Should tobacco usage scene's be deleted?

[Doh!]

Well, I just bought the Complete Droopy Theatrical Series and on the package their is disclaimer saying the contents may not be suitable for children and before the start of the cartoons there is a disclaimer about various pc things that may appear on the discs. Fortunately the cartoons are uncut and unedited, but with a disclaimer I can just envision that soon these cartoons will be banned.:rage:

I encountered the same thing with a Warner Bros. collection: Whoopie Goldberg is on there for a couple of minutes explaining that the 'toons are a product of their time. Listen, if it makes them feel better about themselves, I don't mind such disclaimers -- as long as we get the material uncensored.

 

[Elaina]

No child today or even in 1977 would know the stereotype behind Mammy. People today don't even know recent history let alone 150 years ago.[huh]

I knew a Mammy (granted, she was old), but my ear got snatched when I did something wrong, just like the other kids that were there. "Mammy" of T&J isn't so much a stereotype to me as just a reminder of a nice lady that smelled like lemons. I grew up thinking some lady who was scared of mice owned Tom, not that there was a racial overtone to it.

Yeah, I understand it's a bad stereotype, I figured it out when I was about the age my boy is now. I recently was witness to an argument how the "Revenge of the Nerds" series was stereotypical of white college students and therefore should be banned. Now it's smoking, tomorrow it's going to be fast food (or something else.) It's all stupid, in my opinon. Cartoons have warnings on Droopy but any afternoon spent watching Cartoon Network's Miguzi (or just their general programming) will find things MUCH more offensive then Droopy. Don't believe it? Naruto shows blood, death and deals with two demons, if memory serves Droopy was just a stupid dog with his head in the clouds who came out smelling like a rose.

So, it has always seemed to me they censor the most moronic things and leave things much worse on the air but a stupid dog is bad news.[huh]

 

[Mr. Rover]

This reminds me of that scene in "Thank You for Smoking" where they have altered glamour shots of movie stars with cups of steaming coffee instead of lit cigarettes in their hands....it's so sad.

 

[Lincsong]

I encountered the same thing with a Warner Bros. collection: Whoopie Goldberg is on there for a couple of minutes explaining that the 'toons are a product of their time. Listen, if it makes them feel better about themselves, I don't mind such disclaimers -- as long as we get the material uncensored.

Now that is hilarious. Whoopi passing judgment on cartoons. Remember the flak she got over her and Cheech Marin's voice-over as the two hyenia's in Lion King? I guess that is different than Bugs, Daffy and all the Looney Tunes. Yeah, I want the material uncensored. As luck would have it, if I press the menu button twice on the remote the disclaimer section jumps to the main menu. I bought it for my neice and nephew and they laughed non stop. Intended for Adult Collectors??? Horse feathers! These cartoons are for children and they love them.

I'm more concerned about the modern day stereotypes children are exposed to on Disney Channel, BET, MTV, Nickolodean etc. than Droopy, Bugs, Tom & Jerry et. al. Or what they see sitting on a planter in a mall.

 

[Parallel Guy]

Am opposed to smoking. Support most things PC as usually it means we ought to think twice before we say anything that causes needless hurt or carries on prejudicial thinking. But the past is the past and changing it to suit the times is a slippery slope.

 

[vonwotan]

Caution Rant Ahead

IMHO PC is a very slippery slope. Who says what thoughts and speach are acceptable? Should it be enforced by industry, NGOs, the courts or the legislature? Should non-PC speach or, better yet, thoughts be actionable?

Once upon a time a person might be judged on their tact, on their ability to discuss issues without giving offense. If you were tactless society would marginalize you. The invitations would cease, you might be moved within the workplace to a position that did not require interaction with clients, and a person would either learn to be more circumspect or would be rejected by polite society.

Today, everyone seems to need an outside arbiter to know what should or should not be said. It is more than thinking twice, today everyone lives in fear that some group or another will take offense. We've even gone so far as suspending and considered charges against kindergarten students for such inappropriate actions as kissing a girl and running away!

 

[beaucaillou]

I agree with Jay on this.

This is a horrible idea. Censorship is like a virus.
I want my free speech back.

 

[Slicksuit]

The topic here reminded me of the guns being replaced by walkie-talkies in E.T., as mentioned previously. Absolutely rediculous. As said before, the past is the past. Why the need to rewrite history?

All this talk also about cartoon censorship reminds me of a scene in an old Warner Bros. cartoon of a guy being forced to smoke a cigar, turning blue and sick in the process. Anyone remember that cartoon? The censors would cringe at that one! I think the gangster in the old Looney Toones cartoons used to smoke too, if I remember correctly.

 

[StaceFace]

Ridiculous. Personally, I just think it's another reason to stir up controversy. It's not like the characters in the movies are reaching out from the screen and popping a Lucky Strike in your mouth. Of course, it's okay to let 10-year-olds watch soft-core when they go to see the latest Lindsay Lohan flick.

Others shouldn't have to pay for your lack of ability to make responsible decisions.

 

[Doh!]

Popeye smoked a pipe. Now how the devil could he reach his spinach can after Bluto ties him up if he couldn't use his pipe??

No smoking = Bluto wins.

And that's not the America I grew up in.

 

[HadleyH]

still on the topic...

I really don't know if tobacco usage scene's should be deleted. Should fast driving, bad eating habits, excessive drinking and gambling be deleted too? [huh]

 

[Parallel Guy]

IMHO PC is a very slippery slope. Who says what thoughts and speach are acceptable? Should it be enforced by industry, NGOs, the courts or the legislature? Should non-PC speach or, better yet, thoughts be actionable?

Once upon a time a person might be judged on their tact, on their ability to discuss issues without giving offense. If you were tactless society would marginalize you. The invitations would cease, you might be moved within the workplace to a position that did not require interaction with clients, and a person would either learn to be more circumspect or would be rejected by polite society.

Today, everyone seems to need an outside arbiter to know what should or should not be said. It is more than thinking twice, today everyone lives in fear that some group or another will take offense. We've even gone so far as suspending and considered charges against kindergarten students for such inappropriate actions as kissing a girl and running away!

Not to hijack the conversation, but ...I agree that PC can be and has been carried too far. I also believe that freedom of speech is a corner stone that we don't want to yield easily. However, I have also seen women fired for turning down advances and people not hired due to their ethnicity. I am glad that racist jokes are no longer acceptable at work (even if they still proliferate on tv). I think it's all about the balance.

 

[Joie DeVive]

On any other day...

On any other day of my existence I would wholeheartedly agree with you. I am not by means in favor of top down censorship. People should choose what they wish to be exposed to and what they wish their children exposed to and the market will deal with the rest. I am sure I will return to this line of thinking shortly.

But, I am not quite my usual self today. Last night I found out my mother has lung cancer, and it has spread.

If it were within my power to personally destroy every cigarette on this planet right now, I would do so in a heartbeat and without regret. Those blasted things already cost me a grandfather, and now my mother is very ill. Right now it is just a little too close to home, so I hope you will excuse my temporary insanity.

Joie

 

[Diamondback]

My mother has been known to observe that "zero tolerance"="100% intolerance", and therefore is the last word in "hate speech". I'm inclined to agree...

This is another reason why I pack a pipe, even though I never load--it's my way of tossing the PC neofascists a classy, "vintage/retro" finger.

"Just try and ban THIS one!"

 

[Feraud]

Are the deleted scenes in question newly filmed scenes deemed "inappropriate" for filmgoers or are we talking about deleting past performances?

What conerns me is the product placement we are subjected to and raise nary a cry over.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Are the deleted scenes in question newly filmed scenes deemed "inappropriate" for filmgoers or are we talking about deleting past performances?

What conerns me is the product placement we are subjected to and raise nary a cry over.

Don't worry...in 60 years....people will be on whatever form the information superhighway has by then.....discussing whether its 'right' to remove the product placements from films like ET....etc.....

 

[Lady Day]

Censorship and the rating system is stupid and broken. Wanna do consumers a favor, stop rating movies! Or do a rated and Unrated version, which I have seen a lot of lately. Ill decide myself (and if I have minors) weather or not its worth watching.

Im an adult, I dont like being told what I need to be watching even after I chose something.

LD

 

[LizzieMaine]

The MPAA's suggestion for including smoking scenes in ratings criteria applies only to current film -- it doesnt call for retroactive censorship, and there's also wiggle room for period-set films where smoking is necessary to the atmosphere: for example, they wouldnt have insisted that George Clooney and company suck on Tootsie Pops in "Good Night and Good Luck," the most smoke-saturated recent film that comes to mind.

But there *have* been documented cases of smoking being digitally removed from vintage films. This happened as far back as the late '90s, when Disney deleted Pecos Bill's cigarette from the "Legend of Pecos Bill" segment of "Melody Time," a cut which outraged vintage animation fans. There have also been cases of smoking scenes being deleted from classic cartoons shown on television since then. So far the emphasis in these edits has been in programming presumed to be for children -- I've never heard of it being done in a film intended for grownups.

Joie -- I know exactly what you're feeling. I lost both my grandparents and my uncle to smoking, which is one reason why I've never touched the stuff myself. Strength and courage thru this difficult time for you and your mom.

 

[Diamondback]

Joie, you have my sympathies as well.

 

[Feraud]

Censorship and the rating system is stupid and broken. Wanna do consumers a favor, stop rating movies! Or do a rated and Unrated version, which I have seen a lot of lately. Ill decide myself (and if I have minors) weather or not its worth watching.

Im an adult, I dont like being told what I need to be watching even after I chose something.

LD

Exactly. Parents are capable of deciding what is appropriate for their children. If they choose not to do their job, that is another discussion..