Monday, August 21, 2006

TOM, JERRY BUSTED FOR SMOKING

Underdog isn't around because he popped a pill before becoming a crime fighter. Now, other cartoon characters are getting nailed for their old, bad habits. Reuters reports:
Turner Broadcasting is scouring more than 1,500 classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including old favourites Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, to edit out scenes that glamorise smoking.

The review was triggered by a complaint to media regulator Ofcom by one viewer who took offence to two episodes of Tom and Jerry shown on the Boomerang channel, part of Turner Broadcasting which itself belongs to Time Warner Inc. ...

The regulator's latest news bulletin stated that a viewer, who was not identified, had complained about two smoking scenes on Tom and Jerry, saying they "were not appropriate in a cartoon aimed at children."

In the first, "Texas Tom", the hapless cat Tom tries to impress a feline female by rolling a cigarette, lighting it and smoking it with one hand. In the second, "Tennis Chumps", Tom's opponent in a match smokes a large cigar.

"The licensee has ... proposed editing any scenes or references in the series where smoking appeared to be condoned, acceptable, glamorised or where it might encourage imitation," Ofcom said, adding that "Texas Tom" was one such example.
Don't tell anyone, but we're pretty sure Bugs Bunny is a cross-dresser.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Remember Mighty Mouse?

Anonymous said...

I do. I believe a newer re-vamped version of MM got the ki-bosh when he snorted rose petals (http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=106951).

talk about drug references....Shaggy, a talking dog named Scooby Doo riding in a psychedelic van, seeing ghosts and eating Scooby Snacks? The only thing more obvious would be to have big clouds of smoke coming from inside the Mystery Machine.

Unknown said...

Amuck, amuck, and amuck. Sorry, that was political correctness running amuck across my keyboard. So we are not concerned that the mallets that Tom and Jerry are hitting each other with might cause trauma but the smoking might. Nice. I am so glad that others are trying to protect me and my family from the evils of cartoons. Maybe parents could use the smoking scenes as a way to talk about the evils of smoking with their children. No! Let us just get rid of them. This is right up there with the weapons being taken out of soldiers’ hands and being replaced with walkie talkies in E.T.

admin said...

Maybe we should send troops to Warner Bros. and liberate those cartoons from their oppressive holders of copyright.

Anonymous said...

I guess they won't being showing the ads Fred and Barney did for their first season sponsors, Budweiser and Winston.

Also has any of the right noticed those two squirels in the Warner Brothers cartoons, Mac and Tosh, are gay.

Anonymous said...

One wonders what political party the anti-smoking police tend to belong to...

Jeremy Long said...

That's very funny. I also want to see TOM&JERRY smoking a cigar.But i will be in favor of Jerry, i will provide him the way to Buy Cigarsonline of different flavor.Just imagine! Jerry with smoking cuban cigar.......brilliant cartoon series.