Poll: Why is Invader Zim so highly praised?

[NegaWiki]

Invader Zim was made to capture the darker, edgier audience that had grown up with Nick, but when it actually succeeded Nick realized it didn't want a periphery demographic and pulled the plug on the show (which was expensive to make in the first place)

Fans tend to think this is where Nick revealed its true colors, separating "old, cool" Nick from "money, Sponge Bob" Nick. Ren and Stimpy, the horrific treatment Angry Beavers got, Rugrats, Doug, Kappa Mikey, Invader Zim had a good idea but it was not until later that Nick decided that it was good.

 

[Verzin]

because it's awesome. if you didn't like it, that's fine, but I think it's awesome. teaches good family values...heheh

 

[TheLastSamurai14]

GIR is that generation's Pinkie Pie.

I would love to see a GIR/Pinkie Pie crossover.

You fool. The universe will implode if Vasquez and Faust collaborate. Hell, even a fanmade crossover would be the end of many millions of people.

...Let's make it happen!

 

[Kae]

Yeah it was really stupid it's right up there with Ren and Stimpy and Fairly Odd Parents, but then again I seem to hate cartoons for the most part and my brothers did love all those things and that Billy and Mandy thing that is also unworldly stupid not even Evil Dead references can save that thing.
And yes it is possible that I just hate everything, most people seem to believe that anyway.

Holy shit, man! Grammar! Use some grammar! My lungs are saw from reading that sentence in my head!
I'd also like to state that I enjoyed the crap out of every cartoon you mentioned in your post. Then again, I love most cartoons, period.

Sorry Mr. Vanquish, grammar was never a strong point of mine and the fact that English isn't my first language doesn't really help, anyway I added some extra comas, not that they are necessarily grammatically correct but the thing should be easier to read.

As for the cartoon thing, well I am kind of a grump so there's really not much more to it, I probably don't enjoy cartoon because I find almost nothing funny, so I probably dislike most cartoons due to a lack of sense of humour.

 

[Zen Toombs]

!) It's a really good show.
2) Good shows tend to be highly praised.
QED, It's highly praised.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

The cruelest irony about the show is that the creator absolutely despises the Goth community, and they're the only ones who pay any of his work attention any more. I used to like the show, but it's gotten to the point where the only people who "like" it are of the age where they were too young to have even watched it and only have seen it from references on the internet and Hot Topic merchandise. I can't stand the people that like it anymore. They're ALWAYS the "LOL I'M SO RANDOM!!1!!" people who think GIR was the main focus of the show or quote shit out of context.

Is that a fact? Because I always hated it because the Goth kids embraced.

That and... Okay, I love dark humor, but Invader Zim didn't come across as dark to me. Just weird for the sake of being weird. Maybe I'm wrong, but part of what I enjoy about Dark Humor is when it's up against a normal or even overly cartoon sugary backdrop and the contrast that it creates.

Invader Zim was just dark on top of dark.

EDIT: Billy and Mandy for example had a bright colorful world, and it worked for me.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

i found it the most boring show in the world, right next to Rocko's modern life and Angry Beavers

That's basically my childhood right there. I'm curious now, what did you prefer as a kid?

Round the Twist, Zoids, Dragonball Z and a couple of other shows.

btw Round the Twist is one of the weirdest shows you will ever watch. funny thou

I enjoyed the fuck out of the first season of Zoids. I think we're in the minority though...

 

[Marcus Kehoe]

I think for cartoon's this show was one of the most ahead of it's time. When I was younger I loved the show and I find it's best part's still funny.

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

I love the show simply because of it's randomness and dark humor...

...I hated it as a kid though, it scared me! Same thing with Ren and Stimpy, which I now also love!

 

[Dragonclaw]

I was a big fan of Johnen Vasquez from his time doing I Feel Sick and Squee (You can see a LOT of early character concepts for Invader Zim in Squee). His sense of humor strikes a chord with me

 

[The Ubermensch]

Invader Zim was insane yes, but if you look past the insanity is was a social commentary on our dystopian consumerist society. Dibb, while insufferable, was a character that I, as an anarchist could identify with, the whole thing could be his delusion as he trys to escape the truth of his society.

Every second episode i was like "Why is this show on Nick, it should be on adultswim" because of the commentary

Also, BECAUSE ITS COOL

 

[Weaver]

I was a bit too old for it when the cartoon started getting popular.

 

[Aeonknight]

I like it because it shows how truly retarded people can be.

this example pretty much sums up every customer service interaction, ever.

 

[DeltaEdge]

I didnt know invader zim was from the 90's....I figured it was from the "fairly odd parents" era

Actually, not only did it release in 2001, but its series premiere was at the same night as the series premiere of the Fairy Odd Parents. I remember that from when I was like 7, the announcers of Nickelodeon both arguing about which was better, invader zim, or the fairly odd parents.
On to the topic. Frankly, I don't give a shit if it's a cult hit and popular amongst "edgy" Gothic rebellious teens that buy all of their clothes from hot topic, I liked the show because I thought it was damn unique, and funny, not because it is popular to like it. The show was also much different that the other cartoons on Nickelodeon, which is probably why it got cancelled so early now that I think about it. It was a strange, yet funny show with funny characters that depicted a slightly demeaning and morbid, yet funny view of who I assume were Americans and the protagonist was an incompetent egotistical alien whose race worshiped those who were the tallest. I also think it was good in the sense that it was good because it kind of showed that not all cartoons have to be bright, happy, comedic and retarded, they can be dark, morbid, comedic and retarded as well! But yeah, so, I thought it was a funny show, and apparently a lot of other people thought so too. Sorry if you don't mean it this way, but just because you don't like it, it doesn't make everyone who did and or does like it a pretentious hipster douche-bag trying to stand out with their hot topic depictions of Invader Zim that they only like it because it's popular amongst their occult circle of acquaintanceship to like. Some people just genuinely liked it and still do.
Edit:

i found it the most boring show in the world, right next to Rocko's modern life and Angry Beavers

That's basically my childhood right there. I'm curious now, what did you prefer as a kid?

Round the Twist, Zoids, Dragonball Z and a couple of other shows.

btw Round the Twist is one of the weirdest shows you will ever watch. funny thou

I loved all of those shows. Zoids was pretty darn awesome. I forget what it was called, but the one that came on in the morning with the Organoids that could possess bigger zoids, that one was my absolute favorite. What that one called Zoids Chaotic Century? Either way, now I am going to go watch some old episodes of Zoids.

 

[ElPatron]

Loved it a decade ago. Haven't bothered to check if it aged well.

But I will say I found it good and I didn't know Hot Topic told people what to watch. I thought they only told people what to listen or dress.

 

[xPixelatedx]

All that show ever was to a 11-12 year old me, was that show that had a lot of screaming in it, and 'strange things'.

Which is exactly why I liked it as a kid, it was CREEPY. Everything else in children's programming is condescending, so of course this was welcome.

And just to inform you, it didn't fail. It was canceled by Nickelodeon. They felt the theme of a foreigner trying to take over the world wasn't the best programming to show on their network after 9/11. This is why the show continued showing new episodes in other countries after it was given the boot in the US. They were great episodes to.

 

[braincore02]

Been a while since I've seen it but every now and then I gotta bust out with "spooptie! You crazy!"

I was a fan of JTHM at the time, even tho the poorly constructed tradebook would practically dissolve in your hands, so I guess I just like his bizarre humor, and identify with his less than glowing opinion of humanity.