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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Scooby Doo Arrested for Assaulting Ghost

What is the deal with cartoons these days? What happened to cartoons being cheesy, mindless, comedic shows for kids? My favorite cartoon as a child was "Tom and Jerry." Critics said the show was too violent and have since edited tons of what I consider "cartoon violence."



Well, cartoons have taken a whole new meaning in the 21st Century. Let's see today's version of "cartoon violence" with this Stewie and Brian clip from "Family Guy:"




All of a sudden, T&J doesn't look so bad, does it? In a span of a couple of decades, cartoons have gone from clip #1 to clip #2. Not all cartoons are kid-friendly these days.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that this just started in our lifetime. Way back in the day, they had what were considered at the time as "adult cartoons."
"Betty Boop" hit the scene during the Depression Era of the 30's as animation's first sex symbol.  

"Fritz the Cat" came along in 1972 and became the first U.S. cartoon to get an "X rating."

1981 spawned "Heavy Metal." This was the first adult cartoon that I remember seeing (8 years later as a college freshman).

1989 started TV's era of adult cartoons. Enter "The Simpsons." If you were at least 13 years old in 1989, then you should remember the controversy surrounding this show. FOX was already pushing the envelope with the likes of "Married with Children," and protesters were up in arms over this unruly, spike-haired boy by the name of "Bart." Little did any of us know that it would be considered tame by today's standards.

After "The Simpsons" came "Ren & Stimpy" which led to "Beavis & Butthead" which led to "South Park" and so on and so on...

So, what's next? Will we see some modern day Scooby Doo arrested for assaulting a ghost? Does animation's favorite crime-fighting dog turn into a "Matrix" meets "The Transporter" type of action show where ghosts are assassinated?

That remains to be seen.
Mess with this pooch or his crew and get "Scooby Smacked!"

The purpose for this post is this: the world constantly evolves and it's not always for the better. It's imperative that parents recognize how the world has changed and find a way to change with it. You can no longer rely on TV to babysit your child while you get chores done or try to take a quick nap. You may think you're turning on a harmless cartoon and the next thing you know, your child is dropping the n-word on people because he / she was watching "The Boondocks."

Take the time to not only screen what your child watches, but watch it with them. That way if anything mature is shown, you're there to put things in perspective or to offer an explanation. Make sure he / she is watching "Dora the Explorer" and not "Dora Gets Explored." You're laughing, but don't think it can't happen some day. Maybe 20 years from now, but it could. (Okay, I made that one up, but you get my point. You know, I wouldn't doubt if that was some actual porn title. If not, I'm suing the first person to use it.)

So, despite seeing cartoonish figures and maybe even famous faces, don't assume that a show is good for your six year old. Give it a test run yourself before allowing others to see it. Know what's on TV at all times so your kid won't grow up to be the Einstein from "Robot Chicken" instead of the Einstein from the history books.

(Warning: Language may be inappropriate for the sensitive)

16 comments:

  1. Can you say desensitization? Yes, I watch Family Guy, yes I like Robot Chicken, but they are more designed for 20's to 30's adults who grew up watching the cartoons you talked about.

    I miss T&J. I miss the old Looney Tunes. I miss Speedy Gonzales, and the Roadrunner.

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  2. They were designed for us, but I don't think a lot of parents know that. I have relatives who are way too young to watch some of these toons, but their parents aren't paying attention. The parents see animation and think it's all-good.

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  3. Dumb parents who let their kids watch anything need to be shot, seriously. My little ones love Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes, & the like. Hell, I'm almost 40 and I still love it! Of course I watch Robot Chicken and Family Guy as well, just not with my kids.

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  4. Yeah I dig me some family guy and Robot Chicken!!!!...but they are NOT FOR KIDS FOR CHRIST SAKE!!! Just because it's a cartoon does not mean kids should be looking at this crap!

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  5. I remember tripping my little sister when I was six by sticking my leg out a la the Coyote from the Roadrunner cartoons. I got scolded for it, but as I explained to my dad I was just doing what I saw on TV. Cartoons are not always for kids, like Family Guy and South Park, but I think the Simpsons usually delivers a positive message and a moral without being overtly crude. And as long as you have parents there to watch with the kids and explain what's happening in the cartoon and how it's different from reality, I think that's OK.

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  6. Back in the day cartoons WERE some of the most violent programs on TV. Even so, they weren't filled with foul language and sex, which is the problem with many of today's cartoons. Parents should always be aware of what they let their children watch on television. Young minds are very impressionable. Now if you'll please excuse me I want to go catch up on a few episodes of "Archer".

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  7. @ Rancher - Yes, it's totally the parents' responsibility to make sure their kids aren't getting their "life instructions" for anything TV-related. It's just too much garbage on TV.
    @ Tcat - Exactly! Parents see animation and think that just because it's a cartoon that it's innocent. Not!
    @ Tsaritsa - My father taught me at an early age that cartoons weren't real and that I couldn't do what I saw on the shows. I think I was around five or six, too.
    @ Empress - It wasn't uncommon to see Jerry take a shotgun and blast Tom in the face, but it was some of the funniest stuff to me as a kid. Especially since my father had already explained that it was entertainment. Imagine had he not. I may have blasted a friend thinking it wouldn't hurt him.

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  8. @ Empress - I almost forgot! "Archer" is the funniest cartoon on TV right now! LOL! I now rank it ahead of "Robot Chicken" and "The Boondocks."

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  9. Tom and Jerry was my favorite growing up! I remember the first time I saw the Simpsons and I remember thinking "I can't believe they are showing this on TV!" I don't remember what the episode was about, just that I was shocked at the time.

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  10. I see a lot of people liked "T&J!" I wasn't aware they had so many fans. Yeah, Cakeologist, I think a lot of people were shocked at what they did on "The Simpsons" back in the day. Bart and Homer were a mess! :)

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  11. I miss T&J too ...and Bugs Bunny...simpler times but great harmless fun

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  12. G, is was much simpler then. Everything, including cartoons, are too complex now. You have to be an adult just to understand them. Even SpongeBob is a little too advanced for some kids to understand some of the jokes.

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  13. Man, Q - you are NOT even kidding! I have to sit through cartoon after cartoon just to make sure it's one my son can watch. Right now, I draw the limits at Chowder, Adventure Time and the Regular Show - and they seriously make ME laugh. Some of the stuff is pretty racy (actually those three are filled with adult humor, but he doesn't get it when I start laughing my ass off!) - and my son knows which ones are off limits to him (he'll even change the channel and say, "I know! I know! I'm not allowed to watch this one!). Oh, and he really likes T & J - I have a lot of their dvds - and he thinks they're hilarious!

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  14. Reck, I've never heard of any of those cartoons you listed. LOL! My god kids are stuck on SpongeBob and The Backyardigans.

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  15. I remember seeing an episode of Robot chicken was tripping out that the kids I nannied for was all into it. Mind you they were 5 and 6 yrs old. I asked the parents if they knew about the content and they were clueless (surprise surprise) because they assumed that if it was on the cartoon network it must be safe. Another sign that the TV was another babysitter when I wasn't there.

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  16. Sad, Sonia. Cartoon Network isn't just for kids any more. It probably should be, but it isn't.

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