Angelica's situation is actually a bit sad

I know it's just a cartoon and I love it, it's my favorite from the 90's. I watched Runaway Angelica today on demand and couldn't help but laugh, yet feel a bit bad, for Angelica. The episode starts off with her messing up Drew's office and fax machine. He's clearly mad at her and doesn't put up with it this time, but Angelica knows, from the past, that her dad will only give in and wave off what she did. So while he's yelling at her she says, "But I'm your princess, your cupcake, your little tax shelter". And you can't help but laugh at that part, I never got it until now, and it's pretty funny that she says that, an obvious quote she's heard her parents say. However, you can't help but feel a little bad, as if Angelica was only born to benefit her parents finances. Think about it, Angelica is ignored more than anyone else on the show. Charlotte never pays her any attention except to say a few words, then she's back on her phone again. And Drew is constantly controlled by both Charlotte and Angelica so, feeling smothered, he tries to get away from them a lot of the time.

But Angelica seems to be the victim here, and she's so mean because she always gets what she wants in terms of material possessions to pacify her instead of love and nurturing from her parents. Angelica is supposed to be three-years old, but her disturbing anger and frustration (wrecking the room, pulling down the curtains, screaming it isn't fair until she's so mad she's breathing unevenly) in the episode shows she's severely neglected and realizes it. And she takes all her anger out on the babies. She does realize her mother ignores her instead of nurturing her, as is evident in the Rugrats movie, when Charlotte throws her phone off the bridge at the end and Angelica and Drew both smile and hug her. Much to their dismay, though, the phone is back after the movie.

To add to that, I was watching the episode "Meet the Charmichaels" where Susie is first introduced, and I couldn't help but feel bad for her in that episode as well, seeing as both her parents ignore her while trying to set up their house. Susie's mom is annoyingly self-absorbed, and while bragging about herself to Didi the whole time, she completely cuts Susie off when she's trying to tell her something that's bothering her and tells her "that's not how you get what you want, now take Tommy and go play". Susie then goes off and starts crying. What parent would ignore their child and subject them to crying because they didn't listen to them, because they're too busy talking about theirself? In the same episode, Susie's dad also ignores her in his attempt to move a box inside the house. His situation is a little more realistic, as he tells her "in a second" when she starts trying to talk to him. But it's easy for a parent to tell a child to hold on a second while trying to do something difficult, then forget their child wanted something, especially if they walk off.

But, having said that, yes, it is a cartoon, and one that I love! It's just weird how you correlate things later in life.

"Get me some pie!"