LONDON (AFP) - Smoking scenes in "Tom and Jerry" cartoons are now banned in Britain, following a viewer's complaint to the government agency that polices the airwaves.In one episode of the classic US cartoon series, Tom is seen smoking a roll-up cigarette in a bid to impress a female cat. In another, Tom's opponent in a tennis match was seen smoking a large cigar.
Following an investigation prompted by the anonymous viewer's complaint, regulator Ofcom said Monday that children's TV channel Boomerang has agreed to edit out scenes deemed to glamorise or condone smoking.
"We note that, in 'Tom and Jerry', smoking usually appears in a stylised manner and is frequently not condoned," said Ofcom, recalling how the cartoons were made in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s when smoking was not so controversial.
"However, while we appreciate the historic integrity of the animation, the level of editorial justification required for the inclusion of smoking in such cartoons is necessarily high."
Of course there were no protests of Tom and Jerry shooting at each other with revolvers, of Jerry hitting Tom on the head with a hammer, of Tom using explosives to get Jerry out of his hole, or of Tom actually eating Jerry alive. The gratuitous violence is acceptable for these leftist bureaucrats; but heaven forbid they show a cat and mouse smoking.
I can now imagine Reuters to start using photoshop to erase all evidence of Winston Churchill smoking cigars. Would not want folks to be influenced by one who drank spirits and smoked. Heaven forbid. They'll find a better example in who perhaps then? The Mayor of London?
More fish slapping is needed here.
And now for something completely different . . .
2 comments:
That's ridiculous, it's prepostrous, its impetuous!!!! Now we have the cartoon police. That's it I'm starting my own country.
It's bloody bad enough we cannot smoke in the bloody pubs anymore. Everythings going to bloody hell.
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