperVillain who, despite moments of competence, is so wrapped up in planning the details of his over-elaborate and petty revenge schemes against an enemy who ''barely knows who he is'' that his schemes never actually get off the ground.

* The ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Disordered" deals the aftermath of a traumatic mission, with the cast of young heroes attending therapy in order to deal with the horrible things they witnessed. The ensuing interviews reveal the pressure the kids are under and ends with Comicbook/{{Robin}} deciding that he no longer wants to be Batman.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' deconstructed the KidHero and FreeRangeChildren tropes. One moment, the viewer is rooting for their favourite character in the awesome SupernaturalMartialArts fights - then the viewer is [[TearJerker painfully reminded]] [[EarthIsABattlefield just why]] [[ParentalAbandonment a group of teens and kids]] have the [[TheExile freedom]] and [[ChildSoldier ability]] to travel all over the world. Same thing goes for the villains - one moment the viewer is hoping for somebody to kick Azula's ass, then she sees her mother in the mirror...
* Then WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra goes further into deconstruction. It attacks the BlackAndWhiteMorality and ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer tendencies common in most action cartoons, including its predecessor, by forcing the heroes to deal with [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well-Intentioned Extremists]] who [[VillainHasAPoint make legitimately good points]]. Toph brings them up that all of her enemies were people who had ultimately good reasons to do what they did; but each of them lost sight of their goals or got too extreme. Zaheer in particular believed in the destruction of political monarchies who hoard power, yet uses Ba Sing Se as his focal point; a city ruled by a greedy tyrant who robs her people blind for pointless extravagances.
** It also deconstructs its own predecessor's HappyEnding, showing that, in the end, the main characters went on to lead lives with nearly as much bad in them as good, and that their impact on the world, while generally positive, still included mistakes that needed to be corrected by future generations.