Euphemisms for obscene language are also prevalent. In the cosmic order of things, most are mild to be sure -- but not all. One episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants" deals with the discovery of dirty words, with the childlike characters SpongeBob and Patrick trading sound-effect-covered cuss words, and you can only imagine the obscenity of the sailor talk they're exchanging.
Yeah, and I can only imagine what's under that burkha, too. If a child has no pretext as to what the characters are saying, then they will not figure out that it's a "cuss" but merely a "bad word" (as stated by Mr. Krabs). I have seen this episode many times with my five year old and it isn't nearly as sinister as this guy paints it to be. "One can only imagine" indeed.
"Shaman King" is NOT for children. It is geared towards young Anime / duelist cartoon fans who have disposable income to waste on a trading card game.Think Yu-Gi-Oh, Duelmasters, ETC.
One point I'll give him is for Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. This show is so crude, it makes Ren and Stimpy look like "Steamboat Willy".
HOWEVER, many people make the mistake of CARTOONS = FOR CHILDREN, therefore every cartoon is safe for a child. WRONG. Cartoons have an adult fanbase as well (just like comic books and video games) and many cartoons sneak "adult" humor in to their plotlines. (Fairly Oddparents is notorious for this, as they reference a lot of Gen X pop culture).
Before you plop your child in front of the television after school and wander away to do whatever, I suggest you familiarize yourself with what they are watching. Pay attention to the afternoon schedule and see what is GOOD and BAD about what they are or could be watching.
On another note, I just found some old Tex Avery cartoons on the 'net that would make some of the violence in today's cartoons look like nothing. PEOPLE (not animals) being shot in the face and falling down dead (with no magic "reincarnation")in a Droopy cartoon, etc. These cartoons were from the 1950's and were full of gratuitous violence, racism, off color comments and the whole works... so those "good ol' days" weren't all that rosy, Brent.
APf
That is exactly the point I made on another thread covering this topic. The manga (comic) of Shaman King is rated Teen, and there is no reason not to assume the anime would therefore be of at least an equal rating. Some people, I'm sure, complain about Yu-Gi-Oh!. But many anime fans complain about how the dubbed version is worse than the original Japanese version, because the dub edits out key scenes and things like guns and knives. Yu-Gi-Oh! is not geared towards children in anyone's mind except those people who have no knowledge of its origins. Most anime/manga is geared towards teens and upwards. I'm sure the same is true of many other anime that have been imported from Japan and dubbed in English.
Yes, I'm an anime/manga fan. :) And every anime/manga I like has more than a few child-improper scenes.. even supposedly child-safe shows like Pokemon, Digimon, Sailor Moon, etc. Though most anime/manga fans stick to one genre - gakuren (school-age, primary setting is in a school), shoujo (geared towards girls), magical girl, mecha, shounen-ai/yaoi (male-on-male; there is a difference between shounen-ai and yaoi: shounen-ai is like innocent love, and yaoi is much more graphic, more often than not including sex scenes.), good old fantasy, sci-fi, etc., etc., and thus dis a lot of what's in other genres; even though a good anime/manga comprises of more than a few genres, most are referred to by their primary genre. If there's a genre of novels or movies that you prefer, I can pretty much guarantee you'll find anime/manga catering to that genre. I read/watch a well-rounded variety, though I mostly read unless it has subtitles (or in the anime-fan's lingo, is subbed), because it's rather hard to try and read a cartoon's lips. ;^D I don't, however, particpate in any trading card games.. they're stupid, IMHO.
HOWEVER, many people make the mistake of CARTOONS = FOR CHILDREN, therefore every cartoon is safe for a child. WRONG.
Very much agree with that. Though I must point out that some adults can be very childish. (*coughmyparentscough* Lol.) :)
Before you plop your child in front of the television after school and wander away to do whatever, I suggest you familiarize yourself with what they are watching. Pay attention to the afternoon schedule and see what is GOOD and BAD about what they are or could be watching.
Exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself.
OT: Am I the only one who routinely keeps almost-but-not-quite forgetting to close my tags? Or not putting them there at all? Oh well :D
~Moshi-chan
I'm with you. It's a funny Sponge Bob episode, and totally harmless. A five year old kid isn't corrupted by seeing a magazine entitled "Under the Bed Monthly". They have no clue what it might mean. Cartoons and other comedies have been presented on two levels since the beginning of film. The writers are clever enough to understand that parents watch with children (or without them) and throw the parent an occasional bone. How many kids comprehended the cold war references in Rocky & Bullwinkle?
I just took my 4 and 8 year old to “The Pink Panther”. They laughed and laughed at the slapstick, while the double entendres and viagra scene went right over their beautiful little heads. Usually I’m with you Brent, but you need to chill on this one.