Turner to censor old cartoons for broadcast...could DVDs be next? (1 Viewer)

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14452732/?GT1=8404

Thoughts?

This is the European branch. Their TCM often shows pan & scan, edits, and commercials. No resemblence to the American TCM.

I figured it was about time for another "the sky is falling" about Turner.

Oh, sorry.

Well, it's still disheartening.

This is appalling and is yet another attempt to re-write film history. I would not be too sure that cutting out scenes of smoking by Turner Broadcasting is only going to affect European TV.

they could show a message before the cartoons start

it should say something like this cartoon contains smoking and cartoon violence ect

um does anyone have any screenshots of tom smoking

if you do could you censor the cigerette and the smoke to show how stupid tom would look smoking nothing

The annoying thing about it to me is that
Why is it that the British Turner would prefer to piss off legions of fans to satisfy the bitching of one person? Why couldn't they have elected to disappoint the one rather than the many?

It made the main news overhere.

Simply OTT imo

First, let's get this completely into context. The channel in question is Turner's kiddietoon cable channel "Boomerang". It isn't a channel for moviephiles or animation students, it's one of those electronic babysitter channels parents use to hypnotise their rugrats while they get dinner ready.

It is very unusual for Ofcom (the one-stop shop for UK televisual bitching) to flag a single viewer complaint, so maybe somebody within the watchdog has an axe to grind about smoking.

Most of the vox pops conducted today said the reaction was over the top, and somewhat stupid to say it was unacceptable to see a cartoon figure smoking but acceptable to see the same character smacked in the face with a skillet.

Considering the prints being run on Boomerang are the PC syndication versions, if they're edited for content much more will there be anything left other than old Leo having a growl and the title card?

It's a shame somebody can't take the cartoons off Turner. Personally, I'm a bit more worried that this kind of cultural vandalism is being given the respectability of "concern for the children", when it's starting to smack of book-burning.

The analogy to cartoon violence is right on point. The violence provides a much worse example than the smoking. Take out the cartoon violence, and for many cartoons there is nothing left. It's just cartoons. Let's have some common sense.

This reminds me of when Game Show Network was airing the classic B&W game shows like "WHAT'S MY LINE" (which they just cancelled - jerks!) and I'VE GOT A SECRET. Initially, they ran the shows intact, complete with the original cigarette advertisements.
Then one midwest viewer -- I repeat, ONE -- complained that this violated the FTC ban on smoking advertising, and they went back and cut all the old ads out, which also meant losing entertaining portions of the shows.

And, ironically, today's featured headline in the Onion: "Area Man Ruins It for Everybody!" :frowning:

one viewer complains and they cut the ads thats so dumb

Maybe this is different in Europe, but in the US Boomerang is a Baby Boomer nostalgia channel that was created as a place to show older toons while Cartoon Network showed newer stuff for rugrats.

The trouble is that this ruling doesn't just apply to one kiddie channel. it will affect all TV channels showing cartoons which include characters smoking at a time when children are watching. And as cartoons are only shown in family viewing hours, these cartoons are not likely to be seen again unedited.

The Tom & Jerry DVDs are already censored; so are Disney's DVDs showing smoking. It's already upon us.

I bought the damn Chinese version of the Tom & Jerry set of cartoons off ebay. 140 unedited classics complete with Mammie Two shoes, skillets in the face and T&J smoking.

After what was done to WB cartoons I'm used to all the censoring and it doesn't bother me as long as I can get the uncensered version in some form. Heck, anything on commerical TV is likely to have an edit or two. Or at least that goddamn time compression shit. (sorry for the profanity, but it was warranted in that case).

Anyway, the point is GO CHINESE !!!!

"I like Chinese", Eric Idle

The world today seems absolutely crackers,
With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high.
There's fools and idiots sitting on the trigger.
It's depressing and it's senseless, and that's why...
I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're always friendly, and they're ready to please.

I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
There's nine hundred million of them in the world today.
You'd better learn to like them; that's what I say.

I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They come from a long way overseas,
But they're cute and they're cuddly, and they're ready to please.

I've got that set as well. The politically correct brigade won't stop us. Hooray for China!

Anyone else seeing the irony of this? Fucking CHINA, of all places, has not censored this. WTF is the world coming to?

*passes around plate of eggrolls*

Sorry to be the one to tell you but at least 3 of the cartoons in your 140 have been censored.

1) Puss 'n' Toots: The scene of Tom as an Chinese stereotype (on the record player) has been cut, as well as the following gag in which Jerry mimics the ethnic Tom.

Missing chinese gag from the original "Puss 'n' Toots"


2) Saturday Evening Puss is the one that has been re-animated to replace Mammy with a white woman. The original contained a rather strange version of Mammy (she looked more like Beyonce than Mammy) also Jerry's rant to Tom about all the noise the cats are making is completely silent. On the original, Jerry is still audible. He says something like, "I'm trying to get some sleep and youse guys are out here goin' BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!"

Missing this "Mammy" in the original "Saturday Evening Puss"


3) His Mouse Friday this cartoon has all the Cannibal talk edited out, so the natives (and Jerry's impression) are silent (even though we still see their lips moving!). On the original the cannibals say "Hmmmmm barbecued cat ........... Hmmmmm barbecued mouse".

The lips move, but the words don't come out

I remember seeing Tom's Chinese gag in there because I felt like I'd actually had something that wasn't edited. I don't remember Jerry's follow up. That Mammie looks funky. I'll watch these again and get back.

One problem I've had with my set is the english track being out of sync. Anyone else had this problem?