'Tom and Jerry' smoking scenes snuffed out

Turner Broadcasting is scouring more than 1,500 classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including old favourites Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, to edit out scenes that glamorise smoking.

The review has been triggered by a complaint to British media regulator Ofcom by one viewer who took offence to two episodes of Tom and Jerry shown on the Boomerang channel.

The channel is part of Turner Broadcasting, which itself belongs to Time Warner.

"We are going through the entire catalogue," Yinka Akindele, a spokeswoman for Turner in Europe, said.

"This is a voluntary step we've taken in light of the changing times."

She says the review has been prompted by the Ofcom complaint.

The regulator's latest news bulletin states that a viewer, who is not identified, has complained about two smoking scenes on Tom and Jerry.

The viewer says the scenes are "not appropriate in a cartoon aimed at children".

In the first, Texas Tom, the hapless cat Tom tries to impress a feline female by rolling a cigarette, lighting it and smoking it with one hand.

In the second, Tennis Chumps, Tom's opponent in a match smokes a large cigar.

"The licensee has ... proposed editing any scenes or references in the series where smoking appeared to be condoned, acceptable, glamorised or where it might encourage imitation," Ofcom said, adding that Texas Tom was one such example.
Changing times

Ms Akindele says cartoons will only be modified "where smoking could be deemed to be cool or glamorised", and that scenes where a villain is featured with a cigarette or cigar will not necessarily be cut.

"These are historic cartoons, they were made well over 50 years ago in a different time and different place," she added.

"Our audience is children and we don't want to be irresponsible."

Turner Broadcasting in the United States could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ofcom says it recognises smoking was more generally accepted when cartoons were produced in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

But it argues the threshold for including such scenes when the audience is predominantly young should be high.

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Are they refering to scenes where like Bugs Bunny will stick 8 cigars in Elmer Fud's mouth and light them all? that kind of stuff?

I don't think Tom and Jerry lit up a Newport while chasing eachother

They've been censoring cartoons like that for years now. Especially the racially questionalble stuff like when something would blow up in someone's face and they'd say "mammy" or something. I say leave them alone, they're history.

just make the law requiring everyone to be happy and smile all the time or face fine or imprisonment already.

happy happy cookie-cutters happy happy

We have that cartoon where Tom cat is trying to impress the lady cat by rolling and lighting the cigar(ette?) I highly doubt my kids will pay attention to a cartoon cat more than me.

It's just this power I have.

Are they going to remove the scenes where Bugs Bunny cross-dressed?

That would be insensitive to transgender folk, though Michelle.

Gosh... we have Bugs Bunny smoking a hookah on one of our shows. Or.... maybe its Elmer Fudd - don't remember who - just remember the big old hookah.

I am not sure i have seen that cartoon.

But can i say i was brought up on these cartoons but im not smoking am I?

I know they will remove the part in who framed roger rabbit where that chick smokes

^ I remember the bugs,cig and elmer cartoon. But yeah I think this is taking away from the old cartoons. I mean how many young kids these days watch the old cartoons?? Not many. I think this is rediculous plus the cartoons back then weren't that long.

When i was a kid, i always thought the cartoon character smoking a cigar/ette scenes were incredibly stupid looking.
Maybe it was just me, though...

How stupid... They're cartoons and classic cartoons at that..

As long as a parent is responsible and teaches their children about the dangers of smoking, why would any kid with sense want to smoke because they saw a cartoon cat doing it?

It's all part of that bloody stupid PC gone mad thing

Dnag right

Its not like the kids of today watch the older cartoons anyways.

I guess Shaggy's gonna have to clean up his act now, too.... was I the only one who really wondered what was going on in the Mystery Machine?

give me a break

Often wondered about that myself. But I also always wondered why Shaggy and Scoob were left to themselves and Fred Always got to take the girls with him...

They are gonna ruin the cartoons.

omg, as a child....watching Tom and Jerry made me think of instantly lighting up.

no, I do believe it was the marlboro man's fault. *points*

*hears porno music*

this thread is corrupting me...

lol they dont have the smoking one they have in chat