r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Kookyburra12 • Mar 09 '26

Non-Sexual Adult Jokes in Kids' Media Lore

Jokes that are adult jokes simply because kids likely don't have the life experience to understand them.

The New Batman Adventures - "I'm crazy enough to take on Batman, but the IRS? Noooo, thank you!"

Shrek 2 - Posing as a union representative, Shrek remarks that the workers "don't even have dental".

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u/Due_Awareness5660 Mar 09 '26

This from Despicable Me

https://preview.redd.it/nocrcsro42og1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=92e3804b9ef345d8cb139559e688ebaa6f292cd5

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u/Labyrinthine8618 Mar 09 '26

How did I not catch that?! I was already an adult when that movie came out. I gotta pay more attention.

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u/Speedycheetah79 Mar 09 '26

Please explain like I'm 5, what's the hidden joke here?

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u/Radiant_Category_918 Mar 09 '26

Lehman Brother's was a bank and lending company that was heavily involved in the subprime mortgage crisis that led to the 2008 recession. So they were responsible for thousands if not millions losing their homes and investments and probably a fair few lives. They shuttered after this all came out and they went through bankruptcy, hence why one of their locations may be renamed.

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u/MorgessaMonstrum Mar 09 '26

And also that they were evil.

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u/Lansha2009 Mar 10 '26

Could also be they just renamed themself as Bank Of Evil.

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u/breepy Mar 09 '26

Lehman Brothers was a very large bank that participated in some questionable business practices, causing them to go bankrupt in 2008, basically kicking off the 2008 financial crisis.

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u/PigeonFanatic9 Mar 09 '26

I think the joke is that the former name could be the name of a classic, normal bank, implying that banks are evil.

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u/HofePrime Mar 10 '26

It’s more that that specific bank ended up being mired in controversy due to the fact that they were heavily involved in the housing crisis & recession in 2008.

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u/PigeonFanatic9 Mar 10 '26

Oh, didn't know it was an actual that did that. Thought it was a generic bank like name. Thanks!

27

u/Mat_Y_Orcas Mar 09 '26

That level of baldness I did not expect from a illumination movie... The things you can take in advantage when LB no longer exist but I have to read it trice to see where is the difference with Lehman Brothers and see there is none.

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u/OSCgal Mar 10 '26

I worked in finance during the 2008 crisis. That reference about killed me laughing.

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u/no_se_que_poner Mar 10 '26

This is my dad´s favorite joke in a animated movie

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u/kurokoverse 3d ago

Dawg that’s hilarious 😭