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sometimes they go too far - 8/23/2006 7:22:10 AM

beenwhipped

Posts: 191
Joined: 5/14/2006
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this is Copied and pasted from Yahoo News. Although i do agree that kids shouldnt smoke, but do they realy think this will effect anything? Im just glad i have the uncensored Tom & Jerry DVD set. i just wish i could find the full Tom & Jerry library.

Brits Kick 'Toon Butts Off Tube

By Gina Serpe
Tue Aug 22, 7:39 PM ET

Britain's PC police are ordering Tom and Jerry to put on the patch.

The cartoon twosome will be the first on the editing block in an effort by the U.K.'s television regulating body to deglamorize smoking in children's programming.

The British kid's channel Boomerang, run by Turner Broadcasting's British division, has agreed to edit out puffing cartoon characters in roughly 1,700 episodes of classic Hanna-Barbera 'toons, including Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo.

Though at least in the latter, they may have more dubious smoke to cut than just tobacco.

"Turner recognizes that it is not suitable for cartoons aimed at children to portray smoking in a cool context and has additionally pledged to review the entire Hanna-Barbera catalog to remove scenes that appear to glamorize or encourage smoking," Cecilia Persson, a Turner VP, said in a statement.

In other words: Tom lighting up a cigar is out. Jerry whacking Tom over the head with mallets, axes and lawnmowers is in. Even the Brits know better than to mess with comedy gold.

The drastic recuts came about after the watchdog group Office of Communications, or Ofcom, received just one complaint over two Tom and Jerry cartoons thought to be potentially corrupting the young minds--and healthy lungs--of children. Boomerang, though, maintains that the edits are a voluntary measure.

The episodes in question were both created more than 50 years ago, but apparently offending sensibilities die hard.

In "Texas Tom," which first ran in 1950, Tom is seen trying to woo a female feline by rolling and smoking a cigarette with just one hand, er, paw. In 1949's "Tennis Chumps," Tom's courtside adversary, a very cool cat, is seen puffing on a cigar.

Turner, however, won't simply cut each instance of smoking from the classic 'toons, simply the ones, per Ofcom, "where smoking appeared to be condoned, acceptable, glamorized or where it might encourage imitation."

A spokesman for Turner said the station, half of whose viewership falls between the ages of four to 14, had already begun editing its way through the library of 162 Tom and Jerry episodes and had so far cut three scenes. The entire process is due to be a long one, as editors must paint out the images frame by frame.

While Turner initiated the cigarette removal, albeit with some pressure by Ofcom, they nevertheless warned the watchdog group that excessive editing "might adversely affect the value of the animation."

Ofcom's longstanding broadcast code, however, states that smoking not be featured in children's programming lest there be particularly strong editorial justification. "Because it's always been like that," apparently, is not good enough.

Though it may be for fans of classic cartoons that soon may not be able to recognize their beloved animated pals.

The BBC has already told the Times of London that whatever fate awaited Tom and Jerry would also apply to its corncob-pipe-smoking cartoon import, Popeye.

Though his spinach supply, at least for now, remains safe.