Cartoon Networks late night animation block Adult Swim, and its Anime programming block Toonami, have started airing one hour earlier then its previous time slot now beginning at 8:00 pm, rather then 9:00 pm. This has earned the easily provoked ire of the Parents Television Council, who had this to say…
“Parents beware: not all cartoons are created equal. And what’s particularly dangerous about Cartoon Network and ‘Adult Swim’ is that the content changes from being kid-friendly to adult-oriented not with the click of a remote but with the tick of the clock,” said PTC President Tim Winter.
“Cartoon Network’s ‘Adult Swim’ has a long history of marketing explicit animation to children. The network’s announcement that it is moving this programming block to an even earlier hour when children are more likely to be in the audience is disturbing on a number of levels. The network claims that they’re targeting adult males by moving ‘Adult Swim’ to an earlier hour, but in the process children are being thrown under the bus.”
“Cartoon Network’s ‘Adult Swim’ has a long history of marketing explicit animation to children” That’s a bold and slanderous claim… Almost all TV channels air different types of shows in different time slots to appeal to multiple audiences. Saying that Cartoon Network markets adult shows to children is an outrageous claim. Let’s analyze this sentence a little if we can, “Adult Swim” is clearly labeled as Adult programming, its in the name.
“Our own research on animated programming documents the troubling amount of sexual content airing on cartoons, and ‘Adult Swim’ in particular included some of the highest levels of explicit content.”
Animation is not solely a children’s medium. Believe it or not, not all animators spend more then half their lives perfecting their skills and dealing with one of the most fickle and difficult career paths available to them, to make shows for your brats.
Also what do they mean by “research” the last time I checked research had to be backed by facts and involved citing your sources, not making wild accusations.
“Also in our study, we found that Cartoon Network failed to use the TV ratings system to warn parents about sexual content, suggestive dialogue and explicit language 100 percent of the time.”
If they did even the most bare bones of “research” they would have found that Adult Swim has a bumper that comes before the programming block stating that it contains content that may be inappropriate for younger viewers. Maybe they should actually watch the shows rather then torturing small animals and listening to Toby Keith songs backwards to find the hidden demonic messages. Groundless accusations, you see I can make them too.
“Cartoon Network and ‘Adult Swim’ provide a powerful example of why the current cable model is broken and why it must be changed. Parents must be given the opportunity to unsubscribe from the Cartoon Network on their cable bills, instead of having to subsidize explicit content in order to receive the programming they do want coming into their homes. Bipartisan and bicameral legislation pending in the Congress that would give parents this much-needed right.”
You fucking twats, this is what you raised a big stink over? This is what has everyone in an uproar? You already have the power to block your kids from seeing Cartoon Network in one of three ways.
1. You use the parental controls built into your TV receiver; this is a function that all modern dish and cable box’s have.
2. You tell your kids that they are not allowed to watch Cartoon Network and monitor what they watch. (novel idea I know)
3. Don’t pay for a Cable subscription.
I am bitterly enraged by the last paragraph, not only in that it’s ignorant garbage or that this group is trying to force their will on others including a business industry that they know little to nothing about. It’s that they said “would give parents this much-needed right.”
Lets think about that shall we? Watching TV, is a pass time. A hobby. Something you ‘choose’ to do in your spare time. Don’t throw around the word “Right” when a Cable subscription is something you actively choose to pay for! If TV. was something their children were forced to view I would perhaps sympathize with this organization, but TV. is a luxury item. Believe it or not you can go on with life not using an elective television service designed only for your entertainment and to waste your time. It is not your “Right” to watch TV. You choose to watch it! May I remind everyone that this is in response to a TV. Block airing one hour earlier then it used to on a privately owned channel. This is Ridiculous!
Let’s get down to why this press release blew up and why so many people, myself included, are upset about it. Part of what this group wants to do sensor is Toonami, something a community of dedicated fans and Cartoon Network employees worked incredibly hard to get back on the air. Something that was a big part of a lot of our childhood’s and has been re-adapted to be part of our adult lives. We as a community do not want to see anything happen to Toonami, many of us are almost militant in its defense especially on the topic of censorship.
But there is a solution and a shockingly simple one at that. For once we are the vocal majority, nice change from the norm isn’t it? The events from the last two years have proven that Cartoon Network is willing to listen to its fans and adapt its content to what we want to see. The Parents Television Council is an annoyance but they are a blip on the radar compared to how loud a voice we as a community have become via Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets, not to mention we are voting with our time and our wallets. For once it looks like we are the dominant presence and we will not stand for unfair censorship of our favorite shows. So more or less the Parents Television Council can deal with us and what we want to see this time, and not the other way around. But if your as personally offended by this as I am then don’t forget to tell Cartoon Network; this time they’re listening.
TOM’s Speech about parenting from 2001, because I like adding a little salt to the wound.