The ups and downs of cartoons as a whole

In this thread I would like to start a discussion on the state of the cartoon industry as a whole, as opposed to just one cartoon or studio. To me the industry is currently going through a rough patch. Cartoons today seem to pander strictly to a very young audience. It seems as though network executives have given up on any teen or adult audiences, probably because they feel they have already lost them to the internet and social media. However I'm sure if quality programs were being put out, they would gain back a significant chunk of the audience they have lost in recent years.
To expand on this, I believe their have been two "golden ages" of cartoons. The first was in the 1940s. Obviously around that time Looney Tunes (and Merrie Melodies) were in full swing creating animated brilliance. It was a solid decade of interesting characters, surprising situations, and laugh out loud humor. Not to mention World War 2 had a huge impact on cartoons at the time, and it was a pretty positive influence. Even the propaganda cartoons are hugely entertaining. It was a great time.
The 50s kinda saw things slow down. Things weren't near as bad as they are now though, just a bit slower than the previous decade. The 60s saw the emerge of some great ones (Flintstones, Jetsons) but still not as solid overall as the 40s. About the same can be said for the 70s, to a lesser extent.
The 1980s came extremely close to being the second golden age of cartoons. I wouldn't even really be turned off if some did consider it that. A major influx of classic toons (GI Joe, The Smurfs, TMNT, Transformers, etc) made the 80s a great time for cartoons. I still don't feel that it was as solid as the 40s. As opposed to being the second golden age, I think it was more like a prologue for the second golden age.
And now for what is the second golden age of cartoons, the 90s. The 90s started off with the creative birth of Nickelodeon with The Ren and Stimpy Show & Rugrats heading the charge. Not to mention The Simpsons also marked the start of the 90s, and thanks to that we got to see "adult" cartoons evolve over the decade and become a permanent fixture in cartoons. At about the mid 90s, close to late, we saw Cartoon Network (CN) come racing in with its time of brilliance. From the late 90s to the early 2000s it was amazing at how CN and Nick were continuously outdoing each other in terms of quality and fan appreciation. They and other networks made the 90s and early 00s a great period of animation, just magnificent.
But as I mentioned earlier I feel that in the modern day the cartoon industry is bleeding out and it needs a tourniquet. Modern day cartoons seem to pander only to the very young, as opposed to also appealing to teens and adults who have been dedicated cartoon lovers. Quality cartoons are in the minority right now, which explains why Anime is at an all time high. People are turning away from cartoons, and we can't let this happen to one of the greatest art forms ever created by man. We need to make our voices heard, and get involved if possible. Don't let merchandising and lazy studios take away what we have loved for decades.
So, please offer replies and your own opinion on my rant and the issue itself. Do you agree? Are cartoons better right now or worse? What do you think was the best time period for cartoons?

Children's cartoons have especially gone downhill. I can't stand to watch at least 3/4 of the programs broadcast by the major animation networks

In the late 1960s and 1970s as a response to violent cartoons (and real-life events such as the Vietnam War, race riots, and the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.), there was a call by tv networks under pressure from watchdog groups for more educational content in Saturday Morning animation. The comedy content was increased and superhero/space action cartoons were eased out of the schedules. Lessons were taught. Since the tv networks made that mandatory, animation studios had to comply or else their programs would not air and animator employment would decrease.

The 1980s saw the advent of toy-based cartoons...the manufacturers of the toys had the budget for 5 day a week production for weekday syndication to promote their products. If done with wit and memorable characters and storylines...toy-based cartoons can be entertaining in a creative sense (like Transformers, My Little Pony, He-Man, and GI Joe).

The 1990s saw Cartoon Network and other cable tv/satellite venues showing cartoons at various time slots, sometimes 24 hours a day. Network tv was cutting back on cartoons in favor of news programs on Saturday. There are still the strict guidelines with the cable channels on content to meet FCC rules.

I only watch "Family Guy" and "American Dad"...there's NO middle-ground for cartoons anymore, that's why "Animaniacs" was awesome...I had Easter dinner with my family and we talked about the Tweety Cartoon called "I Tawt I Taw A Putty tat" where Catstillo (a caricature of Lou Costello) after hearing Babbot (caricature of Bud Abbot) shout "Gimme da Bird"...Catsillo quotes "If the Hayes Code would let me...I'd give him the bird"!...then 50 years later on "Animaniacs" that saying was used when the pilgrim said "Gimme the bird" then Yakko Warner said "We would, but the FOX censors won't let us"!

Those quotes flew over my head as a child, but now while I'm older, I got the joke!

Okay..."I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat" was the 1st time Tweety and Sylvester join together.

Okay...I haven't been watching Looney Tunes much lately...the cartoon genre that I love!

Sometimes, the networks try to create cartoons from games or concepts that they think will sell. But at times, it may not work or the results are unsatisfactory. Or if successful for a while, not lasting.

List are always hard to put a finger on one way or the other.

I love video games and remember buying a Turbo Graphix -16 just to be able to play Pac-Land. At the time Pac-Land was like being able to enjoy the cartoon anytime I wanted. We did not get a VHS system till after Pac-Man was off the air so playing Pac-Land was like reliving memories.

I never watched or role played much of Dungeons and Dragons but still found the show interesting. The other shows are newer so they do not hold any nostalgic feelings for me.

Another show that seems to be forgotten or left off is Bubsy. Bubsy was a single special but it seemed to receive a lot criticism. The game was released across several console platforms and must have sold well as it had a sequel video game release.

I also noticed the Saturday Supercade or Dragons Lair cartoons were not added. They were enjoyable but had a short life span. Probably the demise was more to the video game crash then any other reason.