Controversial Moments in Animation

[BrickTamland]

Let's see, what moments in animation have gone down as extremely controversial & have created uproars. I am not talking about little things, I mean like when the PTC flips out or it becomes a known name. I say South Park, or anything by Ralph Bakshi.

[the Amanda]

How about when they discovered that an animator had slipped a naked woman into The Rescuers and they had to recall all those videos?

[Fone Bone]

Ironically I believe Ralph Bakshi's biggest controversy was because of his kids cartoon Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. In The Littlest Tramp cartoon Mighty Mouse sniffs a "flower" which the Reverand Donald Wildman, a champion of "clean" television, insisted was cocaine. It lead to a boycot, the scene being cut, the show being cancelled and a rift between Bakshi and John K who insisted on the scene being in the episode in the first place. Bakshi has often lamented that if the scene (which he now admits WAS a drug reference) had not been put in there at Kricfalusi's insistance that the show would still be on the air today.

[BrickTamland]

Ironically I believe Ralph Bakshi's biggest controversy was because of his kids cartoon Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. In The Littlest Tramp cartoon Mighty Mouse sniffs a "flower" which the Reverand Donald Wildman, a champion of "clean" television, insisted was cocaine. It lead to a boycot, the scene being cut, the show being cancelled and a rift between Bakshi and John K who insisted on the scene being in the episode in the first place. Bakshi has often lamented that if the scene (which he now admits WAS a drug reference) had not been put in there at Kricfalusi's insistance that the show would still be on the air today.

Didn't Fritz cause controversy back in its day?

How about The Simpsons when Bart saying the world "hell" was considered evil

[Mr Cat Dog]

The Lion King "SEX" frame when Simba looks at his reflection.

[Fone Bone]

Didn't Fritz cause controversy back in its day? I believe that Fritz the Cat was only controversial because it was animated and most people thought in 1972 that all cartoons should be made for kids. Yes, it's story was wild but considering that pornos like Deep Throat were playing in respectable movie houses at that point I really can't see a provocative movie like Fritz registering in comparison as far as content goes. I wasn't alive then so I can't be sure though. I DO remember hearing that Coonskin was derided as racist by many.


How about The Simpsons when Bart saying the world "hell" was considered evilI almost miss those days. The idea of The Simpsons being the most subversive cartoon in history is laughable and the early episodes are so tame in comparison to even the episodes the show airs now. I can't help feel that it was a time of innocence when Bart Simpson T-shirts were banned from schools after South Park and Family Guy came along.

[Tintin]

Cat Concerto vs. Rhapsody Rabbit plagiary
The alternate ending in "Hare Ribbin'"

[Elven Moon]

Some people made a big fuss that the old priest at the end of The Little Mermaid had his "man part" sticking out - turns out it was just his knee ;)

[Michael24]

The Lion King "SEX" frame when Simba looks at his reflection.
Well, it's since been debunked: the "SEX" is actually "SFX" for Special Effects. :)

(And before anyone mentions it, the "Good teenagers takes off their clothes" line in ALADDIN is actually, "Good tiger, now take off and go.")

[Patchwork]

There's the rumor that the NAACP planned to boyott Disney if "Song on the South" were ever relaced on video.

[TrogdorNyimbhat]

I never saw Fritz the Cat, but I heard that was the most controversial and revolutionary cartoon considering standards.

[straw_hat]

Of course there's the whole Simba/Kimba controversy, the child who said he imitated Beavis and Butthead and burned down his trailer home, and all those people who continually claimed that Disney movies were filled with sexual references.

[Fan of Sponge]

The only huge animation controversy in my era was the banning of South Park t-shirts at my elementary school and it was a catholic school too. People thought that it was a very bad show being disguised as an animation show. However, in my area probably only 1/5th of the entire population had Comedy Central in 1999.

Another controversy is how people think Spongebob is gay. They should open a good book on biology especially marine biology.

[80's guy]

The girl drown looking for Sponge Bob. It turn out to be a Urban Myth.

Angry Beavers, Norb saying "Oh Shut Up Dag" on the episode Alley Oops! Someone complain about it sounding like "S*** Up" Nick change it to "Shush Up"

[MahouShoujo13]

Well, there was the time when naked Jessica Rabbit was slipped into one frame in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? But of course you wouldn't see it...

Would that count?

[Michael24]

Really? A completely nude image? I only know of the moment where she's panty-less for just a single frame while being thrown from the cab, but that was most likely just a mistake on the animator's part. (Which has been corrected for the DVD I believe.)

[Golgo13]

Rocko's Modern Life had to have some sexually suggestive dialogue edited out after it was initially aired. The dialogue was when Heffer and Rocko enter a hotel that charges by the hour.

Rocko: Excuse me, we need a room please?

Manager: For how long?

Rocko: Um...the whole night?

Manager: WHOOOOOO!

[Dark Fact]

Rocko's Modern Life had to have some sexually suggestive dialogue edited out after it was initially aired. The dialogue was when Heffer and Rocko enter a hotel that charges by the hour.

Rocko: Excuse me, we need a room please?

Manager: For how long?

Rocko: Um...the whole night?

Manager: WHOOOOOO!
That and chokey chicken had to be changed to chewy chicken in the later seasons due to a complaint that the restaurants name was associated with masturbation.


Really? A completely nude image? I only know of the moment where she's panty-less for just a single frame while being thrown from the cab, but that was most likely just a mistake on the animator's part. (Which has been corrected for the DVD I believe.)
So the current DVD release is edited? :eek: Jeez...just one barely noticeable scene! :sad:


Of course there's the whole Simba/Kimba controversy, the child who said he imitated Beavis and Butthead and burned down his trailer home, and all those people who continually claimed that Disney movies were filled with sexual references.
A kid burned down his trailer home after watching Beavis & Butthead. I'm sorry man...but that is disturbingly funny. :D

[Style]

I'm kinda surpised what has caused controversies in animation considering the 1940's "Private Snafu" Looney Toons I saw on Boomerang the other night. I guess it didn't cause a stir because the general public didn't see them for generations, but still...

-Private Snafu and other troops saying "Hell" with reckless abondon.
-Female nazi spy hiding round tape recorders in her brazzire
-Silhouetted Nude Woman, (still surprisingly explicit) In "Booby Traps."
-Enemie Fembot in same episode who drops her top, (The top already colored to look like bare breasts,) exposing a pair of bombs where her breasts should be.
-Snafu's Girl friend Being clearly topless when she reads his letter, (though the don't show anything,)
-Snafu decorating his tent with numerous pin ups of topless and nude women, (Which could clearly be seen and weren't blurred on the Boomerang broadcast.)
-Snafu looking in the mirror and seeing his reflection as a very clearly drawn Horse's Ass.

And those were just the shorts Toonheads chose. Others were reportedly even more explicit, (such as one featuring topless mermaids.)

[Sharklady]

> A kid burned down his trailer home after watching Beavis & Butthead. I'm sorry man...but that is disturbingly funny. <

It gets less funny when you learn the boy's younger sister died in that fire.

Here's an account of the incident, from the 'Museum of Broadcast Communications' website:

'In October 1993 a two-year-old Ohio girl was killed in a fire lit by her five-year-old brother. The children's mother said that her son was inspired by the pyromaniac proclivities of Beavis and Butt-head. This real life event sparked the ire of media watchdog groups, who claimed that there was a direct link between the television show and the violent act of this impressionable child. One psychiatrist proclaimed Beavis an Butt-head a "Sesame Street for psychopaths." Concurrent Senate hearings on television violence placed these issues at the forefront of American cultural politics. Because of this incident, and given the cultural climate, MTV eliminated all references to fire, pulled four episodes off the air, and moved the cartoon to 10:30-11:30 P.M. only. MTV insisted that they changed the time slot, not because they believed the show was directly responsible for the incident, but because they felt that it was designed for an older audience, and that a different time slot would allow them to target that audience more effectively. Claiming that 90% of its audience was over 12 years of age, MTV attempted to move the discussion away from the children's television debate.'

What I'd like to know is: what kind of parent lets a five-year-old watch a show like that?

[Dee]

Really? A completely nude image? I only know of the moment where she's panty-less for just a single frame while being thrown from the cab, but that was most likely just a mistake on the animator's part. (Which has been corrected for the DVD I believe.)
Yeah, it was a paint mistake

[Viceroy]

Here's an account of the incident, from the 'Museum of Broadcast Communications' website:

'In October 1993 a two-year-old Ohio girl was killed in a fire lit by her five-year-old brother. The children's mother said that her son was inspired by the pyromaniac proclivities of Beavis and Butt-head. This real life event sparked the ire of media watchdog groups, who claimed that there was a direct link between the television show and the violent act of this impressionable child. One psychiatrist proclaimed Beavis an Butt-head a "Sesame Street for psychopaths." Concurrent Senate hearings on television violence placed these issues at the forefront of American cultural politics. Because of this incident, and given the cultural climate, MTV eliminated all references to fire, pulled four episodes off the air, and moved the cartoon to 10:30-11:30 P.M. only. MTV insisted that they changed the time slot, not because they believed the show was directly responsible for the incident, but because they felt that it was designed for an older audience, and that a different time slot would allow them to target that audience more effectively. Claiming that 90% of its audience was over 12 years of age, MTV attempted to move the discussion away from the children's television debate.'

What I'd like to know is: what kind of parent lets a five-year-old watch a show like that?I've heard reports that the trailer didn't even have cable TV, so how could the kid have learned about B&BH?

There's also the question of how he got hold of the matches/lighter, too.

[candy17]

-Snafu's Girl friend Being clearly topless when she reads his letter, (though the don't show anything,)That was on the Private Snafu cartoon Censored, right? I heard CN edited that part out.


And those were just the shorts Toonheads chose. Others were reportedly even more explicit, (such as one featuring topless mermaids.)The topless mermaids I don't think are in a Private Snafu cartoon. I know they were in a musical WB cartoon (or one with one-shot characters instead of the regulars--Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Wile E., Tweety, Speedy, Pepe, Sylvester, etc).

And I already know how risque the Private Snafu cartoons are. The reason why they showed a lot of bared female flesh (or something close to it) and words like hell and damn (which were taboo back then; these days, they're just as common as words like cat and dog) was because they were supposed to be for soldiers in the Army, not the general public (although the Looney Tunes made for the general public do have their share of raciness; you just have to not take it at face value).


"The Simpsons" episode where Homer is revealed to be homophobic.Actually I found that to be more confusing than controversial because how could Homer hate homosexuals if his secretary on the episode where Homer regrows his hair and gets promoted revealed that he was gay. Granted, this was back when Homer was stupid instead of a jerk. But then again, The Simpsons was never too big on continuity, and ever since I went to college for screenwriting, that's one reason why I don't care much for The Simpsons anymore (that and the fact that there hasn't been a funny episode since season 10).


Pretty much any "South Park" episodes.That's too broad. If I had to pick a South Park episode that was controversial, it'd had to be a tie between the one where Kenny was on life support and everyone was arguing whether he'd be kept alive or have the plug pulled on him because it aired during the time of Terry Schiavo (whether or not you think it was in good taste is the basis of another post) and the one Wendy Testaburger protests against Paris Hilton coming to town because I keep hearing that it would have been a good episode to use to teach girls about the dangers of imitating someone like Paris Hilton, but because of its MA rating and the fact that people associate this show with toilet humor and kids spewing vulgarities, no one stayed to hear the true message.


There was a testical reference in "Whatever Happened to Robot Jones", which was removed in reruns.I never heard of that. What episode was it?

And while we're on the subject of controversial moments in animation, I want to bring up something I brought up a thousand times before: The episode of The Mask: The Animated Series where The Mask is searching for his lucky fedora feather and there's a stripper/terrorist at a ceremony in City Hall.

I'm looking up and down for this episode. If anyone has any info, please PM me.

[Peter Paltridge]

Yeah, it was a paint mistake
It may have been, but on my Roger DVD (which is the special edition), the one-second part where Jessica is knocked out of the car and bounces around on the dirt (revealing the underpants) is completely gone. No touch-up...just completely gone.

[Fone Bone]

> A kid burned down his trailer home after watching Beavis & Butthead. I'm sorry man...but that is disturbingly funny. <

It gets less funny when you learn the boy's younger sister died in that fire.

Here's an account of the incident, from the 'Museum of Broadcast Communications' website:

'In October 1993 a two-year-old Ohio girl was killed in a fire lit by her five-year-old brother. The children's mother said that her son was inspired by the pyromaniac proclivities of Beavis and Butt-head. This real life event sparked the ire of media watchdog groups, who claimed that there was a direct link between the television show and the violent act of this impressionable child. One psychiatrist proclaimed Beavis an Butt-head a "Sesame Street for psychopaths." Concurrent Senate hearings on television violence placed these issues at the forefront of American cultural politics. Because of this incident, and given the cultural climate, MTV eliminated all references to fire, pulled four episodes off the air, and moved the cartoon to 10:30-11:30 P.M. only. MTV insisted that they changed the time slot, not because they believed the show was directly responsible for the incident, but because they felt that it was designed for an older audience, and that a different time slot would allow them to target that audience more effectively. Claiming that 90% of its audience was over 12 years of age, MTV attempted to move the discussion away from the children's television debate.'

What I'd like to know is: what kind of parent lets a five-year-old watch a show like that?Trailer trash. It's a horrible story but it always riles me up because it led to censorship when it should have been used as an example of parental irresponsibility. I find it maddening how senators had no qualms about blaming a TV show that was clearly not meant for kids rather than the mother who was clearly a bad parent.

[nakak]

The topless mermaids I don't think are in a Private Snafu cartoon. I know they were in a musical WB cartoon.Actually, there were topless mermaids (complete with nipples) in a SNAFU cartoon "A Lecture on Camouflage"



I never heard of that. What episode was it?The first episode. The one where Robot Jones hangs out with a vacume cleaner.

[MonkeyFunk]

Laputa: Castle in the Sky's sweary Spanish title. Hehehehe!

[Mek]

Trailer trash. It's a horrible story but it always riles me up because it led to censorship when it should have been used as an example of parental irresponsibility. I find it maddening how senators had no qualms about blaming a TV show that was clearly not meant for kids rather than the mother who was clearly a bad parent. All I know is, my parents never let me or my sibligns watch it when we were kids and same with South Park too.

My younger brother is impressionable (he's autistic), but nowadays he doesn't imitate things as much as he used to when he was little. But at least my parents had their parental caps on when it came to TV. For that, I am thankful.

Oh, and for cartoons? Anything making references to the Japanese post-Pearl Harbor. You had Superman destroying Japanese fleets, Popeye kicking the 'tar out of a Japanese sub, really ugly caricatures of the Japanese... the list goes on.

Most anime fans today see these as offensive and insulting, but that's a case of looking at the cartoons IN THEIR HISTORICAL CONTEXT. Something that may seem controversial today, probably wasn't a big deal back then.

As for Homer being homophobic... I didn't really see what could be offensive about that episode. It wasn't like Homer had gone Reverend Phelps on 'em and did hate crimes. He just was like 'Eeewwww', like little boys/girls and cooties, IMO. At least, that's what I gathered from him in the episode. *shrug*

[nakak]

Well, that "Simpsons" episode did gather complaints and they did say that "Homer Phobic" was the most controversial "Simpsons" episode.

[Dudley]

The banned Pokemon episode that gave kids seizures. Pokemon's in the Guiness book of records for causing more seizures than any other cartoon. How did it happen? Find out here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_episodes_of_Pok%C3%A9mon#Electric_Soldier_Porygon).

Also the Pokemon Jynx has stirred some controversy, some thinking that her design racist. Episodes featuring her was banned. Later her black skinned turned to purple, so hopefully they won't ban upcoming episodes of the show that feature her.

[Sharklady]

> But at least my parents had their parental caps on when it came to TV. For that, I am thankful. <

Parents certainly ought to pay attention to what their kids are watching, and how they're reacting to it. And if the reaction is negative, they have every right to tell the kids No.

> Also the Pokemon Jynx has stirred some controversy, some thinking that her design racist. <

For anyone who wonders, here's a picture of the critter:

http://www.pokemonelite2000.com/ani124.gif

I guess whether or not it's racist depends on what you focus on; the black face or the blonde hair. (Personally, I always thought she just looked creepy.)

[Mudkip84]

Yeah, it was a paint mistake
HTH does soebody make a Mistake like that?! :shrug: