revisionist history: catoons now, what's next

[iTwitch]

I'm listening to BBC 6 Music and there talking about how the smoking scenes are going to be cut out. Can't have Tom of Tom and Jerry puffing. Wonder what they're going to do about Popeye? I don't smoke but this seems to be going too far. Revisionist history, blah. :confused:

[me hate windows]

I hate censorship, especially if it is as lame as that.

[miloblithe]

Wow yeah that's a real travesty.

[Lyle]

This isn't new, though, is it? Didn't they (you know, "they") cut out the more violent scenes from the old Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner cartoons from Warner Bros. a long time ago?

[miloblithe]

I'm just mad I can't take my children to a good hanging, like my great great great grand-daddy used to do.

[jelloshotsrule]

I'm just mad I can't take my children to a good hanging, like my great great great grand-daddy used to do.

well i'm sure you can, you just have to leave the country. chin up though, every so often there's sure to be a well publicized celebrity trial that should more than make up for it!

[clayj]

Ted Turner is an a**hole.

First it was colorizing old black-and-white movies, now this. If there's a poster child for the rich white politically-correct guy who's apparently suffering huge amounts of stupid guilt for having been successful, it's him.

[Felldownthewell]

Does that include exploding cigars? Because that would ruin all cartoons ever for me.

[iTwitch]

I'm just mad I can't take my children to a good hanging, like my great great great grand-daddy used to do.

This would be more like denying public hangings took place or photoshoping all hanging images to make them conform to our kinder and gentler way of life.

[~Shard~]

That's really too bad. I remember when I was younger The Flintstones were on every day at noon, and there was one episode involving the shooting of a movie with cowboys and Indians in it. Well, the natives here complained about it and had the epsiode pulled! Complete crap... The thing was, in the episode they weren't even real Indians, they were some guys from a bar the director just hired to play Indians!

Bugs Bunny and all those cartoons were great - censoring stuff like that is really poor. :(

[sb58]

those kind of cartoons don't really seem violent enough to be censored. its not like Bugs Bunny decides to go on a killing spree and decipitates Fred Flintstone, Daffy, Taz, and the entire Jetson family. half of it is silly tricks like Wily Coyote kind of stuff.

[IJ Reilly]

Ted Turner is an a**hole.

First it was colorizing old black-and-white movies, now this. If there's a poster child for the rich white politically-correct guy who's apparently suffering huge amounts of stupid guilt for having been successful, it's him.

What's the sanitized cartoon thing got to do with Ted Turner? I didn't see his name mentioned. I also don't get the connection to colorizing old movies and political correctness.

[2nyRiggz]

I remember an episode of tom and jerry where tom was trying to impress this female cat and he roll up that dutch and smoked it until his fingers burned......ahhhhh classic.




Bless

[Zwhaler]

Wow, just wow. I can't believe people who think that little things like Tom smoking are harmful to children! Wtf? I watched those all the time and it didn't do jack **** to me. It's strange because these are the kind of things that really Pis me off. I mean Janet Jackson shows her *** for 5 seconds and it's all everyone is talking about for an efing year! I think that the entire thing is to wag the dog away from all the other big problems the world is facing. Notice - in the US all we ever hear about is the Ramsey murder and Israel. Whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden? He got away! And he was our reason for attacking Iraq and now hes gone. I just think this whole country is going to s***.

Geez i get worked up about stuff like that.

[miloblithe]

This would be more like denying public hangings took place or photoshoping all hanging images to make them conform to our kinder and gentler way of life.

Not really, because your initial claim that is completely off. Editing cartoons so that children are not exposed to images that glorify smoking is not at all the same thing as editing historical documents or denying historical records to promote a version of history for a political purpose (revisionist history). Nobody is denying that people used to smoke, or even that these cartoon characters used to. The point is (they believe) that small children shouldn't watch them doing it.

[clayj]

Not really, because your initial claim that is completely off. Editing cartoons so that children are not exposed to images that glorify smoking is not at all the same thing as editing historical documents or denying historical records to promote a version of history for a political purpose (revisionist history). Nobody is denying that people used to smoke, or even that these cartoon characters used to. The point is (they believe) that small children shouldn't watch them doing it.Then don't air the cartoons that show smoking at a time when small children are likely to see them.

Rather than censor the cartoon for EVERYONE, how about a little discretion as to when it's aired? If the PC asshats start digitally removing smoking from every movie I love, I will be PISSED. :mad:

(And no, I don't smoke, never have, never will. I just hate political correctness.)

[miloblithe]

Then don't air the cartoons that show smoking at a time when small children are likely to see them.

Rather than censor the cartoon for EVERYONE, how about a little discretion as to when it's aired? If the PC asshats start digitally removing smoking from every movie I love, I will be PISSED. :mad:

(And no, I don't smoke, never have, never will. I just hate political correctness.)

That seems reasonable. Well, or at least the first two sentences do...

...and I don't think that most people who claim to hate political correctness. I think they tend to hate political correctness with which they disagree.

[IJ Reilly]

Not really, because your initial claim that is completely off. Editing cartoons so that children are not exposed to images that glorify smoking is not at all the same thing as editing historical documents or denying historical records to promote a version of history for a political purpose (revisionist history). Nobody is denying that people used to smoke, or even that these cartoon characters used to. The point is (they believe) that small children shouldn't watch them doing it.

Good point. A number of other cartoons made in the 1930s and 1940s are rarely/never seen anymore, at least on TV, because they are blatantly racist. Is that "censorship," political correctness run amok, or just good common sense?

[GFLPraxis]

Why does this all remind me of the opening scene of Mrs. Doubtfire?

[clayj]

...and I don't think that most people who claim to hate political correctness. I think they tend to hate political correctness with which they disagree.I can't think of a single political-correctnessism (I know, not a word) with which I agree.

[miloblithe]

I can't think of a single political-correctnessism (I know, not a word) with which I agree.

Really? No word that has ever been used to describe anything that is no longer used to describe that concept strikes you as offensive?

[clayj]

Really? No word that has ever been used to describe anything that is no longer used to describe that concept strikes you as offensive?Did you have a particular example in mind? Because I can't think of any.

Oh, and don't throw out any patently offensive examples (like the n-word). There's a huge difference between (for example):

African-American (PCism)
black (generally accepted word, just like "white")
n-word (slur)

[2nyRiggz]

Good point. A number of other cartoons made in the 1930s and 1940s are rarely/never seen anymore, at least on TV, because they are blatantly racist. Is that "censorship," political correctness run amok, or just good common sense?

I'm surprise they still show tom and jerry....have you ever seen how they draw the housekeeper...I want to laugh but sometimes its just sad.


Bless

[miloblithe]

Did you have a particular example in mind? Because I can't think of any.

An easy example would seem to be previous words that equate to "African-American". You like 'em all? (since you edited your post, how about negro?)

Do you think there should be "doctors" and "lady doctors" or does the first term to you include the second?

[clayj]

An easy example would seem to be previous words that equate to "African-American". You like 'em all?

Do you think there should be "doctors" and "lady doctors" or does the first term to you include the second?I don't say "anything-American". You're either American, or you're not. I once heard some idiot refer to Lennox Lewis (who is ENGLISH) as an African-American and that's when I knew for sure that that particular PCism had jumped the shark. Following PC logic, I should be able to insist that people refer to me not as "white", but as "Caucasian" or even "Swedish-American". Like most "African-Americans", I've never even been to the place that would make up the first half of my chosen designation.

And a doctor is a doctor, regardless of gender. Same with a nurse.

I don't say "negro" because it's too close to the n-word... plus I'm not Spanish.

[Tanglewood]

What's the sanitized cartoon thing got to do with Ted Turner? I didn't see his name mentioned. I also don't get the connection to colorizing old movies and political correctness.

Because Ted Turner was the Vice Chairman for Time Warner up until 2003 and was on the board of directors though he didn't seek re-election back in February.

Warner Bros., which owns the rights to all the old Looney Tunes created by Chuck Jones, is a subsidiary of Time Warner.

Though Tom and Jerry was an MGM creation, (Chuck Jones also worked on this through his own production company Sib Tower 12 Productions) Ted Turner bought MGM in 1986. So Tom and Jerry are under Warner Bros. now.

Tom and Jerry Censorship on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry_%28MGM%29#Censorship)

[miloblithe]

OK, so you don't agree that the term "lady doctor" should be used to describe a woman who is a doctor, which is a term that used to be used and is no longer politically correct. Same with negro.

I agree with you on the African-American point. The term doesn't work precisely because of the reason you're pointing out.

Sweden's beautiful! You should go!

[thedude110]

Did you have a particular example in mind? Because I can't think of any.

Oh, and don't throw out any patently offensive examples (like the n-word). There's a huge difference between (for example):

African-American (PCism)
black (generally accepted word, just like "white")


I bet you can trace your genealogy.

The phrase "politically correct" has become awfully politically correct, and it's too often an easy way to dismiss ideas -- especially ideas central to our diverse identities -- we don't want to deal with.

I can't think of an administration that's been more "politically correct" than the Bush administration -- saying the right thing politically and doing the opposite.

[zap2]

Stalin did this(or at least something like it).. killed people and erased all documents of them, pictures, birth records, even pictures of them on poster, he had the best artist in the USSR retouch the posters so it looked like noone had ever been there.....


They should keep it as it is.. maybe not do it in new cartoons, but come one.. i watched these shows when i was younger, and i don't smoke.

[clayj]

OK, so you don't agree that the term "lady doctor" should be used to describe a woman who is a doctor, which is a term that used to be used and is no longer politically correct. Same with negro.

I agree with you on the African-American point. The term doesn't work precisely because of the reason you're pointing out.

Sweden's beautiful! You should go!If "lady doctor" is what "they" used to say, then that's a PCism that deservedly died.

And I do plan to go to Sweden at some point, if only to find a group of people who can spell my surname without any difficulty. ("J-O-H... A-N... S-O-N... no, there's an A after the H... no, one S... no, no E... gah, let me type it for you.")

[balamw]

Though Tom and Jerry was an MGM creation, (Chuck Jones also worked on this through his own production company Sib Tower 12 Productions) Ted Turner bought MGM in 1986. So Tom and Jerry are under Warner Bros. now.
Thought it was Hanna-Barbera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna-Barbera)? Though the end result is the same. Time Warner owns LOTS of classic animation thanks to Ted Turner.

B

[IJ Reilly]

Because Ted Turner was the Vice Chairman for Time Warner up until 2003 and was on the board of directors though he didn't seek re-election back in February.

Warner Bros., which owns the rights to all the old Looney Tunes created by Chuck Jones, is a subsidiary of Time Warner.

Though Tom and Jerry was an MGM creation, (Chuck Jones also worked on this through his own production company Sib Tower 12 Productions) Ted Turner bought MGM in 1986. So Tom and Jerry are under Warner Bros. now.

Tom and Jerry Censorship on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry_%28MGM%29#Censorship)

Of which I am aware. It was made to sound like Ted Turner's decision. In fact editing out smoking scenes from Tom & Jerry cartoons seems to be a policy of the subsidiary in Europe. I was also trying to understand the connection between colorizing old movies and political correctness.

[IJ Reilly]

The phrase "politically correct" has become awfully politically correct, and it's too often an easy way to dismiss ideas -- especially ideas central to our diverse identities -- we don't want to deal with.

Very true. People on both the right and left have their own versions of politically correct speech. The term is so over-worked it's become effectively meaningless, even assuming it had any meaning to begin with.

[Lyle]

When do we get to the part of the thread where someone vows and declares that they're moving to Canada?

[~Shard~]

When do we get to the part of the thread where someone vows and declares that they're moving to Canada?

I don't know, but come on over, it's great here! :D ;) :cool:

[IJ Reilly]

When do we get to the part of the thread where someone vows and declares that they're moving to Canada?

Silly person, that always comes after somebody invokes Nazi Germany.

[atszyman]

Silly person, that always comes after somebody invokes Nazi Germany.

We've already had Stalinist Russia invoked. Is that close enough?

F'ing Nazi's.... I'm moving to Canada.....

[IJ Reilly]

We've already had Stalinist Russia invoked. Is that close enough?

Sure. Heck, even Sweden will do in a pinch.