When Did Nickelodeon Start Corrupting America's Youth?

[nobleplatypus]

So while I was on break, partially (okay, entirely) on the recommendation of Kevin Smith, I decided to watch an episode of Degrassi. You see, in the afternoon, Nickelodeon starts calling itself "The N" and pretty much gets sexy. This show is about high schoolers (who look about thirteen to me, but this is probably because Hollywood has no problem casting 25-year-olds as high school seniors, so people who are actually 16 or 17 look way younger to me) doing what high schoolers do... namely, have lots of sex in hotel rooms and throw out the occasional marriage proposal.

Now, I only saw part of one episode, because I was too horrified by my beloved Nickelodeon's loss of innocense to watch more, so I am quite probably misjudging the series and all that... but man. Remember "Hey, Dude," when someone would maybe occasionally get kissed, and that was, like, third base? Or better yet, remember cartoons like "Rocko's Modern Life," where sex was never even an issue?

...What happened?

I'm not trying to sound prudish; it's the fact that this is on Nickelodeon that shocks me the most. If it were on MTV, I wouldn't bat an eye. But Nick was my childhood, man! "Salute Your Shorts" didn't have ill-conceived marriage proposals! It had a dance. ONCE.

I feel old.