Posted on 08/21/2006 7:19:16 AM PDT by presidio9
They chase each other at high speed wielding axes and hammers. But the famous cartoon duo of Tom and Jerry are in trouble for smoking on screen.
Media regulator Ofcom received a complaint from a viewer who took offence at two episodes involving smoking.
In one, "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 other, "Tennis Chumps", Tom's opponent in a match smokes a large cigar.
In a bulletin posted online, Ofcom noted "concerns that smoking on television may normalise smoking", and said that the Turner company, licensee for Boomerang which aired the cartoons, had agreed to edit some smoking scenes out of Tom and Jerry.
"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.
But it would not cut all smoking scenes, it added.
Ofcom said it recognised smoking was more generally accepted when cartoons were produced in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, but noted that the threshhold for including such scenes when the audience is predominately young should be high.
It would truly be comical if it weren't for the fact that the time of mindset that would complain about smoking in a 50 year old cartoon is spreading like wildfire on both sides of the Atlanti.
"South Park" did a tribute to the Warner Brothers "Merrie Melodies" WW2 cartoons, showing Cartman playing the same tricks on Osama bin Laden that Bugs Bunny did to the Japanese.
I fear for our children!! *gasp*
/sarc off
Seriously, the smoking is bad, but all the rest of the violence is A-OK??
Dude, there's a little something called the 'on/off' switch on your tv. USE IT.
These people are nuts.
They already edited out the T&J episodes with the black maids.
I agree, let's make the two tennis players gay and instead of playing tennis they could have hot steamy sex. OR, make them Islamic facists and have them blow people up.
These cartoons should be in the public domain ALREADY.
If the major media corporations didn't have a monopoly on our cultural heritage of literature, music, and film (including cartoons), they couldn't revise the past like this.
Turner Corp. could still offer edited shorts on their own network but those who wanted to could see them elsewhere.
Mammy Two-Shoes.
In some they merely replaced her with an Irish maid.
I hear there are some transfers out there with the soundtracks/voices swapped.
I CAN'T STAND CARTOON NAZIS!!!!!!!!!! LEAVE THE CLASSICS ALONE!
"They'd better not cut "Cowboy Tom"."
Actually, that's the exact example they gave on NPR this morning.
Stupid (not you, the editing)
Thanks for the ping.
Like George Orwell said in 1984: "he who controls the past, controls the future"
The antis are nothing but a version George Orwell's thought police.
Seems to me that book should be heading for the non-fiction aisle any-day now, but first they'll have to edit out those parts about Winston Smith having a victory cigarette.
Down the memory hole with you all!!!!
Oh the injustice of it all! How are kids gonna ever learn that smoking is cool? Especially when one first starts and there's a lot of coughing and stuff, that's when these images are so neceassryy.
First they came for Barney Rubble as spokeperson for Winston's and I didn't complain. Then they came for Tom and Jerry and I still didn't complain enough. When they finally came for Joe Camel it was too late. The whole world had discovered the only thing that was stupid was to continue smoking despite the fact that it kills you more often than not.
Nazi opinion! Nazi opinion! Nazi opinion! Anti! Anti! Anti! Fools all!
I think it would be wrong for Turner Corporation to offer edited shorts. But considernig the fact Ted Turner founded it, I wouldn't be suprised it happens.
Turner founded it but doesn't own it anymore. Time-Life-Warner owns Turner (and the MGM library) now.
Smoking Cat: "Smoking is NOT cool. DEATH is COOL!"
Based on a single complaint.
Why, hello, little cowardly PM sender.
You guys ought to love this little "conservative".
When you get to him, he likes to send you little PM's, full of the F-word.
Hey, boys and girls, this is how we behave when we can't answer a post with normal language, on the board, for all to see.
"Nazi opinion! Nazi opinion! Nazi opinion! Anti! Anti! Anti! Fools all!"
Yeah, you know all about nazi behavior, that's for sure.
Your opinion means nothing to me. You're a coward, it is just that simple. Yeah, I really think you're one to make decisions such as these. You're little PM is the epitome of "nazi" behavior.
COWARD.
I don't get it. What about the issue of the thread? I'm glad insults get you off, but the moderator that you wagged your tongue to didn't think it was the end of the world. Just like a Nazi youth, you would turn in your own father if he disagreed with you. COWARD-FOOL.
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