Smoking Banned from Classic Cartoons

Tom and Jerry was my favorite cartoon when I was a kid. I grew up watching reruns and I still watch when I catch them as I’m flipping around the channels. I vividly remember seeing the one where Tom is a virtuoso pianist playing Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. After seeing that episode, I immediately ran to the piano to figure out the music by ear.

Nowadays, some concerned viewers are afraid that kids won’t run to the piano after watching the classic cartoons, but to the store to buy a pack of Marlboros:

Smoking scenes in "Tom and Jerry" cartoons are now banned in Britain, following a viewer's complaint to the government agency that polices the airwaves.

Following an investigation prompted by the anonymous viewer's complaint, regulator Ofcom said Monday that children's TV channel Boomerang has agreed to edit out scenes deemed to glamorise or condone smoking.

Once again, government doing the job of parents. Kids are influenced by things they see on TV, no question. Eight-year-old Mandy, sitting at the piano, plunking out a melody is the perfect example of that. But it’s the responsibility of parents – not the government – to teach children what’s healthy/not healthy, good/bad, right/wrong, etc.

Next, Looney Tunes will have to be edited because Yosemite Sam promotes gun violence. You watch.