NBC slices and dices "Veggie Tales"

Townhall.com ^ | September 8, 2006 | Brent Bozell III

[Between the Lines]

Maybe you're familiar with the computer-animated cartoon "Veggie Tales," a video series targeted at children ages 2 to 8, and which features moral and religious tales hosted by Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber. Beginning in 1993, the series was distributed on VHS tapes, telling biblical stories like the Battle of Jericho, David and Goliath and the tale of the Good Samaritan. Each show ended with a Bible verse.

And it's been a marketing phenomenon. Without any broadcasting or syndication on television, "Veggie Tales" has sold more than 50 million "Veggie Tales" DVDs and videotapes -- primarily, but quietly, through big chain stores like Target, Wal-Mart and Family Christian Stores. As their popularity spread, so did "Veggie Tales" T-shirts, plush toys and other products.

In true Hollywood fashion, the show's focus on young children and its cutesy vegetable stars made it a frequent target of mockery. The absolute low point came on Comedy Central's perverse cartoon "Drawn Together," which satirized the show by having the Larry the Cucumber character go on a murderous rampage, killing nearly all the Comedy Central cartoon's major characters, shooting most of them bloodily in the head. Behind the killings, a laugh track howled. No one in Hollywood wondered if that might be "offensive," let along just plain sick.

Eventually, someone in Tinseltown saw the commercial possibilities. Now, the news breaks that NBC (as well as NBC-owned Telemundo) will begin showing "Veggie Tales" cartoons on Saturday mornings for the new fall season. Maybe this isn't Earth-shattering news. In a world of 24-7 cartoon programming on cable and satellite, Saturday morning at the Big Three networks is a forgotten land, and the days where children would get up and watch test patterns on Saturdays in anticipation of cartoons has long passed.

But here is what should be news. The early word from producers is that NBC has grown increasingly fierce about editing something out of "Veggie Tales" -- those apparently unacceptable, insensitive references to God and the Bible.

So NBC has taken the very essence of "Veggie Tales" -- and ripped it out. It's like "Gunsmoke" without the guns, or "Monday Night Football" without the football.

Think about this corporate mindset. NBC is the network that hired a squad of lawyers to argue that dropping the F-bomb on the Golden Globe Awards isn't indecent for children, but invoking God is wholly unacceptable. Or, as one e-mailing friend marveled: "So, saying 'F--- you' is protected First Amendment speech on NBC but not 'God bless you.'"

The cartoon's creator, Phil Vischer, posted on his personal Web log the news of NBC's increasing creative stranglehold. "At first we were told everything was 'OK' except the Bible verse at the end. Frankly, that news (never) really surprised me, because, heck, we're talking about NBC here. (Would they allow) God on Saturday morning? It didn't seem likely."

But it grew worse than that edict, Vischer reported: "Since we've started actually producing the episodes, though, NBC has gotten a little more restrictive." How so? He said, "We're having to do a little more editing." How much? So much so that Vischer implied that the God talk is landing on the cutting-room floor. Now, he's merely hoping that people will "maybe wander into Wal-Mart and buy a video with all the God still in."

This is one of those moments where you understand that networks like NBC are only talking an empty talk and walking an empty walk when it comes to the First Amendment, and "creative integrity," and so on. They have told parents concerned about their smutty programs like "Will and Grace" that if they're offended, they have a remote control as an option. The networks have spent millions insisting that we have a V-chip in our TV sets. Change the channel. Block it out.

But when it comes to religious programming -- programming that doesn't even mention Jesus Christ -- just watch the hypocrisy. Instead of telling viewers to just change the channel if they don't like it, or put in a V-chip for Bible verses, they demand to producers that all that outdated old-time religion has to be shredded before broadcast.

It's truly sad that this anti-religious hypocrisy would emerge. Today, no one in network TV fears what the children are watching -- unless it makes them think about God.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I felt bad for the BigIdea people. They had a good thing, got too ambitious, ran the company bankrupt and had to sell out, and now they are stuck with stuff like this.

But he's right, people WILL run out and buy the videos. That at least is something to look forward too.

[T.Smith]

We already own most of the videos. My kids gave me the Best of Silly Songs for my birthday because I enjoy them so much. I don't think we'll be watching Veggie Tales on NBC.

Withouth God, what will Junior Asparagus have to talk about?

[TexasCajun]

"NBC is racist & bigoted!"

"Where is my people represented Dog?"

[ovrtaxt]

Wow, I didn't know this.

Is there a way for them to back out and shop the concept to someone who actually understands why it's been so successful?

[Sopater]

"It's a show about... nothing."

[WoodstockCat]

"The un-named good but not holy being that exists if you think it does" is bigger than the boogie man....

[Valpal1]

I didn't know they had bankrupted the company. That's too bad. Well now they know how rapacious Hollywood and the MSM are, much to their sorrow.

We'll just stick with classic Veggie's and NBC will lose money on their attempt to capitalize on because of their total failure to understand why it was successful.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I use that term descriptively, not necessarily legally. I don't remember if the company actually declared bankruptcy. They did get in trouble with creditors, and have to sell the company.

[Lucky9teen]

My kids loves the Veggie Tales and they do get the good messages in the stories. They are very entertaining and it is absolutely terrible that NBC is doing this.

Damn tv....teaching our kids yet more and more bad morals and values.

It's a shame a Christian Broadcasting company couldn't have picked them up for Saturday cartoons instead, so nothing would be changed.

It just goes to show: It's up to the parents to raise their children right and not let them learn from TV

We see what kind of people tv learners become - democrats.

[domenad]

You should have seen the filthy episode they created for Larry the Cucumber. It's entitled "Larry and the Dinah Shore Weekend."

[Frumanchu]

Hardly surprising, but sad nonetheless.

[Alex Murphy]

I felt bad for the BigIdea people. They had a good thing, got too ambitious, ran the company bankrupt and had to sell out, and now they are stuck with stuff like this.

Sad to say, but you're absolutely right.

[Richard Kimball]

I had no idea about the financial problems. I looked up some stuff on the web, and it looks like losing a lawsuit was one of their biggest problems. Interestingly enough, I know of very few children who like Veggie Tales, but a lot of older students at Christian colleges watch them. A lot of the humor goes over the small kids heads, but the older kids pick up on it.

We are the pirates who don't do anything.
We just stay home, and lay around,
And if you ask us to do anything,
We'll just tell you, we don't do anything.

Well I've never been to Greenland,
and I've never been to Denver,
and I've never buried treasure in St. Louie or St. Paul.
And I've never been to Moscow,
and I've never been to Tampa,
and I've never been to Boston in the fall.

Cause we're the pirates who don't do anything,
we just stay at home, and lie around,
and if you ask us, to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything.

Oh I'll never hoist the main sail,
and I've never swabbed the poop deck,
and I've never veered to starboard, cause I've never sailed at all.
And I've never walked the gang plank,
and I've never owned a parrot...
And I've never been to Boston in the fall

Cause we're the pirates who don't do anything,
we just stay at home, and lie around,
and if you ask us, to do anything,
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything.

I've never plucked a rooster,
and I am not too good at ping-pong,
and I've never thrown my mashed potatoes up against the wall.
And I've never kissed a chipmunk,
and I've never gotten head lice,
and I have never been to Boston in the fall.

(Pirate Captain's Log ..... 2002
Who be this band Relient K,
and why they be so full of contradictions?)

We don't know what he did
but we're down with captain kidd
we don't wake up before lunch
but we all eat captain crunch
we don't smoke, we don't chew
we watch captain kangaroo.

And I've never licked a spark plug
and I've never sniffed a stink bug
and I've never painted daisys on a big red rubber ball
and I've never bathed in yogurt
and I dont look good in leggings
and I've never been to Boston in the fall

(Ladies and gentlemen, let's give 'em a big hand!)
We are the pirates who don't do anything,
we just stay at home, and lie around.
And if you ask us, to do anything,
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything.
We are the pirates who don't do anything we just stay at home, and lie around and if you ask us, to do anything we'll just tell you, we don't do anything.

[BlessedBeGod]

Gee, NBC didn't seem to have a problem with God being referenced on one of their TV series when they put that piece of garbage "The Book of Daniel" on the air earlier this year...

[VOA]

bump

[Big Giant Head]

I love my lips! bookmark.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Its the Wallminator 3000!!!

How are we clapping? I don't know.