Adult Swim Losing Focus?

[Thrax]

Adult Swim began as a block of cartoons inappropriate for children.

It seems that this is changing. First, Baby Blues was added to Adult Swim. While this show is clearly aimed at adults, there is little on this show that parents would have problems letting children see. Then again, Baby Blues is on at 9:30 CT; many children are still awake.

Last week, Adult Swim was divided into an action night and a comedy night. With this, more changes were made.

Two of the programs on the action night, Tenchi and Outlaw Star, were shown with exactly the same edits that were done for the Toonami versions. Additionally, Gundam 0083 and Pilot Candidate were edited as if they were intended for an earlier time slot.

The comedy night has also changed. Rocky and Bullwinkle and The Popeye Show are new additions to Adult Swim. While the humor in Rocky and Bullwinkle may go over the heads of children, there is nothing inappropriate for them in the show. The Popeye Show may occasionally display excessive violence and insensitive racial or ethnic depictions, but the show stays away from the more controversial Popeye cartoons making it safe for children to watch.

It seems that Adult Swim has gone from showing cartoons appropriate only for adults to showing cartoons that adults will enjoy - at least men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four.

I do not like this change. While I question whether it is appropriate to aim even edited versions of Tenchi and Outlaw Star at children, if these programs are going to be a part of Adult Swim, they might as well be shown with minimal editing. I fear that Adult Swim may become a dumping ground for older programs that Cartoon Network wants to get additional life out of.

So what do you think?

[William C. Maune]

"First, Baby Blues was added to Adult Swim. While this show is clearly aimed at adults, there is little on this show that parents would have problems letting children see."

- The fact that it is clearly aimed at adults is what makes it adult swim material. If Adult Swim limited itself to only shows children shouldn't see then adults would miss out on a lot of great stuff that while maybe kids could watch it, it would be over their heads, they wouldn't enjoy it, etc.

"Two of the programs on the action night, Tenchi and Outlaw Star, were shown with exactly the same edits that were done for the Toonami versions. Additionally, Gundam 0083 and Pilot Candidate were edited as if they were intended for an earlier time slot."

- These shows are just place holders until the time comes that they have the resources to put more adult material in those slots.

"The comedy night has also changed. Rocky and Bullwinkle and The Popeye Show are new additions to Adult Swim. While the humor in Rocky and Bullwinkle may go over the heads of children, there is nothing inappropriate for them in the show. The Popeye Show may occasionally display excessive violence and insensitive racial or ethnic depictions, but the show stays away from the more controversial Popeye cartoons making it safe for children to watch."

- See my first point.

[TylerL]

Originally posted by AdamXS
It seems that Adult Swim has gone from showing cartoons appropriate only for adults to showing cartoons that adults will enjoy - at least men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four....
If you were an adult, would you want to watch something with a high rating...regardless of how you'll enjoy it, or would you want to watch something you'd enjoy...regardless of its rating?
Personally, I don't care if something's rated Y or rated X. If I like it, I'll watch.

I see no reason why someone would complain that a show's adult rating is more important than its adult appeal...unless the person in quesiton is not an adult him/herself.

[VinceA]

You'd have to ask if they have the rights to air the uncut (or recut - since some things would still have to be cut to be broadcast) episodes. CN's contracts with studios may only give them the rights to show edited content.

[spectre316]

With this new month ahead for us with Adult Swim Comedy, I'm sure (for you at least) things will get back on track. It's just a month of somewhat brand new stuff, and it looks clearly awesome.

[SSJ_Gogeta]

Heres a wierd notion. Give the block time to mature. It just started out, and they have 2 blocks now. The expansion is very large, and now they have to fill 6 hours of programming on 2 different nights, and all of them have to be different. GIVE IT TIME! If your an adult you'll have patience.

[spectre316]

Exactly. It really in terms of television just started out, like SSJ said.

[RogueMartian]

I'm over 18 and I don't like Rocky and Bullwinkle.

I agree that good stuff is good stuff regardless of what the rating is, I also agree that it seems that adult swim is limiting itself a bit. I would have liked to have seen Jim and Gene playing poker rather than go fish, that scene always did bother me a bit. However, I prefer not to go as far as to say that the shows on adult swim would EVER be on a day time slot. Adult Swim is for adults. Rocky and Bullwinkle, Popeye, Outlaw Star, and Tenchi could be for both children and adult audiences and are just temporary place holders for future cartoons who, like Cowboy Bebop, will fit well on the Adult Swim block. So I think it is a little harsh to say that AS has lost focus.

[kachuke]

adult swim deft has not lost focus more like fine tuning it. i think it is awesome that it has split into two groups of comedy and action..if anything i see that as a sign it is doing very well and cartoon network wants to expand the franchise quickly and if that means having an adult swim block with two old toonami rehashes at the very end of the block but three new shows (even if it nots purely adults only anime it's still more anime in cartoon networks arsenal and i see that as a good thing)

[Chibi Kageboshi]

It seems that this is changing. First, Baby Blues was added to Adult Swim. While this show is clearly aimed at adults, there is little on this show that parents would have problems letting children see. Then again, Baby Blues is on at 9:30 CT; many children are still awake.

Sorry, i wasnt aware the point of the block was to show series that had improper things. The show is adult and belong there even if kids can watch it as well.

As to your ASA comment of Tenchi, Outlaw Star, Pilot Candidate and Gundam... im not even going to comment because we have hit this issue so much it's dead to me.