9 Life Lessons Maltese Millennials Learned From Hey Arnold
If you’ve ever had the honour of getting to watch Hey Arnold! on 90s cable TV, you’d recall that the cartoon protagonist and his fellow New Yorker friends and family were pretty, well…woke.
Whilst we’re not suggesting Hey Arnold taught us everything we know about the world as kids, (well, almost), we definitely owe something to this unsung Nickelodeon hero.
Here are just a few things we learned from “the boy with the cornflower hair” et al.
1. Multiculturalism is cool
Who could forget Arnold’s best friend? We all wished we knew straight-talking Gerald. An African American with the coolest hairdo on the block and an even cooler personality to match, he was just one of the many people of colour in the series. As Maltese kids, Hey Arnold was also probably our first introduction into Judaism, where we learned what a Rabbi and a Bar Mitzvah was.
Incidentally, there were never any episodes relating to racism, because it was never an issue in the program – as it should be.
2. Peaceful protesting works
Protesting was kind of a thing in Hey Arnold. The characters didn’t seem to just moan about things they weren’t happy with and spend endless hours on internet comments boards. Instead they kind of just got on with it and made their voices heard loud and clear.
In one episode, the amazing teachers at PS 118 felt that their working conditions weren’t up to standard after massive cutbacks by the bossy Principal Wartz. So they went on strike, and eventually negotiated through ways to improve the situation diplomatically. Win.
3. Animal welfare is important
In an episode where the kids go on a school trip to the aquarium, Arnold notices that the turtle kept in captivity looked really sad. Its tank was murky and small, and it didn’t seem right that it was kept there just so people could gawp and stare at it for their pleasure.
With the help of Arnold’s awesome Grandma, the two manage to break the turtle out of its confines and introduce it back into the wild. Go team!
4. Feminism can be liberating
There were many flaws to Helga Pataki’s character – she could be a bully and had a few anger and obsession issues to get through… But she was also not afraid to be herself and embrace the fact she wasn’t as “girly” as the other girls in her class.
After buying a woman’s fashion magazine and transforming herself with the help of far too much makeup, an overzealous eyebrow wax and high heels, Helga realised that the high-maintenance look wasn’t for her – and that’s fine.
5. Heritage is worth saving
In an episode that spawned the best song in cartoon history, the Circle Theatre was at the threat of demolition. As the venue that hosted the likes of legendary Italian-American singer Dino Spumoni and the place that Arnold’s grandparents met, (as well as having an impressive though run-down vintage interior), Arnold’s Grandma decided that it was most definitely worth protecting.
Instead of just shrugging and giving in, she chained herself to the old building. Dino Spumoni turned up and reminded everyone of its former glory, and Circle Theatre was spared from the wrecking ball. Happy days.
6. Trees are sometimes more valuable than money
Arnold and his friends had this awesome treehouse that all Maltese kids would have been super jealous of. Problem was, Helga’s mobile phone-tycoon dad wanted to chop it down to build his latest business outlet.
It turns out that the tree was hundreds of years old, and one of the last remaining trees in the built-up area. As well as providing a peaceful green and shady space, it was also home to loads of wildlife. Arnold and the crew made some posters and placards and campaigned in the neighbourhood, and the development proposal went out the window.
7. Mental health problems can be tackled step-by-step
“Stoop Kid’s afraid to leave his stoop!” has been engrained in our brains since we first heard the kids on Hey Arnold chanting it to poke fun at a teenager from the neighbourhood who was scared to go further outside than the steps going up to his house.
After some challenging but small mental steps, some self-motivation and supportive friends, “stoop kid” eventually makes the physical step to step off his er, step, and confront his anxieties.
8. Community projects are awesome
In one of the most assertive episodes ever, Arnold and co are fed up of having to play baseball in the street. They live in inner-city New York so they don’t have acres of countryside to make the most out of.
When they notice an empty area of land that wasn’t in use, they team-up and get cracking on making it into their own baseball pitch. After lots of litter-picking and some garden maintenance, the kids made their vision into a reality with a bit of elbow grease and teamwork.
9. Life’s not always easy.
Everyone’s different. People’s lifestyle choices vary and some people have a worse-off time than others. Arnold lives with his grandparents, and we were never quite sure what happened to his parents. His Asian neighbour Mr Hyunh was a lonely and sometimes grumpy man but it’s later revealed that he had to give up his daughter in the Vietnam War so that she could have a better life.
And when Arnold compassionately befriends a homeless man called Vincent, nicknamed “Pigeon Man”, he teaches the young boy that “some people are just different” in a heartfelt speech. Just before he flies off the roof to live with his feathered friends, he leaves Arnold with a few more words of wisdom – “Always wash your berries before you eat. And fly towards the sun.” Whoa.
