After coming home from class last week, I was met with a rather pleasant surprise. I found my roommates watching "Teen Titans" on Cartoon Network. Not the abhorrent abomination "Teen Titans Go!" or as some would aptly name it "Christina Miller's (the current president of the network) lovechild." The episode, which likely first aired over a decade ago (someone hand me a scarf because my age is showing) transported me back to a time where I was sitting on the living room floor in my Scooby Doo pajamas.

While the nostalgia was hitting me hard, another feeling started sinking in. A feeling of slight rage and irritation. How? This was one of the shows that defined my childhood. Why would I feel anything other than pure joy? Then, as a long string of "Teen Titans Go!" commercials followed the episode, I understood why. By giving fans of the original, far superior teen superhero cartoon the satisfaction of airing reruns, they are shamelessly shoving a steaming shit sandwich down our throats and justifying it with a small chunk of lobster tail as the appetizer.

For this reason, I feel that reboots are only useful for promoting toys and other sweatshop-produced garbage targeted at kids. Its honestly the only explanation I have for why the "Ben 10" reboot was made. It adds nothing to the original series and is far more childish in nature. Cartoon Network has even stated that toys and video games associated with the series have garnered $4.5 billion. I remember all the kids in elementary school wanted to buy an "Omnitrix."

While I'll admit that the network's marketing team is genius, they are also lying when they say "it's also for fans who grew up with the original series." Don't lie. We all know Ted Turner needs to upkeep his ranch. If the network really cared about that, Teen Titans would get the same treatment as "Samurai Jack," which returned for a fifth and final season on Adult Swim after thirteen years since season 4 ended on Cartoon Network. Fans were given a proper conclusion to the series that didn't pull any punches.

What makes these reboots truly tragic is the lack of quality in which they are put out. Aside from some less than stellar writing, the core of the problems for animated-reboots specifically lies in the cheap Flash animation used to make them. Why this makes such a difference is because these shows were originally complex and borderline dark. They had fully-fleshed out characters with struggles of self-identity and facing life-altering decisions.

The new tone of the reboots is strictly "comedic." While the original shows had some comedic elements, they also had heart and a purpose aside from selling toys. They sparked the creativity of many young minds and opened up discussions for us to talk about. That's why they were loved in the first place. I thank the cartoons I watched as a kid for expanding my imagination and refuse to allow these empty shells of what I once loved ruin that for me.