13 Edgy Entertainers Who Made Legitimately Good Children's Media

These ruffians dropped the edge for a split second to bang out a children’s classic.
13 Edgy Entertainers Who Made Legitimately Good Children's Media

These normally edgy artists veered away from the edge, and back onto calmer, safer ground. Maybe it was just a fun career choice, or maybe they wanted to make something their kids could actually enjoy. That could be a tricky minefield to navigate around the house. If you were known as a “bad boy” or a “sex symbol” but you have kids at home, it’s only a matter of time before those kids approach you with, “Mom, Dad, all the kids at my school say you’re famous, but like, for what?” You’d want to show them something, right? 

Maybe an assistant can splice up a very choppy reel of the brief moments in your movies, shows, or songs that you’re not dancing provocatively, rapping about the drug game, or blowing someone’s head off in an action flick. The moments between the moments, ya know? Well these edgy entertainers now have something to flaunt around the house. Maybe their kids will actually think they’re cool. Doubtful, but maybe. Here are 13 edgy entertainers who made legitimately good children’s media.

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Hey, Idris. Remember when I tried to arrest you for 3 seasons, but you got murdered?

CRACKED THE WIRE REUNION IN FINDING DORY. Idris Elba (who played drug mogul Stringer Bell) and Domenic West (who played alcoholic womanizer Jimmy McNulty) played silly sea lion pals Fluke and Rudder, who give Marlin and Nemo some helpful info.

Collider

There’s 7 words you definitely can’t say on Thomas the Tank Engine.

CRACKED GEORGE CARLIN PLAYED MR. CONDUCTOR ON SHINING TIME STATION. The foul-mouthed comedian told stories of Thomas the Tank Engine on 45 episodes between 1991 and 1993. Не also narrated 104 episodes of Thomas and Friends, and was featured in 19 one-off Thomas-related videos and films.

IMDB / Fandom 

From “Bad and Boujee” to “Llama Llama.”

CRACKED MIGOS RAPPED A CHILDREN'S BOOK ON THE RADIO. Power 106 host J. Cruz had the group in the studio for an interview, and pulled out the kid's book Llama Llama Red Pajama for them to rap live on the air. The book's cadence actually fits well with their style.

NPR / Spotify 

Remember that classic line about what boys have and what girls have?!

CRACKED 5 ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER IN KINDERGARTEN COP. In 1990, the same year as Total Recall, and 1 year before Terminator 2: Judgment Day, he played John Kimble, an undercover detective whose assignment is to teach a kindergarten class. Не has a lot of funny, precious moments with the kids.

IMDB / Flicks 

He has a soft spot for kids, but actually terrified Macaulay Culkin.

CRACKED JOE PESCI IN HOME ALONE. In 1990, he appeared as the psychotic murderer mobster Tommy Devito in Goodfellas (for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) and as Harry in Home Alone. Не was a home invader, but opted for gibberish curse words in the family Christmas movie.

IMDB / BroBible 

It’s an immaterial world when the proceeds go to charity.

CRACKED MADONNA WRITES CHILDREN'S BOOKS. Her 2003 picture book The English Roses topped the New York Times Children's Bestseller List, so she released 12 chapter books in her English Roses series from 2007 to 2010. All proceeds go to the Spirituality for Kids Foundation.

People / AZ Central 

Ask someone about Bob Saget’s career, and they could have very different answers.

CRACKED DANNY TANNER BY DAY, FILTHY COMEDIAN BY NIGHT. Bob Saget was a comedian known for some of the crudest jokes imaginable. Не even told the dirtiest version of the dirtiest joke The Aristocrats in the 2005 doc. Не also somehow played the dorkiest dad on the most precious sitcom Full House.

Rollingstone / Collider 

To be fair, Snoop does everything. Game show host, Martha Stewart’s co-host, you name it.

CRACKED SNOOP DOGG MAKES A TON OF KID SONGS. His YouTube channel Doggyland has 78 kids songs and nursery rhymes. As per the bio, This show features a colorful cast of dogs who educate and entertain children through the power of singing, dancing, and rapping! It currently has 389,000 subscribers.

Youtube / People 

If you thought Wu-Tang was for the children, you should see what Luda is up to.

CRACKED LUDACRIS FOUNDED KIDNATION. KidNation's mission is the betterment of kids' physical and mental health. They use music videos with kids rapping positive pieces of advice to provide a fun, safe, and educational media platform.

Kid Nation / Variety 

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