Oh The Horror - Smoking in Tom and Jerry Cartoons!

I'm 30 years old and I love Cartoons. I have no shame in admitting that. However I like the classics. Scooby Doo. Warner Brothers (Bug Bunny, Road Runner, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn etc). Hanna Barbara. I even love some 80's cartoons. G.I. Joe. Voltron (to a point), and especially The Transformers. But recently one of my all time favorite classics is now coming under fire. And no, its not Bugs Bunny for the way they portrayed a couple of Japanese Characters back in the late 40's or early 50's. No, this time its Tom & Jerry!

Across the pond in Britain, Tom & Jerry have come under fire after complaints about smoking that is seen in their cartoons. WHAT? This from the country that collectively masturbates over telling Americans we over react to everything? They get off on bitching about the fact we always sue each other. They complain about our policies, our country etc like it effects them any. This country is now the proving ground for removing smoking from a couple of Tom and Jerry Cartoons well over 50 years old? Perfect. Perhaps they should take some of that free time they have on their hands and mix in a trip or twenty to the dentist to get their chompers looked at. The world just keeps sinking lower and lower.

Don't get me wrong. I find smoking reprehensible. I find nothing at all redeeming about it. Its gross, its disgusting. There aren't too many things worse than sucking face with some chick who is a smoker. It's like licking a bubbling tar pit. Hell, taking a look at some chick with a heater hanging out of her dick holster or dangling in one of her cock tongs is far from a turn-on. However, in the anti-smoking campaign that I proudly support, there is such a thing as taking it too far. I have the complete T&J cartoon set on DVD. Smoking included. There are a handful of cartoons that have smoking. You know, Texas Tom the Cowboy rolling up a heater in front of a hot cowgirl cat in which he takes a big puff and exhales the word "HOWDY". Then there is Tom's buddy/enemy, the alley cat who is sucking on a stogie that looks like the end exploded. Look, I'm all about sending the right message to kids. Smoking is wrong. It should be minimal if at all in movies and such. But smoking in a cartoon more than 50 years old…let it go. I watched T&J all through my childhood and never once did it make me want to go grab a heater and see if I could exhale "howdy" for the chickie-babe down the street. Just like it never made me want to get a shotgun and take shots at a mouse, or start a fireworks war, or try and slice up a mouse with a sword etc. Just another perfect example of political correctness screwing things up for the rest of us yet again.

Oh, and there is a simple solution to this. And unlike in Britain, it doesn't involve removing all smoking for T&J cartoons and (check that AND) reviewing all cartoons for smoking references. Actually, the solution is for the parents to actually take responsibility for the actions of their children and teach them correctly. I know if a kid is going to smoke, they are going to smoke or try it etc. But how simple is it for a parent to educate their kid on smoking…especially when it is seen on a 50 plus year old cartoon. Its not that difficult to explain that 1.) its just a cartoon and 2.) don't do it. Its for entertainment purposes only. Much the same way a parent (hopefully) would explain that a murder in a movie is not okay, but its just a story and not real. However, that doesn't make it acceptable to go out and whack someone.

All I can do is shake my head over all of this. Well done Britain. What, was rioting over Soccer getting a little boring so you thought this would be a great diversion? Go ahead and eat your fish and chips, drink your warm beer, oh, and leave cartoons alone.