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View Full Version : Why do networks have to make all "Morality lesson" episodes of cartoons boring?!?!?



I.R Joey
03-28-2002, 03:08 PM
The talk about the Gargoyles episode Lethal Force got me thinking about this just a few minutes ago. While I never got to see much of the show, I understand that this was perhaps one of the most poignant episodes of the show ever. Where one of the main charecters is actually injured by a shot. Yet Disney insists on not showing the episode because they feel it's to "intense" for the kids. It seems to me that this ep had a very strong non-violence messege. Or heck lets talk about Toonami and Gundam's edits. The show is about the travesty of war and how horrible it is yet they take out refrences to death and civilian casualties, because less we ever forget nobody ever dies in war right? I mean it teaches plane and simple that war is not a good thing, and how we should try and avoid it (and makes it interesting too.)

Instead they feel it is there place to make all such episodes (I think they demand it the networks and parnet groups) boring and tedious. With kids saying "No" to the weird plant their new group of "freinds" is trying to get them to use. The Flintstone kids special comes to mind when we talk about this kind of stuff. I mean it just seems so artificial and blank it's like they're trying to make it bad, or all the educational things that are tacked onto the end of shows (the 80's where more guilty of this then now, I must admit but there still are some cases) Instead (especially in Sci-fi shows) they could be incorperated quite creativly into the fabric of the show. I tell you to look no further then the WB animated shows of the mid-90's, with their catchy songs that actually taught kids stuff. I personally think that the writters held a similar view to mine in the fact that they hated (read loathed) how other kids shows handled educational values to their shows. Remember.

"Balony and freinds is brought to you inpart by this station and other stations that lack clever programing."

Or the oh so infamous wheel of morality which was intentionally tacked on to the end of alot of episodes. Now I ask you why can't more shows handle it this way?

Joe Wagner
03-28-2002, 03:19 PM
For the exact same reason Disney refuses to air Lethal Force - our children should not be subjected to actual thought or having to deal with violence. I think currently there is only one network toon even trying to deal with important issues like gun violence, racism and homelessness - Static Shock! This show has become the highlight of Saturday morning and everytime they've tackled a subject like this they've done a killer job and actually made people think about the decisions that have to be made on these topics.

-Joe!

I.R Joey
03-28-2002, 03:27 PM
yeah Static does it well, but other then that.....

Psycho Fox
03-28-2002, 03:29 PM
Bascily network censors have become extremist. Now it is very hard to show guns,violence,ect even if it is to get accross a good message.

DR. BELCH
03-28-2002, 05:19 PM
I love the way South Park parodies those cheesy morals at the end of each ep..."You know, I learned something today--" In one ep--the one with Kyle's cousin and Garrison's new mode of tansport-- it was especially funny when the boys realized they couldn't come up with a moral because they honestly didn't learn a darn thing. "I learned that...um...no...wait, wait, wait..." Complete with the sappy background music stopping and starting repeatedly.

Zoddman
03-28-2002, 06:37 PM
Originally posted by Psycho Fox
Bascily network censors have become extremist. Now it is very hard to show guns,violence,ect even if it is to get accross a good message. It's almost always been like that. stan Lee couldn't get three issues of Spider-Man published with the comics code, because drugs and Harry Osborn's addiction were key points to the story. even though the story was anti drugs! :rolleyes:

Psycho Fox
03-28-2002, 09:03 PM
Originally posted by Zoddman
It's almost always been like that. stan Lee couldn't get three issues of Spider-Man published with the comics code, because drugs and Harry Osborn's addiction were key points to the story. even though the story was anti drugs! :rolleyes: Well in the US had that problem for a long time. Except for possibly the Soviet Union no other nation really had that problem.

mbaker
03-29-2002, 06:05 AM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is the Gargoyles episode titled "Deadly Force", or "Lethal Force"? Also, here's A good point I'd like to make on this subject. Cartoon Network aired on old Porky Pig cartoon where he's going to church, and this bully pursuades him to smoke A cigar. The cartoon had an anti-smoking message for the kids to grasp. I also agree that it's getting to the point where you can't use the taboos of the time to make A message aginst the taboos. If you don't use them, what's the point of having A moral to the story. Of course the message has to be grounded in facts, and not come from clap trap, (Captian Planet anyone?)and it has to be used right so that the plot dosen't end up sounding stupid. It's like having heroes with no villians to fight. Sooner, or later, their going to fight eachother. Liberalism always generates the exact oppisite of it's stated intent.

Kid: Now we know.


Duke: And knowing is half the battle!


G.I. JOE!

Mattashell
03-29-2002, 06:36 AM
Check these out

http://qktheatre.com/summaries/lessons/

and

http://flyingmoose.org/heman/mustard.htm

mbaker
03-29-2002, 08:05 AM
I like that "Mustard On The Cat" moral parody from Flying Moose's He-Man page. It just shows you how some morals are unnessesary, and don't always fit with the plots. That G.I Joe page was kinda neat too. I've got "G.I.Joe: The Movie" on DVD, and it's got some of those morals on it (and knowing is half the battle) Now I'd like to share with you some of my favorite morals.


Yakko: It's that time again


Wakko: To make bubbles with our spit?


Dot: To make fun of the Disney Channel?


Yakko: No it's time to learn today's lesson, and to do that, we turn to "The Wheel of Morality"!


Dexter: Kids, don't run around the house with scissors.....Unless you have the propper equipment. (Dee Dee in robot suit)


Billy: (Watching "Dinobanoids") FULL ON FRIENDSHIP! YEAH!


Blossom: When dealing with Mojo Jojo's mojo, just say no no.


Mojo Jojo: But you took my love away.


Blossom: Well you know how the song goes, the love you take is equle to the love you..... Oh who cares it's by some dumb old band.