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> I don't know what the modern equivalent is Sponge Bob in its first season. I thought it was a dumb kids cartoon, until I inadvertently watched an episode. The humor in it worked on many levels, there was the kid's humor, with a wicked overlay of adult humor on top. I recall one where SB and friends were out on a fishing boat. The name of the boat was painted on the prow. The framing of the shot cut off the first co…
An older cartoon with the same idea is Rocky & Bullwinkle. They had the slapstick for the kids, and sly satire for the adults. For example, one plot centered around a pond named Veronica Lake. (Veronica Lake was a film star renowned for being sultry.) Someone asked where the boys were at some point, and the reply was "they are playing in Veronica Lake." I always wondered how that got past the censors.
The new R&B shows on Amazon do a pretty good job of capturing the spirit of the original, which was a pleasant surprise for something coming out in the late 2010s.
Another more modern cartoon that does similar stuff is "Animaniacs", which was also a kiddie show that was surprisingly smart and often sophisticated, something that can be appreciated by adults as well as kids
