As the children's channel agrees to chop off smoking scenes from Tom & Jerry show, experts and janata welcome the step for kids' sake.
After the ban on onscreen smoking in films and the Bombay High Court decision to ban adult movies on TV, it's the turn of cartoon characters for a censor review. Recently, when cartoon character Tom lighted a cigarette to impress a female cat, fumes not only appeared from the tobacco wrap but this also left its viewers fuming with anger.
After a viewer's complaint and following investigation, Ofcom, a media watchdog, maintained that the vintage animations were inappropriate for young viewers.
The prominent children's TV channel Boomberang has decided to edit the scenes from the hilarious Tom and Jerry cartoon wherever the characters are shown smoking.
We check how appealing is the attempt in terms of keeping kiddos away from smoking...
"I appreciate the move. Cartoons are meant primarily for children in the age group of 4-10, during which a child should be kept away from things like smoking, alcohol, etc. Cartoons should be very mild. They should not scare children or pollute their innocent minds," avers Gulshan Rai, MD, Diamond Comics.
Agrees Anant Pai, creator of Amar Chitra Katha. "If a channel prohibits a smoking scene, it's indeed a good move." He maintains that cartoon characters serve as role models for kids.
"In the year 1965 when the US government wanted to tell people how the environment gets polluted, it used a character of Walt Disney to spread the message. Even I have done an eight-page comic called Mystery of the Missing Cigarettes for the Goa Cancer Society using my cartoon character Ram and Shyam to show the adverse affects of smoking. So, I believe cartoons can be used well to spread any good message," says Pai...
He further adds, "Cartoon characters can be used as envoys of goodness. People should also refrain from making violent cartoons."
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting too has forwarded its concerns on onscreen smoking in cartoon shows to Union Health Ministry.
"Like the matter of onscreen smoking in films, this issue is also being considered by the Health Ministry, which in its notification says that any sort of bad practice like smoking shouldn't be glorified onscreen," informs N Baijendra Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Meanwhile, people may be unhappy with the ban on adult films on TV, but they readily welcome the check on smoking scenes in cartoon shows.
"As far as banning films with adult content is concerned, the ministry should have left it to the viewers' discretion. However, it would be more than welcome if the ministry takes any step to ban objectionable acts in cartoons," says Rajat Jain, a city businessman and father of six-year-old Roopam.
The animation experts are also in favour of any move that ensures healthy entertainment for kids.
Asserts Gaurav Singh, the centre head of a prominent animation academy, "Cartoons are meant for tender minds. Recently, comedian-turned-actor Mel Smith was accused of lighting-up a cigar during his on-stage portrayal of Winston Churchill at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. If there can be a ban on the actor why spare cartoons that directly affect kids."
He has a point there.
After the ban on onscreen smoking in films and the Bombay High Court decision to ban adult movies on TV, it's the turn of cartoon characters for a censor review. Recently, when cartoon character Tom lighted a cigarette to impress a female cat, fumes not only appeared from the tobacco wrap but this also left its viewers fuming with anger.
After a viewer's complaint and following investigation, Ofcom, a media watchdog, maintained that the vintage animations were inappropriate for young viewers.
The prominent children's TV channel Boomberang has decided to edit the scenes from the hilarious Tom and Jerry cartoon wherever the characters are shown smoking.
We check how appealing is the attempt in terms of keeping kiddos away from smoking...
"I appreciate the move. Cartoons are meant primarily for children in the age group of 4-10, during which a child should be kept away from things like smoking, alcohol, etc. Cartoons should be very mild. They should not scare children or pollute their innocent minds," avers Gulshan Rai, MD, Diamond Comics.
Agrees Anant Pai, creator of Amar Chitra Katha. "If a channel prohibits a smoking scene, it's indeed a good move." He maintains that cartoon characters serve as role models for kids.
"In the year 1965 when the US government wanted to tell people how the environment gets polluted, it used a character of Walt Disney to spread the message. Even I have done an eight-page comic called Mystery of the Missing Cigarettes for the Goa Cancer Society using my cartoon character Ram and Shyam to show the adverse affects of smoking. So, I believe cartoons can be used well to spread any good message," says Pai...
He further adds, "Cartoon characters can be used as envoys of goodness. People should also refrain from making violent cartoons."
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting too has forwarded its concerns on onscreen smoking in cartoon shows to Union Health Ministry.
"Like the matter of onscreen smoking in films, this issue is also being considered by the Health Ministry, which in its notification says that any sort of bad practice like smoking shouldn't be glorified onscreen," informs N Baijendra Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Meanwhile, people may be unhappy with the ban on adult films on TV, but they readily welcome the check on smoking scenes in cartoon shows.
"As far as banning films with adult content is concerned, the ministry should have left it to the viewers' discretion. However, it would be more than welcome if the ministry takes any step to ban objectionable acts in cartoons," says Rajat Jain, a city businessman and father of six-year-old Roopam.
The animation experts are also in favour of any move that ensures healthy entertainment for kids.
Asserts Gaurav Singh, the centre head of a prominent animation academy, "Cartoons are meant for tender minds. Recently, comedian-turned-actor Mel Smith was accused of lighting-up a cigar during his on-stage portrayal of Winston Churchill at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. If there can be a ban on the actor why spare cartoons that directly affect kids."
He has a point there.
No comments:
Post a Comment