Dream Theories Are Dumb

[@QuintonReviews]

This awesome guy has done a Russian dub for those of you who are foreign! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXPcda2maLiMkJo

[@raksusm]

Таракан просто бог дубляжа.

[@hinether]

Quinton Reviews pero yo hablo español

[@thegatorhator6822]

Why does he sound like he's having a body shattering orgasm when he says "soooooooooo many years?"

[@catgod7924]

That was pretty badly dubbed and he kinda... Stole your content. I ain't got a problem with that aslong as you still are getting views and are okay with that.

[@raksusm]

This guy pointed the source in the video and in Vkontakte (Russian Facebook, lol). So I would not call it stealing. sorry for my bad English

[@SaiScribbles]

Man that Hey Arnold one legit pissed me off. Hey Arnold was all about a kid with a non-traditional family structure, with quirky but loving grandparents who are raising him best they can after a tragedy. That's part of why its so great, so much of the show is about how the typical social ideal of normalcy isn't that important. It was a great message for kids.

[@tarvoc746]

I actually wonder if that so-called "theory" qualifies as libel. I actually wonder if Craig Bartlett could sue the author over this.

[@shelbyb9965]

@@tarvoc746 Libel and slander aren't just "I don't like this thing they said about me," there has to be tangible evidence that damage was caused to the reputation of a person or business. Slander and libel cases are notoriously difficult to prove/win, and legal fees can be incredibly costly. The fanfic does not damage the brand and has not lost them any money. If anything, one could argue that the fanfic has brought more attention to the show's existence. There's not really a case to even be made here. There could be an argument made for copyright infringement, as there is a lot of gray area with the legalities of fanfiction within that realm of law. However, considering the fan theory isn't fleshed out and was non-commercial, I don't think there's much of a case there either. This isn't somebody writing and profiting from a 10-part series based on the characters and lore established in the show, it's a couple paragraphs of speculation. Edit: fixed some autocorrect spellings

[@skelly1973]

I hate how they said that his grandpa sexually abused Arnold. That pissed me off

[@gabbyb9418]

@@tarvoc746 uhhhh probably a no

[@gabbyb9418]

@@shelbyb9965 imo fanfaction is totally fair use especially if it's just kids having fun thinking about cartoons. Now I could maybe see Stephanie Meyer sueing the author to 50 Shades. Still probably fair use but 50 Shades was a total copy of Twilight just with weird BDSM shit and even more abuse. You'd think Edward disabling Bella's vehicle because he didn't want her to see her best friend that Edward doesn't like would be far enough weird possessive abuse for the 50 Shades author but I guess not. WE NEED MORE!

[@greenmario3011]

Here's a theory: the entire Pokemon series is actually just a fantasy created by a team of Japanese animators in the nineteen-nineties

[@AquaIsUseless]

No You Got it wrong.It was All In an autistic Kid's head (Satoshi) And Evil Game Maker (Who Was Bato) Stole His Idea And Put him In a coma.Then He impersonated him and Brainwashed everyone AND THEN MADE A GAME ABOUT IT!!!! HOW HORRIBLE!!!! Then Some Anime producer's Found the og Satoshi Through some kind of dream dedection machine They Stole His dreams AND MADE THEM INTO CARTOONS!!! HOW HORRIBLE!!! (Gasps)Was that enough?

[@buihelgason]

Oh shit!

[@buihelgason]

@@AquaIsUseless wrong.it

[@lcmiracle]

Interesting! Think the game came first tho

[@nobodyjustme2208]

Oh, I though all these animators was put in coma after the seizures from that Porygon episode. The rest of the series is actually the dreams that they shared at the hospital while playing the gameboy/ds games.

[@CrazyRiverOtter]

I have a theory of why the characters in Ed, Edd, and Eddy all look so weird. It's because the characters are all in someone's head... The character designers' head.

[@Redhaux]

perfect

[@Quackervoltz]

They are just vibing.

[@iamcheezeYT]

mind blown

[@hrd2h1t]

Why is it that every one of these theories has to be morbid? Instead of Timmy being a kid who's relatives died, maybe he's just having fun with his fish? Not that I believe in this theory, but it's a lot better than the edgy version.

[@sillygooseygirl]

Yeah like Rugrats. Maybe Angelica's just using her imagination when she's hanging out with her baby cousin and his friends, doesn't mean they're dead and they don't exist

[@matthewdavison2622]

Because it's a lot more "interesting" to say that Finn was in a coma then saying he was just pretending to have adventures outside with his dog.

[@mattwolf7698]

The alternative is too innocent and boring. Also maybe some older viewers think they need to make these shows stupidly dark so that they don't feel weird that they are still watching them.

[@Data-Expungeded]

@@mattwolf7698 for some reason edgy teens have an obsession with making kids cartoons “dark and gritty” when it just makes it edgy and shit

[@Data-Expungeded]

@@matthewdavison2622 my cousin and my brother fully believe in a theory where his dog was his only friend they die and then he tries to kill himself but instead he goes in a coma

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

This episode was all a dream. Quinton is in a mental institution, imagining all of this.

[@QuintonReviews]

I'm sorry, my friend came over and started reply to random comments. Have a lovely day. :)

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

You too, your video was really cool.

[@fv2977]

Quinton, you should get your "friend" to come over and reply to random comments more often. It would be lit.

[@Blue__Oni]

The little red haired girl from across the street ur not across the street

[@blarg2429]

Blue Oni And you're not an oni (blue or otherwise). Did you have a point?

[@uknownada]

The worst part about the "dream theory" is that it's essentially pointless. All you're proving is that the show is fictional. That it never happened. But that's already completely true in the real world. If it's all in the mind of another character, well everything in the mind of that character still happened in their mind, so proving that it was all in their mind doesn't prove anything except that whatever was in their mind didn't actually happen. The mind and the real world are completely independent from each other, much like the show and our real world. Unless the story actually INVOLVES the philosophy of dreams, like Mulholland Drive or Inception or something, then the "it was all a dream" piece has no meaning in any form.

[@coolkid33000]

uknownada unless the characters each played a part in the dream that carry significance in their real world, like in wizard of oz.

[@Zinkolo]

uknownada no it means it's fictional in a different way. I mean its creepy sometimes sad. I guess in a way all shows are dreams

[@uknownada]

That's my point. All shows are "dreams" because all shows are fictional. If the show itself entirely takes place in a dream, then all the events of the show that we see are fictional in the context of what's "really happening" to the characters. If the entirety of Pokemon exists in Ash's head since he's in a coma, what does that add? It might explain how the show itself couldn't possibly happen, but that just means that everything happens in his imagination. Essentially saying "it's all a dream" just undos every single event in the entire story at once. It's not that sad if it isn't relevant.

[@MidoriMushrooms]

its purpose is people taking something light and turning it all kinds of dark because people are basically fucked and like things that are dark. Something about being more relatable...

[@LordofFullmetal]

Well yeah, that's why schools now teach that "it was all a dream" endings are bad writing. They essentially make the entire story you were trying to tell meaningless.

[@BriggsADA]

that hey arnold theory started as a theory and turned into a fan fiction

[@flynn659]

Read the 1st sentence and the last sentence and you'll get the contrast.

[@kolamite]

All Day Anime and then was disproved by the new movie

[@deviousj5868]

All Day Anime Pigeon Man lives. Craig Bartlett even added him to the movie to prove the theorists wrong.

[@samueljackson3512]

Devious J huh?

[@Fanimati0n]

Samuel Jackson people thought that the pigeon man from "Hey, Arnold!" actually killed himself. While that WAS the original intention for the character's fate, Nick looked at it & was like "Craig, dude. This is some dark shit. Do you need help, or something?" leading to Bartlet re-writing the ending for PM to live, but people still theorized that he killed himself & what we saw was Arnold repressing a traumatic incident.

[@Slick_Tails]

The truth is, Vegeta didn't survive his first battle with Goku. Vegeta was left in a Vegeta-tive state, and Goku felt so guilty that he imagined Vegeta fighting alongside them. Bulma actually married a man named Fruity Paul, but in Goku's mind, he was Vegeta. You see, you cannot disprove this... Wait, what do you mean there are sensu beans, and he could've just saved Vegeta easily? Okay, well... The truth is, Vegeta actually killed Goku, and everything that happened in the series after was made up by Piccolo on his private yacht... *Nailed it!*

[@Slick_Tails]

SSEmery OMG I'm busted, you are genius.

[@bul13ts]

Goku is actually just an overweight elderly man who never did anything with his life and now tries to make up for it by telling ridiculous stories about how cool he used to be to the neighborhood kids... hmm... this isn't edgy enough. He was the victim of lifelong sexual abuse and he would eat to numb the pain, leading him to become morbidly obese. In his stories, he's always powerful and strong, because in his real life, he was always powerless and weak. This is also why young Goku is so innocent in the original Dragonball stories. He's imagining a new childhood where he never had any concept of sex in an effort to forget the horrors of his real childhood... Is it just me, or is this still not edgy enough? Okay. He suffers from severe delusions and genuinely believes that these stories are true because his real memories are just too painful... Nope, still not there yet. Gohan is what he would have named his son, if he hadn't died in a miscarriage. The pain of losing him was so great that it caused his wife to kill herself. So in his stories, they all live as a haply family with Gohan growing into a fighter as good as his own fantasy for himself. There! I've got sexual abuse, miscarriage, suicide, and mental illness! Just the right level of edge! EDGY=SMART!!!!

[@Mariathinking]

SohJinh 'vegeta-tive state' someone get this man a drink!

[@boergerplays8353]

SohJinh YES that theory makes total sense it's hilarious and awesome

[@andrewcleary9952]

Fruity Paul is my favorite anime

[@alexanderchippel]

The reason Angelica can understand the babies is because she's old enough to speak to adults, but young enough to understand the babies.

[@313ton5]

Exactly. If the theory about them being dead was true, all grown up would've never happened.

[@alexanderchippel]

Nega Chin Actually, In the "theory", it states that All Grown Up is more of Angelica's paranoid and now drug fueled delusions which lead to her death. I read the "theory" (or one very, very similar) a while ago and apparently it's not told from her perspective. It's told for the perspective of Sussie. It says that Sussie, fascinated by Angelica's stories of the rugrats, grows up to make them into the show "Rugrats". Still, it's a load of nonsense.

[@OrangeOctangular]

its edginess to the extreme brozooby

[@alexanderchippel]

Breakspace​ Yeah. Man, if only people just realized that cartoons obey their own rules and are not based in reality.

[@OrangeOctangular]

if only people realized they have no agency over fictional stories that are not theres

[@thearmadilliestone]

I prefer the reverse edgy show theories where they would make gritty shows less edgy like the ones where Game of Thrones was a DnD campaign, or where The Walking Dead was actually a dramatic account of a Humans Versus Zombies match.

[@XamiNaxamis]

Shrek was just a DnD campaign with very stupid players that somehow keep getting nat 20s

[@censored4680]

That's a zombie camp story if anything getting starting positions n shit human vs human

[@platenoise256]

@@XamiNaxamisThe Walking Dead is just a really deep roblox game

[@SemicolonExpected]

@@platenoise256 I'd like to think it was just a minecraft server with a lot of drama but yet people just kept playing

[@vladprus4019]

JoJo's Bizzare Adventure is just an RPG session in which all the players and game master are really high.

[@Tiedyeban]

The thing that’s always irked me about these is that they’re unnecessarily and arbitrarily gruesome. Like, the “Rugrats is all in Angelica’s head” theory ends in her dying of a drug overdose. For whatever reason. There’s no basis on which to believe that.

[@firstnamelastname7244]

Now I'm imagining a four-year old girl doing a line of coke. I can't stop laughing.

[@Lynn17]

@@firstnamelastname7244 And that made ME picture Angelica drinking six glasses of coca-cola in a row.

[@Ryan-Petre]

Every Episode of Spongebob was a dream. Spongebob is actually a talking sea sponge who lives under the sea and lives in a pineapple... and he has schizophrenia.

[@bul13ts]

Don't forget the sexual abuse.

[@Composer_Piggy]

Crackers and Cheese you're wrong. Spongebob is actually a small child named Bob, who has a strange addiction to kitchen sponges and his fish aquarium. When Bob was playing with his sponges, the fishbowl fell of his dresser and smashed on his head, thus putting him into a coma. While in his coma, Bob imagined himself as his favorite object, a sponge. All the other characters in the show are creatures he's seen in books that his parents read him. P.S. This is a 100% bullshit theory I made up by myself in the span of 3 minutes. Just goes to show how easy it is to make up a "it was a dream/coma" theory

[@hibubgames7667]

Is that more or less believable?

[@_yellow]

Why am I not surprised

[@AiNaKa]

Well actually, I believe the theory that they're all radioactive mutants was confirmed by the creators of spongebob.

[@prastarkeepers]

To this day, I still say the best example of how to do an "it was all a dream" episode right is the New Batman Adventures episode "Over the Edge." First, it showed us a scenario that could never play out without killing the series otherwise, second, the twist served to show us a thousand different layers to Batgirl herself, the person having the dream, and third, it paved the way for a really strong emotional scene between Batgirl and her father at the end. It wasn't just a time-wasting sensational twist for the lulz, it made the story better.

[@goodwithastain]

That episode was honestly a masterpiece

[@NerdMiGerd]

Also Futurama's "The Sting". In fact, it's my favorite episode in the series.

[@devydev3112]

Creator:"wow poor boy, your story sure is sad. you know what I've got an idea lil Timmy." Boy:"calling the cops? child social services? litterally any authority figure that can possibly help me?" Creator:" no, I shall make a children's tv show based on your life!!! good luck with all the Grandpa rape." Boy:"......"

[@theamazinggamers5948]

Lmao

[@katiekatie6289]

I had this really bizarre dream once where a skeleton appeared out of nowhere and did a spooky dance before vanishing back into nothingness. This doesn't make any since; according to conservation of matter, matter can't just appear out of nowhere like that, nor can it vanish into nothingness. The only explanation I can think of is that in my dream, I was in a coma and dreaming the whole thing.

[@familyguyfan4208]

Katie Katie same

[@coleford4038]

"arnold is a poor boy from new york" except for the episode where helga goes on a roadtrip and it says outright "welcome to washington"

[@MidoriMushrooms]

wasn't there something on nick itself around the time the movie was running in theaters that basically said the thing took place in NYC?

[@BrinIoca]

I vividly remember that it was literally taking place in New York. idk

[@InvaderWeezle]

I think in the context of that episode Helga and her mom ended up in Washington because they overshot their intended trip to South Dakota.

[@archivearranger8792]

It's a roadtrip gag, like The Muppet Movie "Movin Right Along" sequence. The joke is, they went in the wrong place. GET IT?!?!?!?!?!?!

[@dildonius]

Yeah, Washington....DC! HA!

[@noworth4431]

I fucking hate anything where they made a quirky character a sexual predator. Like with the powerpuff girls and mojo jojo theory and the thing with Timmy and Crocker.

[@Lynn17]

Or Mr. Dink from Doug.

[@ttrop]

every time we fall asleep we die and someone else who believes they are us wakes up thinking they are us and believing they are us. this sums up dream theories

[@profoundpanda24]

But what if we're just a continuation of the original. Can you prove we are original?

[@christiaanprinsloo586]

what if im the only person that is conscious and all of you are fake?

[@ailma0400]

ttrop I think my brain just imploded in on itself after ending that.

[@LordofFullmetal]

fyi, you don't need to say "this new person believes they are us" three times in three slightly different ways. We get it :P

[@bobclover4634]

But if they think they're us and have all our memories, thoughts, feelings, love the things we love and are altogether indistinguishable from us are they not us?

[@zanderghoul3558]

as someone has a severely autistic kid that I used to tutor on a regular basis, I find the idea that of characters from the I find the idea that severely disabled people not being able to fucking handle reality to be something that's completely spurious with almost no basis in reality

[@metademetra]

As someone on the spectrum, I can confirm myself that psychosis and autism are not the same thing.

[@Whiskerbro]

thatAndroidZander It doesn't validate the theories, which are dumb, but autism is a completely different thing than psychosis, and similar situations would be (to a degree) possible in real lifr.

[@MidoriMushrooms]

can I also point out that similar to an autistic disorder, psychotic disorders are also spectrumized and not everyone with one is beyond coping with reality, either with treatment or otherwise? (citation: 3/4s of my family are all levels of insanity)

[@LordofFullmetal]

Autism is not a basis for saying that it's "unrealistic" to think some people can't define fiction from reality. Psychosis, the mental disorder that's associated with not being able to define reality, is COMPLETELY different to Autism. Autism is just a different type of brain that we're not used to; it's not even classified as an illness. It's not even really a disability, since people with Autism are inherently BETTER at some things than people without it, just as they're worse at some things. If anything, it's MOSTLY just a social disability. Psychosis, on the other hand, is the brain actually failing to do its job for one reason or another. It is an ILLNESS.

[@elevatedjustin2129]

As someone who is a victim of cat rape I agree

[@littleblueclovers]

I can't help but love hearing about those crazy cartoon conspiracies. The "courage is actually just a really paranoid dog" theory was a funny one I liked. I don't think it's true, but it's fun to think about an average dog feeling as though he is constantly saving his family from danger when they're probably just going for a walk.

[@Lynn17]

See, that's a fun one. I never got into Courage, but I can easily see a dog thinking a tree or a bunny is an evil demon out to eat his humans.

[@redholm]

Or some guy that visits the house is evil so he barks at the person until they go away. I mean Dogs already do this. So it's a theory that while I don't think is the actual idea the creators had it's a fun one to entertain.

[@ExTess]

I like the Ed, Edd, n' Eddy theory that all of the Eds are actually children/teens (how old even are they?) who come from abusive families that the other children of the cul-de-sac don't have to experience or even necessarily understand. Ed suffers from favoritism, as Sarah is babied and has a much better position in the home (and thus in the family) with her large bedroom full of toys than Ed does with his damp basement full of junk; Edd suffers from neglect, as he hardly ever sees his parents and only communicates with them via sticky notes; and Eddy suffers from physical abuse, which was heavily implied and eventually revealed at the very last episode. The only reason nobody likes them is because of the lifestyles they developed growing up with abuse, and so they stuck together to have these misadventures. It's a very realistic and relatable theory that's still very much planted in the show itself, and doesn't rely on external concepts like dreams, Limbo, or historical timelines like the more popular theory suggests.

[@Quackervoltz]

That's just the canon truth.

[@-VoDkAsVengeance-]

They're supposed to be 13 or 14 I believe (they attend "Peach Creek Jr High) and this is... just a canonical breakdown of the characters. The movie even goes in-depth with and finally shows Eddy's abusive older brother (the one he's always making up impressive lies about throughout the series.) There's also an explaination of how they met, which is basically what you explained; Eddy was, I believe, the first to live in the cul-de-sac, quickly roping in Ed since he’d already been outcast from the rest of the kids, and then Edd shows up and accidentally joins the friend group when Eddy tries scamming him. The whole point of the show is that they're the odd ones out, the "weirdos" of the cul-de-sac and school, and it isn't really a secret deeper-meaning theory plotline... the show is literally about being that type of kid and normalizing these types of kids by validating real paths of life that real kids have seen.

[@Dreigonix]

“I feel like people who write coma theories and the like are afraid to accept that the world of the story is separate from our own. They like everything wrapped up in this crazy little realism box where nothing out of the ordinary happens in fiction.” -Someone on Tumblr “Another problem with coma theories in stories that aren’t specifically about a dreamworld is that it completely nullifies any character growth or change or hardship. None of it matters anymore, which is a betrayal of the audience’s investment in the world and characters. That’s why it feels lazy and unsatisfying- it makes all other plot threads and elements unnecessary.” -Another person on Tumblr Also, this is EXACTLY why I despise Drawn To Life 2.

[@MaxMallard]

What annoys me with dream theories is that they often go from a theory about the show to an excuse people hide behind because they don't want to admit that the show they love so much has inconsistencies.

[@keegster7167]

+Brave Neue Welt No, that's because Jar Jar Binks was intended to be a sith originally. Plus, if the entire story is false anyway, might as well make your own story off of it that is better.

[@Jason_Altea]

@@keegster7167 All that interview says is the actor confirmed Darth Jar Jar was _possible_ because he had no clue what the original plan was because they backed off from the character almost immediately, and that there was a scene with Palpatine and Jar Jar. There's no actual confirmation of anything like that, just admitting that it's a slim maybe. The scene mentioned could just as easily have been explained away as Palpatine telling Jar Jar because he knew nobody would believe him if he did try to tell the jedi or something like that.

[@keegster7167]

@@Jason_Altea That’s a good point actually. I concede

[@CrazyRiverOtter]

I like the "Courage is a normal dog theory," even though it takes some MASSIVE stretching at points. It's cute to think, since once I had to watch a dog that was terrified of EVERYTHING. What was going on in that pussy-hound's head can't be far-off from that show.

[@redholm]

Yea. I also like that theory. Because at least the part where most of the scary stuff is just because he is an afraid dog that don't know much does make sense. A lot of these theories take so huge leaps XD

[@ImaTroper]

Kind of disappointed you didn't mention the ACTUAL problem with dream theories: they add nothing to the conversation. "It was all a dream so none of the show happened!" No shit, it's a tv show. We already know it's all fake. Did you....did you think otherwise?

[@Bogardlover69]

Ishmael oh my god me and my sister were debating this about the Buffy episode 'normal again'. It doesn't matter if it was all a dream, because it isn't real.

[@MishaFlower]

all it does is make the show less engaging.

[@wojak-sensei6424]

All it does is make an excuse to draw people in hospital beds and thought bubbles. Good God, those "theorists" love their comatose characters.

[@BroudbrunMusicMerge]

Rayan Zahrani There are pieces of media where such an ending plays into their themes and characters well.

[@jillmo6458]

But shouldn't that be evident in the text, and not something created outside of it? These "theories" tend to ignore the verisimilitude of the world and apply different rules, thus they are not using the actual text nor adding to it.

[@weegar]

Quite a lot of theories about the old 90s cartoons are basically fanfic equivalents of bad creepy pasta

[@justsomeguywhoishalfghoul7247]

Ehh there more head cannon if anything

[@weegar]

@@justsomeguywhoishalfghoul7247 same difference

[@justsomeguywhoishalfghoul7247]

@@weegar true

[@Liam44471]

Always wanted to see someone discuss this, so I thank you for being that person.

[@sillygooseygirl]

Me too. Rugrats is for example, one of my favorite shows. And that stupid theory about it pisses me off. Not only because it makes no sense, but because one of the shows creators even said it was fake

[@i010001]

This Hey Arnold theory is really dumb Like, there are plenty of things about Hey Arnold that actually do have some rather dark implications. For instance, Helga is a child of a negligent household with an alcoholic mother, and that contributes to her obsession with Arnold. You don't need to go out of your way to make things edgy and dark

[@SuperGamer61499]

Yeah I agree. I find it funny that the creator of this "theory" didn't even mention that Arnold as a character was made years before Hey! Arnold. Also, I feel like I could of found this theory more believable if it didn't say out landish stuff like how Phil apparently sexually abused Arnold. Honestly, it seemed like the creator of that theory pulled it out of their ass.

[@MidoriMushrooms]

I mean, uh, the show also actually does take place in the bad part of new york... because of the school name being a real school, just tossing that out there...

[@xionkuriyama5697]

Kazekai that doesn't make dumb shit true

[@vaiyt]

It's barely even coherent English. I mean, it's a valid string of words but the concepts within don't link in any sensible way. If someone wants to posit that Arnold is a real boy that really existed, then they have to provide real world evidence of Arnold's existence. The rest is meaningless faff.

[@Mngalahad]

helga is like the first yandere in america. she just doesnt kill because its a kids show. she freaking has altars of arnold with candles in her closet.

[@spicymilkshake6600]

The Pokemon one always bothered me because wouldn't that mean every protagonist in all the Pokemon games would have to be in in a coma too? And that would make no sense because how could multiple people have the same dream in their coma?

[@mattwolf7698]

The anime seems to be a separate universe from the games, that said, I still think that dream theory is stupid.

[@loatist]

The Hey Arnold! Theory is actually slander though. Like, it repeatedly claims it's real, so.... It's slandering the creators name to a bunch of young impressionables.

[@PatheticApathetic]

It is not. I resent that! Slander is spoken. In print, it’s libel

[@Demiglitch]

It’s not like tumblr has let facts get in the way of a “good” story before.

[@shelbyb9965]

That's not what slander is...

[@KilosFoxo]

@@PatheticApathetic have you got that menace to society spider-man arrested yet?

[@-VoDkAsVengeance-]

@@Demiglitch Fanfic ≠ libel and slander. Original comment points out the restatement of "this is true!" for a reason; that's what makes it libel.

[@memo-fq3ps]

I like how people aren't allowed to create creative cartoon shows anymore without some idiot starting up some dark ass "theory" that totally ruins the show. *Any fantasy show* "oh it's just a dream" *any sort of show with crazy plots that seem even the slightest bit unrealistic* "the main character had a mental illness and was imagining it all" *any character with an exaggerated body part of any sort (big head, skinny arms, big eyes)* "that's a medical condition" *anything in the show is historically inaccurate or has pop culture references from the future* "This takes place in a new dimension/the future where blah blah bullshit blah." I think fan theories are fine, but these kind just seem lazy to me. It's just, "The Theory is: None of this is real because these fictional shows/movies are unrealistic!"

[@justbny9278]

Stylization?abstract concepts? geometrical designs?Nah, it's all some dark shit creative liberty and artistic integrity be danged

[@asmrtpop2676]

anymore ? these are old shows .

[@memo-fq3ps]

@@asmrtpop2676 And your point is...?

[@BlueEyesWhitePrivilege]

+"You can't proof that the Earth wasn't created last Thursday." That's true art right 'dere.

[@metademetra]

Watch me. "So, next week are you gonna say it was this Thursday?"

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

+Space Atlantis Actually... Thursday is the fifth day of the week.

[@zapruderofficial69]

It sounds like something Dunbar would say in Catch-22.

[@misterbadguy7325]

Well, no, obviously by next week it'll have been created again.

[@justsomeguywhoishalfghoul7247]

Well we can we experienced last Thursday for are selfs allowing us too know that the earth was not created last Thursday

[@sladikk]

"Arnold doesn't get picked on for his head" EXCEPT HE DOES ALL THE TIME LOLOLOLOLOL

[@Stinkoman87]

The go-to insult to make fun of him is "football head". anyone who says that he never gets picked on for it hasn't actually seen the show in a while.

[@SubsWithnoDadChallenge]

It's literally in the goddamn intro. "Move it football head!" Whoever wrote this has the smoothest of brains

[@Lynn17]

It's literally his girlfriend's pet name for him.

[@chezmix64]

The worst one is the Pokemon dream theory. The Pokemon dream theory actually takes place in the Pokemon world making explaining away the fiction even more pointless

[@justsomeguywhoishalfghoul7247]

That is true why evan make the dream theory I bet just because it’s edgy than again I have a Tokyo ghoul profile so mabye I shouldn’t talk but still you get my point I feel people just do it tho sound smart or too be edgy

[@mattwolf7698]

It would make a bit more sense if he was supposed to have been in our world and was having a weird dream but no, it had to happen after he fell off the bike. I would almost accept the fan theory about Ho-Oh keeping him from aging though but nobody else ages either, that's just a problem you run into with shows that have been on for decades and yes, I'm sure 24 years hasn't actually passed in the show but just going by episode count alone he should have aged at least three years and that's not even getting into how some episodes take place over multiple days or have been confirmed to have had some time pass between the previous one. I mean The simpsons and the Scooby gang haven't aged either, you just have to suspend your disbelief with somethings.

[@rainydays7698]

i fucking hate coma theories with a passion, and I'm so glad other people do too.

[@sillygooseygirl]

Me too the pokemon one is the worst for example

[@panicsiren4296]

THANK GOD YOU LAMPOONED THAT HEY ARNOLD THEORY it has bothered me for SO long I hated that creepypasta

[@AstroLizard]

They should not even be called theories. They are wild guesses, and horrible ones at that.

[@Vooblebooble]

AstroLizard Channel They're a lot more accurate to headcannons if anything

[@Bacony_Cakes]

They're at "insanity" on the E.T. scale.

[@Kevin.A.S]

If Arnold's parents were fake and in his mind, why are there heads shape normal? p.s. great video!

[@QuintonReviews]

*xfiles intensifies*

[@baldman7738]

Mr. Red Herring how can any ones parents be fake.

[@bananas7126]

Mr. Red Herring People could get jeans from other generations

[@memo-fq3ps]

Mr. Red Herring ohhh

[@Kevin.A.S]

bananabus21721 like Walmart

[@diegocorona-lemus99]

*insert character name here* is in coma because the things in their world are fake so they have to be in coma

[@CalsGirl97]

At this point I don't even consider "dream theories" as actual theories. To me theories are supposed to be debated on and talked about. They're supposed to be fun and interesting and really make you think. "Dream theories" can't really be debated because they're so boring, flat, and lame. They don't make you think because they're made to explain things away in the easiest way possible for people with zero imagination and who cant handle a show being just a cartoon and that in the show's universe the things that would be strange in ours makes sense in theirs.

[@purplelizard2348]

What if you're the only person in the world and you're just an alien so Schizophrenic that you imagined an entire universe and I, the writer, am just the embodiment of your skepticism? It's true, Michael. Ascend. Join your fellows. Wake up.

[@ljtgs126]

PurpleLizard 23 Epsilon?

[@alphashitlord1446]

So I'm Azathoth the Blind Idiot God? Well no wonder I'm failing in math!

[@TheBonkleFox]

So, wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up, and smell the ashes....

[@HarrisonScottHisoandso]

That would have been really freaky if my name had been Michael.

[@StardustAnlia]

My name's not Micheal. (croses out Micheal) Rick!!!!!

[@moonbunny24]

I actually like the Courage one because it's, like, the opposite of the point of most of these. Most of these are like "anything fantastical and fun MUST be fake and actually something horrible is going on." Meanwhile the Courage one is just "nothing horrible is actually going on-there is just a confused little dog with anxiety."

[@purplelizard2348]

Last night I had a dream that I lived in an old cheesy movie that was created before the moon landing and went in a rocketship to the moon. It was full of grass, tanks and aliens and at the end I was trying to hide in an underground parking lot from this evil alien king while he searched for me by circling the parking lot with his car. This isn't what this video is about, is it?

[@childeater7327]

PurpleLizard 23 I think you should get help

[@luigifan1295]

I assumed you recreated Le Voyage de La Lune, directed by George Mèlies in your dream. But nope, it was better.

[@Quackervoltz]

Make a TV show about it

[@purplelizard2348]

Fine ok

[@kkirby_]

as a fan of the Pokemon Anime, the Ash's coma theory is one of the most infuriating things I ever see, it appears every fucking where in the Pokemon community

[@sillygooseygirl]

Me too "oH bUt hOw dO yOu eXpLaIn tHaT hE dOeSn'T aGe" Uh DUH IT'S A KID SHOW HARDLY EVER DO THE CHARACTERS AGE

[@royal9743]

Because the games the show advertises are targeted to kids around that age. There, explained it.

[@sillygooseygirl]

Royal 97 yeah that too. Cartoons aren't meant to be realistic also so many people seem to forget

[@sillygooseygirl]

Royal 97 exactly

[@gstv8453]

LPS Phoebe game theory should see your comment

[@metademetra]

These are not theories. These are fan fiction. Plain and simple.

[@LordofFullmetal]

Nope. Difference between fanfiction and theories. Fanfictions are set out in a NARRATIVE format. The word you're looking for is headcanon, which is basically the version of a theory that doesn't require proof.

[@kylum902]

I mean... they're really not. Fan fiction are stories set in a canon universe.

[@asmrtpop2676]

@@kylum902 fanfiction can be very loosely connected, even completely removed from the canon setting and merely using the characters.

[@justsomeguywhoishalfghoul7247]

@@asmrtpop2676 that is true

[@shori8438]

This theory in a shellnut. 1st sentence:that's all happened. Last sentence:Arnold's granddad is sexually abused with Arnold. Alright,WTF?

[@FireurchinProductionsByzantium]

Isn't the Hey Arnold theory technically legal slander?

[@Mngalahad]

i mean, the creator will sue Xdevilpork420 for posting that online?

[@KilosFoxo]

if marvel films taught me one thing about the laws about slander it's that It is not and I resent that slander is spoken, in print it's libel.

[@StarSnowGhost]

I kid though. What *reaaally* impresses me is when people throw on blanket statements as to why a character's hallucinating or dreaming up all this stuff - like saying "oh so and so has Austism or Bipolar disorder so they see, think, feel, hear, and believe in all these non-real people and created and entire world from their imagination. Only autistic kids can do that!" As an autistic person it sure is fun knowing that people think I apparently *see things* and can make my own reality. Totally not patronizing. =)

[@billcipher2604]

Ghostietoastie Because when you talk about something nobody knows anything about, you cam say whatever you want. As far as i know, those "conditions" mentioned in the "Hey Arnold" theory could be different things, but i never heard of them so... This is just like personality disorders turning into a horror movie trope, it's stupid and ableistic.

[@lancevance7646]

Cory in the house was all just a dream.

[@cia4u401]

Well yeah, that was the ending true ending. Cory being the only thing "real" in it.

[@cia4u401]

Well yeah, that was the ending true ending. Cory being the only thing "real" in it.

[@blarg2429]

God, I loved that anime.

[@deathskeybladez2515]

THIS CALLES FOR SOME BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GODS!!!

[@kingpotato7183]

Lance Vance Don't make me whip out my giant throbbing katana

[@Laurabeck329]

Literally the only time "it was all a dream" twist worked was in Pan's Labyrinth and even then it wasn't explicitely told to the audience.

[@RideDatDonkey97]

I've always hated those kind of theories. They are extremely lazy

[@notiddypunkgf2246]

Ok so if Hey Arnold happened for realz because life lessons are in it, does that mean My Little Pony and those G.I. Joe PSAs REEAAALLY HAPPENED, too?

[@MidoriMushrooms]

isn't G.I. Joe basically propaganda? I'm pretty sure some of the more messed up things that happen in that show have real life parallels...

[@ljtgs126]

Kazekai but it's testosterone fueled propaganda, the best propaganda

[@HyLion]

Every show/game happened because the good guys win most of the time! *LIFE LESSON* and when they don't win, the creators are showing us that good guys don't always win in life *LIFE LESSON*

[@henith7850]

Yes.

[@henith7850]

No. It is just because the people that made this theory are idiots.

[@Spicypuff]

People just love to overthink and analyze shows to justify the absurdity of it. It just fiction, not reality people.

[@MishaFlower]

You're supposed to take fiction seriously.

[@MishaFlower]

@@Anodoni Not necessarily, You can consume media without taking it seriously, That's called being a bored viewer.

[@SubsWithnoDadChallenge]

@@MishaFlower there's this thing called "suspension of disbelief." It's a silly cartoon with funny character designs. You don't have to think about it that much. Just enjoy it for what it is.

[@MishaFlower]

@@SubsWithnoDadChallenge yes. That’s what I mean by take it seriously. The artist needs to Maintain the viewers suspension of disbelief. The rest of your giberish is just an excuse by lazy artists to dumb down media.

[@SubsWithnoDadChallenge]

@@MishaFlower whatever you say.

[@undead923]

If school ever thought me anything, it's that a good (or average) theory must be debatable. If it goes too far on one end, it's shit.

[@rollingon5566]

TheUndeadGamer but what if you come up with a theory that has a huge wealth of evidence followed up by brilliant explanation? It's too far on one side but if it's basically correct, then how can it be shit?

[@Thebossstage1]

School didn't teach grammar to you enough

[@mimikyuliker946]

TheUndeadGamer also the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell

[@marlonmontelhiggins8570]

taught*

[@clashmanthethird]

Jack Hail To The Kid If you say something that's a fact, that isn't a theory anymore.

[@SethAurelius94]

Unless a show specifically states that the entire story is in a dream/coma such as life on mars or jacob's ladder then I operate under the asumption that the events seen in the show transpire within the universe the show is set in.

[@Fanimati0n]

"...and no one can pick on him because of his head." Helga's entire shtick is making fun of the shape of Arnold's head, wtf!?

[@toetotipthatsabart5048]

Dream theories only make sense if they show grounds in reality and THEN goes into insanity. Like, if a show starts as a slice of life for two seasons and then dramatically changes to fantasy adventure show, yeah a dream theory is probable. Otherwise, the only point of dream/coma theories is to ruin the fun, carefree, and “good is victorious” storylines.

[@rhar1703]

Ah yes, Poorarea, my favorite borough of New York

[@ravenfrancis1476]

There's one tidbit of evidence that could counter the dream theory and that is the creator coming up and saying its not canon.

[@medijate]

Also most of the time they're edgy as fuck

[@enimo9241]

"It was all a coma dream/hallucination" and "The show takes place in purgatory and all the characters are dead" are the most common fan theories for everything

[@blxssingss]

Honestly the only thing that can really shut those kind of people up is if the creators themselves come out and deny the authenticity of the creepy-pasta. Even then i'm willing to bet they won't believe them

[@thispersonisblanked3457]

I can prove the Arnold theory wrong in four words. > an Animator being rich

[@despacitoisepic1111]

Quinton Reviews is just a dream

[@Frogkhan915]

One thing that's irritating is that these theories often seem like they're just excuses to instantly transform something bright and happy into something DARK and GRITTY without much thought the way the film industry tried to make every single goddamn superhero BROODING and EDGY a decade plus ago (see the old Daredevil for example). Sometimes there legitimately is some darker background somewhere in something candy-colored: for example, Adventure Time DOES have the whole post-apocalyptic background + plenty of intense themes about mental illness, tyranny, passage of time, etc. Some shows like Rick & Morty have obvious dark or adult elements but also invite deeper interpretations. Sometimes there are some good, quasi-dark theories that really don't change the internal logic of a happy show but obviously make sense: SpongeBob & co. can walk and talk because they were mutated by the Bikini Bottom nuclear tests. Those hardly are even fan theories but whatever. Series like Don't Hug Me I'm Scared or Over the Garden Wall practically welcome fan theories. But the thing is, a lot of these fan theories seem to be based not on teasing out some more adult or dark thread that is built into the structure of the show, or building on some allusion, repeating image, mystery or theme, but rather just involve wildly hurling the most generic GRITTY DARK EMO STUFF at a wall and haphazardly mashing it around into a big porridge of DARK GRITTY WOE: they're always some combination of comas, suicide, limbo, mental illness, everybody-is-dead etc (with stuff like unnecessary pedophilia thrown in as Quinton illustrates). And usually ALL of the above all at once, always. They remind me of first-attempt short movies by people in film school who haven't learned how to balance out the excessive drama yet. Character 1: "I am a drug dealer. Look at this gun I have." Character 2: "I am also a drug dealer and I also have a gun. My dad was absent and a drug dealer also while my mom and entire family died in a car crash." Character 1: "I will do all of these drugs that we sell my own self and maybe kill my self also because we might as well all be dead because... society." Character 2: " *generic and on-the-nose downer philosophy quote* " Both characters shoot themselves but nothing happens. Character 1: "It looks like we can't die, because we're already dead." Character 2: "It was society that killed us. FATHER!!!!!!"

[@alexanderchippel]

If I remember correctly, the creator of Hey, Arnold said that the show was loosely based on his own experiences being not exactly the richest kid in New York City. And the show was going to end with a movie, but it was scrapped because of Nickelodeon's lack of faith in animated movies after the Rugrats movie flopped and the creator wanting to work with Cartoon Network in another show about pioneers called "paddy wagon," or something like that.

[@librasuperstar3779]

A few days ago my friends and I were on a google hangouts call. My friend started saying that when she made her story into a show she really hoped people would make terrible angsty theories. I brought up the topic of dream theories and we ended up making an entire plot for an episode dedicated to mocking Dream theories. It was amazing

[@tarvoc746]

11:48 - "But please, make sure no one takes advantage of somebody else's misery ever again!" That one time when a stupid creepypasta about Hey Arnold convinced me to destroy capitalism.

[@Mr.HowardEatsPants]

My history teacher on why "it was all a dream" is lame: "Come on! It's not even a *real* fake story, it's a *fake* fake story"

[@somedudenamedluke420]

Really the dream theorists have a point, they just missed the subject. The cartoons aren't the dreams of a character or something, it's the dream of the creators of the show. It is made up, nothing makes sense, and that's because it's constructed from the mind of a creator. Perhaps that is the nature of our reality, maybe we're all just a cartoon to some fourth-dimensional being, drawn on the remnants of a reality we can't comprehend. If so, I don't care, I'm enjoying life so far.

[@sillygooseygirl]

Oh my god that's actually a really good point you made

[@Ale_LSH]

Calm down Grant Morrison.

[@jacksoneds4955]

Yo what if shark boy and lava girl is all just a dream

[@nathanforester5993]

Community made fun of this type of ending in an episode in which someone posing as a therapist tricked them by telling them they were all inmates and that Greendale is an asylum and not a college, only for said person to tell then that it's purgatory and that they're all dead, the actual reason though is that because Ben Chang and the 'therapist' wanted to keep them away.

[@gelusvenn5063]

These kinds of theories are so damn TEDIOUS. So, thank you for this. Especially since the people who usually say these things are basically just insisting "My imagination is limited so everyone else's HAS to be as well."

[@misseli1]

How many times did the writer of the "Hey Arnold" conspiracy theory used the phrase "mentally unstable"

[@r2micro373]

Ever heard about Hitchens's Razor? It states that what can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. I think this definitely applies here.

[@ToruKun1]

"One of the important people from Nickelodeon"[/photo of Steve from Blue's Clues] Thank you, I choked on my drink

[@A.N.A_youtube]

Lord, that Hey Arnold theory had me rolling. 🤣 What a load of shit.

[@meowtherainbowx4163]

That Hey Arnold "fanfic" was pathetic. How could a true fan decide that they want to murder the charm of a show they like by trying to convince people that it was made by a greedy man based off of a poor, sick boy? What does that add? Most fan fiction at least attempts to expand the story in a pleasing way. The writer of this "fan theory" literally tried to ruin the basic premise of the show! By the way, imagine how the creator would feel from reading such an accusation. Even if it could be passed off as fiction, it's a pointless detail for which it's hard to find any other reason to exist.

[@MexicanDragon2000]

MeowTheRainbowX I wonder if Craig ever read that bullshit.

[@terrypiggy8582]

it was all a dream, harambe is still alive after all

[@youronlinegirlfriend5508]

dead gorrilla

[@DechenHall0104]

dead all around.

[@Frogkhan915]

best post

[@ethanotoroculus1060]

Ter

[@katiekatie6289]

None of us would have heard of Harambe if he was still alive.

[@PatrickBoy412]

My favorite Hey Arnold theory was the creator based the show off this kid with a football shaped head he once saw. It was so BS it was funny

[@whatteamwildcats4033]

anyone else notice that is has little to no variation? like it's always either drugs, mental issues, or a coma; as if the theorist doesn't have the capacity to accept something amazing or ridculous without making it terrible....it's kind of sad really

[@whatteamwildcats4033]

a in angelica's case how could there stories of deceased babies? they died before they could actually do anything, symbolizing the lack of thinking ahead or creativity.

[@whatteamwildcats4033]

i've heard this one about arnold and i honestly hated the theory, seriously that's so disrespectful and kind of a stupidly mean thing to write and theorize about with little to no proof. how the hell does the theorist even know about any of this? these aren't so much theories but garbage from people who really up the dosage on their prozack prescription. oh god the theorist bullshit is so terrible jesus christ

[@Landfall364]

I can't tell you how much I have always *hated* that "Squall is dead" theory, and I've actually run into people who believe that it's true. It falls flat at the first hurdle putting forth this lie that things only start getting bizarre after Squall gets impaled by the Sorceress. As if Garden Master Norg is too far-fetched to be real. Before Squall gets impaled: You are summoning giant ice women, thunder birds, fighting a massive fire demon just as part of an exam for your school, fleeing from giant spider robots, experiencing shared dreams of the events of another person's life with your friends. Hell, I fought THIS THING: finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Gerogero and THIS THING: finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Funguar_(Final_Fantasy_VIII) And they're trying to tell me that it only gets weird _after_ all of this? That Moombas are too strange to exist in this world? Come on. How does anyone take something like this seriously?

[@michaelnombe9592]

Landfall364 The only reason I prefer the theory is because FF8's plots all over the place, and character motivations change at the drop of a hat, and I hate squall with a passion

[@TheDiscoGenre]

Because FFVIII's plot is weird/kinda bad so edgy fanfiction riddled with even more plot holes is preferable.

[@wadespencer3623]

Something having life lessons isn't proof that it's real life, it's proof that it's not. I don't learn SHIT from most of my experiences.

[@PeterGriffin11]

"it was all a dream I use to read word up magazine Salt and pepper and Heavy D in the limousine."

[@MCTales89]

Here's something I've never understood about this sort of thing: why would anyone _want_ the dream theory to be true?

[@Chelaxim]

The only dream thing to be canonical that I can think of is in the series finale of Bob Newhart's 80s sitcom Newhart it's revealed that the entire show was a dream of the main character of the 70s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show. And the entire 5th season of Dallas was revealed to be a dream in season 6 after fans lost their minds when they killed off a beloved character in the season 4 finale.

[@yoshikagekira4471]

Theory: This video all take place in a dream

[@shawnfields2757]

It was a dream! You see, Quinton doesn't actually exist! He's just a dead kid.. or something like that or whatever! And this is all inside a factual fictional world and stuff!! It's true! See how easy and stupid this dream theory shit is? Can I prove it? I don't know, that's NOT up to me!

[@wolfsdrache2638]

In literary studies there’s this concept of a pact of fictionality that I really like. It basically says that author and recipient agree on a not stated pact for the suspension of disbelief. The recipient accepts the altered rules of reality in the world of that fiction and pretends that that something is real for as long as they watch/read(that’s very roughly don’t pinpoint me). I feel like dream theories and endings are just a breach of contract(in most cases at least) and I can’t decide which is worse. Because with the dream ending I just feel kinda betrayed at the end because it feels like the author is mocking me for my Investment in the story and the dream theory basically creates that scenario without the need for it.

[@ElectricBarrier]

You may as well just say "this fiction was fictional" if you're gonna make a dream theory. At least dream endings are an explanation for questions, as bad as they may be. Most dream theories are answers for questions I didn't have.

[@eldritchexploited5462]

The virgin "Ash is in a coma" vs. The Chad "Ash has gained immortality six ways to Sunday after running into every legendary pokemon multiple times"

[@lockjawlarrythememeteam]

The parody of (unnamed) creepypasta readers at the end was brilliant

[@creepiecrawlie6109]

but in rugrats, angelica’s friend can talk to the babies. the adults interact w the babies so uh??

[@pedrosaabedra5653]

rugrats theory is so much bullshit, their is no prove she takes drugs, and the movies debunked it.

[@TheSameYellowToy]

Plus Angelica and Suzy are probably still young enough to be able to understand the babies but at the same time are old enough to understand the adults.

[@snazzyquizzes2336]

My English teacher taught me that "and it was all a dream" is the worst ending of all.

[@kerzid]

Holy shit. You deserve a ton more recognition for the high amounts of effort put into this video!

[@QuintonReviews]

Thanks! :D

[@BrickBuster2552]

"Of course it's a dream! There's no such thing as a talking dog!"

[@tonywords6713]

Eyes Wide Shut is supposed to be all a dream. its never mentioned in the movie because that would be stupid. But the entire film looks like NYC but was in fact filmed entirely on set in London, Kubrick also had the ENTIRE film overdeveloped to give it that frosty glowing look throughout. Basically trying to say that real life is nothing more than a dream also. In fact many people are 'sleeping' even while going about their day to day lives. Also as if that weren't enough evidence the original title of the story it is based on is "Traumnovelle: Dream Story"

[@freindmaker4473]

That movie is his most underrated movie, along with Barry Lyndon

[@NotSoLegendaryGreen]

If I ever get an idea of mine made into a cartoon, I want tinfoil hat wearing nutcases to write tons of dream theories about it. It would make my day to have years of work dismissed by a dream.

[@smooooth_]

Wasn't the first popular "Dream theory" thing the Wizard of Oz

[@smooooth_]

***** Well I stand corrected

[@kennedymedina4234]

Which is weird cuz in the original books OZ is a real place

[@samturner8101]

Why does Hey Arnald look like that? Stewie Griffin time traveled back into the 80s to be a child in the 90s thus becoming Arnald

[@jdixon390]

that last couple of seconds made me lol

[@Someone-ct5mw]

2:52 K I just realized something: this Rugrats theory has to be one of the only disprovable theories because if the babies aren’t real, hOW DO THE PARENTS INTERACT WITH THEM New theory: All the characters that aren’t the Rugrats share a mutual hallucination of the same babies out of grief and PTSD from their deaths, *including* the other babies and characters that haven’t met the main cast yet (e.g, Susie in her debut, the babies and toddlers from that one episode where they went to a public park)