Smoking Cats'n'Mice

The best form of advertising is of the subtle variety. Kick the fag smoking out of cartoons I say! Ya don't see The Simpsons smoking fags!

You are Gay Daniel and I claim my prize!

There are certain characters in The Simpsons that smoke as well as characters that are alcoholics, in fact you name it you can just about find an instance of it or reference to it within one episode or another...that is the point of The Simpsons, it's a satire of American life and popular culture, it isn't supposed to be 'pc'.

Right, so cartoons smoking has been banned because kids might copy it, but cartoon violence is still okay because... err... Sometimes I feel like the only sane man left on earth.

Yep, my kids are just as likely to smoke because someone on The Simpsons does as they are to drop anvils on each others heads or go out and buy sticks of dynamite to hand to each other in place of candles.

Marge's sisters on the Simpsons smoke non stop - that is part of their revulsion. Itchy and Scratchy do unspeakable things to each other- that is the joke on all other cartoons. The point about the Tom and Jerry cartoon in question was that Tom started smoking in order to make himself look 'cool' in front of a female cat. It was the association with 'cool' and 'smoking' as in 'cool as a mountain stream' that was the objection. I think it probably stands up to scrutiny but it is but a puff of smoke in the billowing clouds of advertising schmuck that is directed at all of us - children and adults alike - in our daily lives. We just need to be aware of it.

A teensy bit off-topic, but here's some little fact-bites regards disney cartoons:- In "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Daffy and Donald have a piano duel, Daffy is seen to sprout an erection during the scene. WDIV -TV in Detroit found a dirty word spoken in the cartoon short "The Clock Cleaner", Daffy Duck was clearly heard to say "Fuck You". When this was discovered, Wal-Mart pulled the video from the shelves. Disney edited it and re-released it for sale. In the movie 'The Santa Clause" the wife was given an emergency '800' phone number which was the actual number of a phone sex service. Disney's female characters have been described as being turned into "full figured, big breasted , sexually charged Male Fantasy Icons" instead of the clean living role models they once were. There have been complaints from Moms that this sends out bad messages to young girls who once again see female 'role models' as only being perfect if they're built like a sex toy. The New York Times commented that the Pocahontas character was an "animated Playboy Centerfold that has no place in a children's movie". Disney said she was designed to "appeal to the adult male". For the voice of chief Powhatan, Pocahontas' father, Disney hired Native American Activist Russell Means. Means led a group of armed activists in the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973. Two people died and twelve were wounded. 1200 people were arrested. Means once gave a speech entitled "For America to Live, Europeans Must Die" It's constantly amazing how no one remembers their deep personal convictions when money is involved. Disney has even gone so far as to send letters threatening legal action against 12 year olds who used Disney images on their web sites, and webmasters who make a cartoon evil Mickey Mouse background for their Disney section. Legal terms such as "kiss my lilly white ass" were bantered around. In "Toy Story", Woody mocks Buzz Lightyear's gadgets and is told he has "Laser envy"...hardly a joke a 5 year old would get.. Will Finn, the head of "the Hunchback"s story team, said the film is "full of incredibly dark and mature subject matter about a religious figure torn between chastity and lust, and chock full of physical abuse and making fun of the handicapped guy." In "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". not only does Animated Playboy Fantasy Esmerelda do a sexy stripper pole-dance, but Kirk Wise, director of the film, said, "I think she's the first Disney heroine to carry a concealed weapon and we're proud of that fact". It aint law if it aint laminated!

Here we go.... Come on goon, which Disney movie has a bare arse in it?

Light on my toes and dainty too I dance ballet in my pink tutu

The Rescuers genuinely had several frames in which a topless woman can be seen looking out of a window. They've been removed on the DVD release. Check out the Disney section on www.snopes.com for a detail breakdown of Walt Disney related urban legends. In the aforementioned Daffy-Donald duel, par exemple, some commentators believe they can hear Donald Duck call Daffy a 'fucking nigger' during his quacking tirade.

Haven't read the article, but I know the Flintstones was actually used as a vehicle for advertising cigarettes, with Fred and Barney agreeing wholeheartedly on the smooth, rich flavour of some brand or other. Absolutely true - seen the clip. But I think it was *outside* of the actual episodes, as a one off commercial. ~ I'll Show You Tyrants * Fuselit * The Prowl Log * Woe's Woe

if I remember rightly Tom did pull the female cat but she fell for Jerry in the end. His rival was an old alley cat. As for rudeness in cartoons I'm pretty sure the German bird in Watership Down tells the rabbits to Piss Off. nobody

Well not as stupid as erm...

Haemorrhoid, you ARE a virus.

Missi, honestly. You are behaving like a prize bacterium. I'm going to get my Dettol out in a minute.

Oh dear what have we here?

Please behave Jekyll or I'll have to lock you up again.

What are you talking about "Mr Hiding"? And your pseudonym is no disguise! Hmphph! Get back in your box at once!