To me, anime is just another form of a cartoon, just usally for more action. To people who say anime is a lower quality to non japanese-styled cartoons, it ain't true. An american cartoon (not all obviously) reuses camera angles, usually unrealistic backgrounds, shorter seasons, and less detailed.
A lot of japanese styled animations have a variety of camera angles, lots of detail in characters, more movement, and creates a hell lot more episodes per season than some famous american cartoons. People get the impressions that anime is geeky or something, though it is frustrating the majority of the people who enjoy anime are, it's not really "just" for them.
So what if they are known for big air and eyes? Who fucking cares? South Park has midget children with all the same faces. Family guy has a baby with a football shaped head that can talk. The Simpsons have white people portrayed in yellow, but big hair and eyes is going too far!
However, Anime has its cons. The fanbase, mainly, so fucking embarresing and annoying I wouldn't know where to start...I usually watch japaense shows for animated action and american ones for comedy, though I probably watch more american shows.
So claiming all anime sucks is ignorant generalizing, as well as claiming "american shows are inferior to japanese cartoons"