.Ren and Stimpy was a really groundbreaking show that audiences in the 90’s loved due
to it’s over-the-top, crude humor and it’s disregard of the idea that cartoons have to
preach good morals.
It represented a pivotal moment in cartoons, not just for Nickelodeon’s childrens animation,
but animation that appealed to teenagers and adults too -- Much like Beavis and Butthead.
It was a show that was fun, goofy, crude and even morbid.
And in many ways…
It was dark.
So of course, there have been plenty of dark theories concocted by fans that showcase Ren
and Stimpy in a whole new light.
I'm Kyle with WickedBinge.
And today, we’re taking a look at the Dark Theories about Ren and Stimpy That Might Ruin
Your Childhood.
Ah, heck, you already knew this show was demented, so these won’t ruin anything…
But maybe they’ll help make sense of things…
They Are Victims Of Animal Cruelty
Why does Ren act so aggressive and psychotic?
And why does Stimpy act so stupid?
Many viewers conclude that this is their real nature.
Ren is just insane and Stimpy was never too lucky with the number of brain cells he received.
” But one of the darker theories explains their erratic behavior by confirming both
of them as victims of animal cruelty.
They were regular animals before.
But somebody had abused them so much that Ren got numerous mental disorders and Stimpy's
intelligence went straight down the drain.
Ren and Stimpy might have even not been abused by the same person.
By chance, they ended up together in the same show, connected by brutal histories of physical
and mental abuse.
Another, similar theory, states that Ren has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known
as PTSD.
When you think about it, these dark theories do make sense.
We jump to conclusions.
Ren is a real lunatic.
Stimpy is dumber than a tree stump.
But what if we'd try to explain their actions relying on their circumstances, not their
character?
We’d hate to think of our favorite Nickeldeon pets as victims of psychological abuse…
but given their behavior…
It’s not all that farfetched.
In any case, if you are a certified animal psychotherapist specialized in chihuahuas,
let us know in the comment section!
Ren Is Lobotomized
Lobotomy.
Doesn't that word itself sound just... dark?
Well, in case you didn't know what lobotomy means, it's the surgical removal of connections
in a certain part of the brain.
Once hailed as the holy grail of treating insanity, nowadays this inhumane procedure
has been banned in most countries all over the world.
Spoiler alert: it's an awful way to treat mental illness.
But the question is whether lobotomy completely messed up Ren?
In the episode "Ren Needs Help", he takes a bath while Stimpy intentionally destroys
all of his possessions.
When Ren sees the results, he tries to act calmly.
But he can't hold his composure for long.
Soon he plunges into a psychotic depression and tries to kill himself by crawling into
a trash compactor.
Stimpy grows concerned about Ren's behavior.
He decides to call the Shady Brain Farm.
The guys from the institution take Ren away.
At first, it looks like Ren is actually doing good and even participating in some group
therapy sessions.
Soon it turns out there's something unforgivable about this place.
They only serve creamed corn.
Ren absolutely hates that stuff!
After a second lunch of this disgusting food, Ren freaks out and tells the other patients
to escape because they aren't crazy at all.
Well, after this incident, Ren is taken away to be lobotomized.
The episode ends with Ren, all suited up, dressed as a president to give a speech.
The user Colossal-Chaos on Wattpad feels that this ending was used to 'give the messed up
episode a more cartoony feel to distract us from the nightmare fuel'.
But stretching this theory out, maybe this episode hints about the roots of Ren's insanity?
There's a chance he might have been lobotomized the whole time.
The procedure turned out wrong, as they almost always tend to, and the wrong wiring in his
brain made him the way he is.
For some fans of Ren and Stimpy, this episode serving as a prequel to all the other stories
makes a lot of sense.
And that's creepy!
Ren & Stimpy Were Real Life Pets
People love to trace back shows' origins to it’s creators and their lives before making
the series.
This theory goes back to a young boy who lived in Canada.
His life wasn't the best.
Others always made fun of the boy in school because he constantly made jokes about boogers,
farting, and other stuff like that.
Everyone hated him, calling him a disgusting weirdo.
Even the teachers!
As you might imagine, he didn't have a lot of friends.
Actually, the boy's only friends were two pet’s at home.
One of the pets was a chihuahua.
Friendly with the owner, but overly aggressive with all the strangers.
The other pet was a reaa-aally fat cat.
The boy drew cartoons of the two pets doing all sorts of fun things together and having
some pretty strange adventures along the way.
But the chihuahua attacked a child when the boy had hit his teenage years.
After this incident, the small but ferocious dog had to be put down.
Soon enough, the cat followed the same road after dying of heart failure.
They were buried right next to each other.
Now, the depression really swallowed the boy.
Only things left from his pets were numerous cartoons.
What now?
He thought about it hard and finally decided to do something with all those drawings.
Years later, after growing up, he became an animator and made an award-winning cartoon
series based on his two deceased friends.
The boy is John Kricfalusi and the show is Ren and Stimpy.
Well, truthfully, this fan theory was Jossed.
As elaborate and as much time went into it, it’s been debunked.
The much simpler truth was that Stimpy was based off a cat John would constantly doodle
in school, and Ren was based off a chihuahua he once saw in a postcard.
Ren Is Actually John Kricfalusi
Since the cartoon was shocking to the audiences when it came out, it’s creator John Kricfalusi
got quite a lot of attention as well.
But none of this compares to the scrutiny he received in 2018.
All the disturbing press materials sparked a dark theory about Ren's character.
But first, let's quickly go over what happened in the first place.
Two women accused Kricfalusi of misconduct.
Causing many fans to revisit his work and past interviews with a new, revealing perspective.
But this actual theory grew from the statement given by his lawyer to BuzzFeed.
He said that Kricfalusi had struggled with mental illnesses over the years and was eventually
diagnosed in 2008.
For almost three decades, he had relied primarily on drinking alcohol to self-medicate.
The theory suggests that this is what gave birth to the idea that Ren might actually
have been John Kricfalusi himself.
Maybe Ren characterized the parts of Kricfalusi's mind that he never showed to other people
in real life?
So, for some, Ren isn't a chihuahua at all.
Instead, he's just the cartoon rendition of a dark human mind.
And this theory might be a good explanation as to why the show was so demented.
The Show Is A Social Experiment
The following theory has been described by many fans across message boards and online
communities.
What if the whole Ren & Stimpy series was John Kricfalusi's social experiment involving
the viewers and TV executives?
Just think about it.
While there have been many children's cartoons depicting violence, even classical ones like
Tom & Jerry, this particular cartoon definitely broke some taboos because it was much bolder
in it’s use of darker themes.
There’s no denying that there is a lot of humor that just wouldn’t be green lit on
Nickelodeon today, or any children’s network for that matter.
Many would argue this is a shame, considering that there’s a pretty compelling argument
that older cartoons were more likely to treat their children audiences as if they were smarter
and capable of seeing things that weren’t always cookie-cutter family friendly.
Well, maybe the creator had a grand experiment in his mind.
How long can you roll out these disturbing episodes without any outraged parents suing
you?
Or before Nickelodeon's tired executives cancelling your show?
He did manage to keep it up for quite a long time.
Many say the breaking point was an episode called "Man's Best Friend".
The channel refused to air the episode as it contains tobacco references and Ren frantically
beating a guy called Mr Liquor with an oar.
Yes, the line had been crossed!
For some people, it was a sad day because Nickelodeon hired a new head writer.
For others, it was an expected conclusion for an elaborate social experiment turned
into a conspiracy that's still more believable than The Flat Earth theory.
Afterall, when you look back at Ren and Stimpy in its’ original form, you can definitely
see how a theory like this exists.
The crudeness was what made all of us fall in love with the show.
Regardless of the fact that the story was completely void of morals or preachy messaging,
and despite the fact that the creator may or may not have been a complete degenerate,
viewers liked the show because it crossed lines, it was crude and it wasn’t afraid
to be dark and even morbid at time.
In many ways, this has become a lost art -- that many people hope one day will return to animation.
But what do you think?
Ren and Stimpy was a show that really blew past several boundaries and was full of dark
themes.
Do you have an dark theories about the show?
Let us know in the comment section below.
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But most importantly, stay wicked.