So it's double list time; over the years cartoons have evolved to a level that far exceeds it's most basic plot so lets have a look at those going extinct and others in the second list that are still alive and well. No real order to this and it can apply to cartoons, anime and in some cases video games so lets start with the extinct list. No real order to this.
1. Damsel in Distress
Concept: Typical Fantasy plot focussing on the dashing hero saving the trapped Princess.
Status: Only Mario really still uses it and in very small doses, has become a subject of ridicule in recent years and condemned by feminists the world over.
2. Hunter vs the Hunted
Concept: A hunter going after the hunted only for the hunted to take revenge in hilarious slapstick ways.
Status: After a small revival in the 90s it's not really recaptured it's form and poor writing has left lead cartoons Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes struggling to reclaim past glory.
3. Perverted Love Struck Wolves/Male Harem Leads in Anime terms
Concept: In Cartoons it's portrayed as a wolf but in anime it's often a male with access to tons of overly sexy women.
Status: The cartoon version is very much exclusive to Tex Avery and Animaniacs, it really hasn't come back, as for the harem it's being criticized heavily for poor story and being sexist so writers have been more clever with the fanservice, see Keijo!!!! review for an example.
4. Million Dollars with a Catch
Concept: Your a millionaire providing you don't harm innocent creatures.
Status: Classic cartoon plot but because it can come across as mean spirited and often runs hand in hand with money makes you a dick it's sort of faded out.
5. The Boy Genius
Concept: As it says the Boy Genius
Status: Became a popular thing during the 90s but died out in the 00s somewhere round the advent of the Big Bang Theory as well as other shows kind of making the character type more jerkish in nature compared to someone like Dexter or in some cases Jimmy Neutron.
6. The Money Making Scheme
Concept: Whether it's a con or not, the idea is simply to make money but often losing it by the end.
Status: Kind of been killed off by Spongebob's Mr Krabs, sort of shows itself to be ugly in nature.
7. Good Ol Fashioned Slapstick
Concept: Anything the old cartoons used to do for entertainment, better known as cartoon violence.
Status: Often labelled too violent and over sophistication or domestication has killed off the effectiveness of this type of humor.
8. Classic Romance
Concept: Good old fashioned romantic fairy tale style love story, made famous by Disney.
Status: Disney have stopped doing it in favour of high octane adventure, even "girl" cartoons and films won't do it.
9. History Lessons
Concept: Cartoons that teaches you history, mostly American History.
Status: Horrible Histories made it redundant here in the UK, as for America I barely see it anymore.
10. Crime Doesn't Pay
Concept: A Good Natured character learning the lesson of Crime doesn't pay when he/she does something wrong.
Status: Overly complex writing in characters makes this redundent, even if the character does learn a lesson in one episode it's immediately lost in the next episode.
