U.K. Cannot Tolerate Cartoon Smoking

[Lemur]

First there was the knife hysteria. Then you installed CCTV everywhere. Now you're removing smoking from Tom & Jerry cartoons. What has gone so horribly wrong with our friends in the United Kingdom? You're freaking me out, here.

Smoke's no joke for Tom and Jerry

Children's TV channel Boomerang is to edit scenes from Tom and Jerry cartoons where characters are shown smoking.

The move follows an investigation by media watchdog Ofcom into a viewer's complaint that the vintage animations were not appropriate for young viewers.

The watchdog recognised the "historic" cartoons were made at a time "when smoking was more generally accepted".

However, Boomerang will only edit those cartoons where smoking appears to be "condoned, acceptable or glamorised".

Two such cartoons include Texas Tom from 1950 and Tennis Chumps from 1949.

'Stylised manner'

In the former Tom is shown trying to impress a female cat by rolling a cigarette, lighting it and smoking it with one hand. In the latter, Tom's tennis opponent is seen smoking a large cigar.

"We note that in Tom and Jerry smoking usually appears in a stylised manner," said Ofcom.

However, it said that "the level of editorial justification required for the inclusion of smoking in such cartoons is necessarily high".

"Depictions of smoking may not be problematic given the context," it continued.

"But broadcasters need to make a judgement about the extent to which a particular scene may or may not genuinely influence children."

[Xiahou]

Are they still going to run it unedited in the US? It'd be a sacrilege to desecrate such classics to satisfy a few whiny PC types.

[Lemur]

Nobody has suggested that we mutilate these cartoons in the U.S. This is the Brits getting very, very nanny state on us. Or so it appears. I await enlightenment from our U.K. brethren.

[Samurai Waki]

yeah, Tom and Jerry, Loony Toons etc. all had smoking in them. They are the cartoons I grew up with, I still can sit back and watch a few and reminisce about the days of old, and have the occasional good laugh. I think they are hilarious and a classic part of our culture. Oh and did I fail to mention that I never once attempted to Jump out of a window, and that I'm not a smoker?

[Ser Clegane]

If children consider Tom & Jerry to be role models, smoking might be the least of the parents' worries...

[AntiochusIII]

Poor U.K. is relatively notorious for having a nanny of cartoon channels.

I've seen a clip Jetix U.K.'s Naruto, a show of ninjas with too much stupid fans over the internet. The hack would scare the **** off some people I know; you know, those people with an extra-strong love for their favorite animated shows...

The show was supposed to last 22 minutes or so; I think it was seventeen,w hereas the U.S. Cartoon Network Naruto run has virtually no cuts from the original Japanese version. This isn't surprising. It's just news because they desecrating Tom & Jerry, which, frankly, is desecration!

I mean, these are ancient artifacts, six, seven times my age!

[Banquo's Ghost]

First there was the knife hysteria. Then you installed CCTV everywhere. Now you're removing smoking from Tom & Jerry cartoons. What has gone so horribly wrong with our friends in the United Kingdom? You're freaking me out, here.

It is all a bit silly, but anything to do with children carries a certain paranoia these days in the UK. It'll pass once the 'jobsworths' find something else.

On the other hand, the Brits can show the odd bare breast on daytime sport shows without civilisation collapsing.

[InsaneApache]

The move follows an investigation by media watchdog Ofcom into a viewer's complaint that the vintage animations were not appropriate for young viewers.

....and I thought Mary Whitehouse was pushing up daisies......

[BDC]

....and I thought Mary Whitehouse was pushing up daisies......

More stakes and garlic next time...

[Moros]

sometimes smiley can say it all...

[Peasant Phill]

I also read that an actor playing Churchill wasn't allowed to smoke the famous sigars on the scene. He complied when the autorities threatened to lower the theaters funding.

[English assassin]

Children's TV channel Boomerang is to edit scenes from Tom and Jerry cartoons where characters are shown smoking.

No no no. Its not the smoking scenes that are the problem, its the sex beforehand.

[Banquo's Ghost]

I also read that an actor playing Churchill wasn't allowed to smoke the famous sigars on the scene. He complied when the autorities threatened to lower the theaters funding.

Slightly different, but still silly. Mel Smith was playing Churchill in a play produced in an Edinburgh theatre. Scotland has a law about smoking in a public place, which the theatre was. Whether you consider the law silly or not, he would have been breaking it.

I believe the theatre was also publicly funded, so the council would have had to fine the theatre and so pay the fine out of the funding they gave.

[drone]

I grew up on the old-school T&J, the new ones are soooo bland. But when it comes to old Tom and Jerry cartoons, the UK has a problem with the smoking, not the mindless violence and blatant racism?

[English assassin]

the UK has a problem with the smoking, not the mindless violence and blatant racism

I'm willing to be corrected, but I suspect the black cook who was scared of mice would not be shown today. I don't remember anything else that might have been racist?

Mindless violence, however, we are cool about. We are British after all.

[drone]

I'm willing to be corrected, but I suspect the black cook who was scared of mice would not be shown today. I don't remember anything else that might have been racist?

Pretty sure there was a lot of black-face humor thrown in as well, usually from explosions. I could probably pick out more, if I watched the old ones now at my age.

[Don Corleone]

No no no. Its not the smoking scenes that are the problem, its the sex beforehand.

If you're smoking after sex, might I suggest you investegate the wonderful world of personal lubricants? Buh-dum-bum Thank you folks, I'm here for two shows a night, all week. Love you guys!

[Goofball]

Just remember:




(I know it doesn't really fit with the rest of the thread, but I just saw this and thought it was so funny I had to post it somewhere)

[JimBob]

Keep the smoking in! Most of those cigars explode anyway. If I saw every other cigar explode I'd stay the hell away from them.

On the racism Censored 11

[Hepcat]

This is yet another example of the world trying to become soo politically correct that pretty soon all kids will be able to watch is tellytubbies or something equally boring.

I grew up watching Tom & Jerry and all the similar ones. My friend had a double tape of Tom & Jerry, I don't smoke and neither does he despite all these bad influences we were exposed to in our childhood.

[Leet Eriksson]

THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN

I'll start hoarding winnie the pooh, tom and jerry and looney toons before my government decides to take some ideas from the UK.

[Leet Eriksson]

actually now that i read it more properly, just some channels will cut it. I read somewhere just a minute ago, (god damn i lost the link) that even the anti-smoking parties in britain don't see any use in censoring the cartoons.

[Patriarch of Constantinople]

yeah, Tom and Jerry, Loony Toons etc. all had smoking in them.

Didnt looney toons have gun violence? i dont see anyone banning that

[Patriarch of Constantinople]

Just remember:




(I know it doesn't really fit with the rest of the thread, but I just saw this and thought it was so funny I had to post it somewhere)

What the hell is that!?

[doc_bean]

I think we already have something similar in place, or it's been talked about at least. At least a simpons episode I saw yesterday still endorsed delicious laramy cigarettes ! It's such a shame what the PC nuts do to our culture (well, our is relative when talking about a US cartoon of course...)

[drone]

I think we already have something similar in place, or it's been talked about at least. At least a simpons episode I saw yesterday still endorsed delicious laramy cigarettes ! It's such a shame what the PC nuts do to our culture (well, our is relative when talking about a US cartoon of course...)

This brings up an interesting question. One of the running themes in The Simpsons is the parody of cigarette makers and their ads. Will these be edited out, even though they are anti-smoking? Will the censors have enough of a sense of humo(u)r to realize the parody, and keep it in? Or is the sight of Maggie putting a cig in her mouth in the "Little Miss Springfield" episode too much?

[yesdachi]

After they are finished editing the cartoons they can start on the history books.