All the same, kids like me kept watching. Sure, he could deliver a well-timed dad pun while punching an offshore drill rig, but he also spent a significant portion of his airtime straight-up lecturing viewers about recycling and conserving electricity. When those powers combined, as they predictably did at some point every episode, Captain Planet would rise majestically into the air, ready to do battle with a wide array of pollution-spewing supervillains.Ĭompared to the dark and brooding superheroes of the DC and Marvel universes, Captain Planet was a bit of a dorky doodle. He could only be summoned by the Planeteers, a group of five internationally diverse teens with magical, element-themed rings: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart (the last one being a combination of empathy, telepathy, and extreme persuasion). It starred a preachy, green-mulleted, pollution-sensitive superhero who used his powers to combat issues like oil spills, greenhouse gases, and nuclear waste. But thinking back on those many hours 30 years later, one show’s staying power rises above the rest: Captain Planet.įor those unfamiliar with the series, Captain Planet was an unlikely hit. and didn’t require cable, I probably watched it. You name it - if it came on after 3:15 p.m. Like many older millennials, I spent quite a few of my after-school hours in the 1990s parked in front of the TV. Captain Planet and the Planeteers is fun and retro, but it's not your best bet for younger grade-schoolers.This story is part of Grist’s Summer Dreams arts and culture series, a weeklong exploration of how popular fiction can influence our environmental reality. However, you can also expect your fair share of violence, language mishaps, and sexual innuendos (which is the largest repeat offender). Addressing these issues with such clarity is admirable.
Expect to walk away with a better understanding of environmental issues like the ozone layer and animal rights.
CAPTIN PLANET POSTER SERIES
For a series that's aimed at kids, the show sometimes has a PG-13 feel to it - especially when the protagonists are setting such bad examples.Īs the first animated series to teach kids about key environmental concerns, in many ways Captain Planet - which offers plenty of valuable lessons - was ahead of its time. The female Planeteers, meanwhile, label the Baywatch star with colorful words like "stupid" and "bimbo," all while the eco-villains dress in drag to look like the star and use a machine gun to shoot one of the Planeteers into the ocean. Bubblebutt" mouth to mouth as the camera moves in for a close-up on her rear end.
The motor boat in the episode about the manatees is used for a Baywatch party, and the male Planeteers talk about wanting to give Baywatch star "Mrs. But there's also a lot of mainstream garbage littering the show. The educational segments offer a nice counterpoint to the action that dominates the rest of the show. The Planeteers provide in-depth background on manatees' natural environment and behavior toward humans. For example, one episode features the eco-villains attempting to destroy a manatee's habitat with a motor boat. The show offers plenty of factual information to digest.
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