Is children's programming on CN too violent?

[Mojo_Jojo]

Study: Children's TV Studded With Dark Acts
Thursday March 2 9:49 PM ET


Children's television is studded with violence, much of it darker and more realistic than when an anvil dropped on Wile E. Coyote's head, a watchdog group reported on Thursday.


The Parents Television Council analyzed 444 hours of kids' daytime programs last summer and detailed 2,794 violent incidents, even after sifting out "cartoony" moments like those involving the Road Runner. That's 6.3 incidents an hour more than the PTC found in prime time aimed at adults during a 2002 study.


Programs like "Teen Titans" on the Cartoon Network and ABC Family Channel's "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" often feature intense fights with swords, guns and lasers, the group said.

It detailed a scene on Fox's "Shaman King" where two characters have a lengthy sword fight. One character is knocked out by a blow to the head, and his opponent reaches into the chest of his screaming rival and pulls out his "soul," leaving him dead.

There's nothing wrong with fanciful, fantasy violence, said Brent Bozell, PTC founder. "I grew up with `Tom and Jerry' and I think I'm OK," he said.

"Popeye beat up Bluto and you cheered," he said. "That was perfectly fine. Now the protagonists will be caught in dark, powerful, oftentimes scary scenarios where there is hard violence."

Violent cartoons can increase children's anxiety, desensitize them or lead them to believe that violence is more prevalent and acceptable in real life than it really is, said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center of Media and Children's Health at Harvard University's medical school.

Children under age 8 are cognitively unable to distinguish between real and fantasy violence, he said. Rich studied reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and found children much less upset than their parents, perhaps because they couldn't distinguish it from what they saw on TV regularly, said Rich, who endorsed the study.

"They will tell you it's only make-believe," he said. "The responses they have to it are exactly the same as the real-life information."

The PTC cited the Cartoon Network as having the most violent incidents. The watchdog group also criticized the ABC Family Channel while praising the Disney Channel as the least violent network; both are owned by the Walt Disney Co.

Fox and NBC, with more live-action children's shows, scored low on the violence meter.

The Cartoon Network, in a statement, said that "we are confident that our standards and practices policies ensure that the programming on our air is age-appropriate. All of our shows undergo several reviews throughout the production process to make sure they are suitable for their intended viewers."

The watchdog group also criticized networks for coarsening the dialogue with potty humor and mean-spirited name-calling. There's also been a trend toward mimicking movies in including double-entendres so shows will appeal to both children and adults, their report said.

Rich said he didn't expect critical reports like this to change the industry's habits. Only if parents become more aware and reject violent shows will the industry listen, he said.

"This should be the age of utter innocence for a child," Bozell said. "Hollywood should do anything within its power to protect that innocence."

(Source: Yahoo! TV News & Gossip)

[MonkeyFunk]

The Parents Television Council analyzed 444 hours of kids' daytime programs

What a cushy job

[SimpsonGuy100]

What a cushy job

Yeah, I agree, why over-analise kid's cartoon shows?

[Sage Shinigami]

The Parents Television Council analyzed 444 hours of kids' daytime programs last summer and detailed 2,794 violent incidents, even after sifting out "cartoony" moments like those involving the Road Runner. That's 6.3 incidents an hour more than the PTC found in prime time aimed at adults during a 2002 study.


I think they embellished this number, or they were a bit tougher on the kids shows than they were prime time ones.


Programs like "Teen Titans" on the Cartoon Network and ABC Family Channel's "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" often feature intense fights with swords, guns and lasers, the group said.


.........Intense???

*gathers the PTC and puts them in a room with PR and TT fans who thought the show should've been darker, handing all the fans weapons* Oversensitive, self-righteous parents? Meet the fans you've been pissing off for a decade or so. :evil:


There's nothing wrong with fanciful, fantasy violence, said Brent Bozell, PTC founder. "I grew up with `Tom and Jerry' and I think I'm OK," he said.


Its all fantasy violence 'cause its ANIMATED.

Violent cartoons can increase children's anxiety, desensitize them or lead them to believe that violence is more prevalent and acceptable in real life than it really is, said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center of Media and Children's Health at Harvard University's medical school.


I loves my violent toons. I've never been in a fight in my life.


Children under age 8 are cognitively unable to distinguish between real and fantasy violence, he said. Rich studied reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and found children much less upset than their parents, perhaps because they couldn't distinguish it from what they saw on TV regularly, said Rich, who endorsed the study.

Or perhaps it was because their parents were all overreacting? That said, my reaction wasn't tears and mental depression and whatever, and neither was my mother's. We were raised on different cartoons (she didn't get cartoons at all when she was younger, in fact), so I doubt that has anything to do with it.

The PTC cited the Cartoon Network as having the most violent incidents. The watchdog group also criticized the ABC Family Channel while praising the Disney Channel as the least violent network; both are owned by the Walt Disney Co.

Fox and NBC, with more live-action children's shows, scored low on the violence meter.

The Cartoon Network, in a statement, said that "we are confident that our standards and practices policies ensure that the programming on our air is age-appropriate. All of our shows undergo several reviews throughout the production process to make sure they are suitable for their intended viewers."


If anything CN's cartoons are neutered because of groups like this...


The watchdog group also criticized networks for coarsening the dialogue with potty humor and mean-spirited name-calling. There's also been a trend toward mimicking movies in including double-entendres so shows will appeal to both children and adults, their report said.


I see nothing wrong with this. The kids won't get the joke IF THEIR PARENTS DON'T EXPLAIN IT TO THEM. Meanwhile it possibly gotten the show a few adult fans. No one loses.

Rich said he didn't expect critical reports like this to change the industry's habits. Only if parents become more aware and reject violent shows will the industry listen, he said.

"This should be the age of utter innocence for a child," Bozell said. "Hollywood should do anything within its power to protect that innocence."

Thus proving the point made by all when it comes to groups like this. "Hollywood's" job should be (but isn't, though that's not the point) to churn out the best DAMN movies and shows they can, not to raise your children FOR YOU. Instead of wasting so much time and money analyzing what's already on, why not raise one's own children? There are plenty of educational shows and safe cartoons your child can watch on television. I should know. They take up all the slots where good shows could be. :mad:

Still. Amusing waste of time.

[Arkangel]

Instead of wasting so much time and money analyzing what's already on, why not raise one's own children?
Because people like this aren't interested in just raising their own children; they're interested in raising everyone's children by their moralistic standards.

What they need to do is mind their own business.

[The Wolverine]

There's nothing wrong with fanciful, fantasy violence, said Brent Bozell, PTC founder. "I grew up with `Tom and Jerry' and I think I'm OK," he said.


WTF.

If Tom and Jerry, or anything from the golden age of cartoons was made today, it wouldn't get away with half the stuff it does.

[CookieS]

The Cartoon Network, in a statement, said that "we are confident that our standards and practices policies ensure that the programming on our air is age-appropriate. All of our shows undergo several reviews throughout the production process to make sure they are suitable for their intended viewers."

Translation: We are Cartoon Network! We've been doing this for years. If it isn't some soccer mom/PTA group after us, its the religious right wing or ethnic group attacking us. We're a network, not social workers!

The watchdog group also criticized networks for coarsening the dialogue with potty humor and mean-spirited name-calling. There's also been a trend toward mimicking movies in including double-entendres so shows will appeal to both children and adults, their report said.

Translation: The watchdog group is attempting to remove all humor from shows.

Rich said he didn't expect critical reports like this to change the industry's habits. Only if parents become more aware and reject violent shows will the industry listen, he said.

Translation: Since parents are not paying enough attention to television, we'll create a watchdog group and tell them what's wrong. We like being enablers. Parents don't pay attention to children's programming already, so why should they start now? We're going to watch many hours of television and tell you what's bad. Why bother screening anything when you have us doing it for you? By the way, we're judging all content for you. No need to think! Horray!

"This should be the age of utter innocence for a child," Bozell said. "Hollywood should do anything within its power to protect that innocence."

Translation: Let's use our children as an excuse to censor art that we adults object to.

[Sage Shinigami]

Translation: Let's attempt to censor art that us adults morally object to, and use our children as an excuse.

I sort of thought that last one was them basically saying they want Hollywood to raise their kids.

[CookieS]

Its like an annoying babysitter that eats all the food in the fridge. Yes, they want them to raise their kids, BUT they want Hollywood to be more ethical and moral. If Hollywood would only change...they could continue on with their lives.

[Sketch]

Yes quite a few of CN's shows are quite violent much less Adult Swim's offerings but they are all rated accordingly. The truely violent shows on CN daytime or prime time get a PG rating for a reason.

Now these reviewers bring up Teen Titans of all things and honestly I don't see why. Ninja Turtles, JLU, DBZ, Naruto and heck, Zatch Bell has more brutal violence in it than Teen Titans.

I can understand their feelings on Shaman King. That show never should have been on Saturday mornings. But why bring it up AFTER it's been off the air for almost half a year?

[CookieS]

I don't get what the point of these screenings are. Shows are already rated in the U.S.. They shouldn't be attacking shows that already exist, they should be coaxing the studios to make these "age of innocence" shows they're begging for, and thus, get advertisers behind the idea too.

[Fan of Sponge]

There are television ratings you know. I guess people don't really pay attention to that. Violence on CN depends and besides, young children don't really do what the show mimics. They just imaginate doing a show and play it safe. There are only three shows on CN that really has the violence which is Bill & Mandy (for its dark humor), Teen Titans, and Ben 10 and that's it.

[HG Revolution]

Cartoon Network's programming is usually violent but still usually kid-friendly. I'd let most kids over the age of 5 or 6 watch stuff like Teen Titans, once they're about 8 or 9 (depending on the maturity) TV-PG stuff like Naruto is suitable. Kids always encounter cursing, teasing, and at least the threat of violence (if not the actual act of it) in real life anyway, so as long as they aren't watching something extremely gruesome it should be fine for them (then again, my 10-year-old sister has watched The End of Evangelion twice and she's doing fine, so it's really an issue of maturity as opposed to age). As for innuendo, who cares? The kids who don't get it won't get it, and the kids who do get it would only get it because their parents thought they were ready for "the talk" and thus had trust that they can handle that information. So I'm fine with what CN airs.

[One Radical Dude]

Translation: We are Cartoon Network! We've been doing this for years. If it isn't some soccer mom/PTA group after us, its the religious right wing or ethnic group attacking us. We're a network, not social workers!


Careful -- I'm right-winged and religious, and I don't go out wanting the FCC what we should watch. :p

I don't care what these groups are -- to the right, left, center bi-partisan -- if these people can't be responsible as to what their own children watch, to me -- they are a joke (they aren't mature enought to become parents). This wasn't a big deal in the golden days (where as Beau mentioned: Looney Tunes, Tex Avery, etc.), where you had a lot of content these watchdogs would cry foul over. Today, Political Correctness is becoming more common in today's world.

Remember when Speedy Gonzales was banned for a short period?

[Undrave]

Meh, kids like to be scared.

In my book as long as the kids can't reenact what they see and it isn't bloody violent... I mean you don't see kids donning spandex armor in a flash of light then going into SWAT Mode or pulling out Battlelizers to beat each other out senseless... sheesh.

[Wanted]

Children under age 8 are cognitively unable to distinguish between real and fantasy violence, he said. Rich studied reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and found children much less upset than their parents, perhaps because they couldn't distinguish it from what they saw on TV regularly, said Rich, who endorsed the study.
That's utter bull. There was little graphic violence on the air during September 11th, 2001 (if you can even call planes flying into a building "violent"), and most kids probably didn't even know what the Twin Towers were. I know I didn't.

[Rolling Cloud]

It detailed a scene on Fox's "Shaman King" where two characters have a lengthy sword fight. One character is knocked out by a blow to the head, and his opponent reaches into the chest of his screaming rival and pulls out his "soul," leaving him dead.


1. Oh, come on! That's bull! And, I missed this one too! They should at least talk about Faust VIII if they have to talk about Shaman King.

2. Love your avatar, Toonmaster!

[Wanted]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Now, as to actually answer the query posed by the topic. Children's programming isn't becoming too violent. And, even if they were, it's the parents' obligation to watch what their children are watching and to explain to them what's real and what isn't. The television isn't a babysitter, and parents need to be more active in their children's lives so that it doesn't become such.

I'm not saying that a hands-off approach when it comes to children watching television is a bad thing, though. I pretty much grew up that way, and I'm glad that I did. I got to see a variety of shows, with and without the family (mostly with [either the whole family, or my brother, or my sister, or both my brother and sister], but it didn't hurt me).

When I was growing up, we (my brother and I) watched action-animation, and often did emulate the shows, but nothing bad came of it. That's just a thing of childhood that most kids of the '90s and today go through. You see, watching television is just another fun experience, and regulating what airs on it is just a bad choice. A group of people assuming that they're working for the greater good of the television watchers of America are doing nothing but talking a bunch of BS and screwing the nation out of good TV, just for the sake of lazy parents who walk into their child's room one day and catch them watching something they may disapprove of.

[Sage Shinigami]

Meh, kids like to be scared.

In my book as long as the kids can't reenact what they see and it isn't bloody violent... I mean you don't see kids donning spandex armor in a flash of light then going into SWAT Mode or pulling out Battlelizers to beat each other out senseless... sheesh.

No, but it would be damned cool. :D Playing with the toys and hurting each other isn't cool. But if you actually turn into a Ranger...its worth it. :p



I can understand their feelings on Shaman King. That show never should have been on Saturday mornings. But why bring it up AFTER it's been off the air for almost half a year?


That neutered version of Shaman King? If B:TAS can air on Saturday mornings, so can 4Kids' version of SK.

[Scorpio_G]

Personally I would like to make 18x24 posters of this surrounding these think tanks and 'The parent's television pannel' of this:http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f165/scorpio_g/PleaseSTFU.jpg

My twin brother and me were watching horror movies since we were at least 3 years old and our mom and dad explained to us it was 'pretend' or 'imaginary'. And we were part of the first generation to watch Power Rangers.

We never exibit bad behavior, anxiety, or any ill side effects from 'Childrens Television' The Parent Television Pannel stated. It's all a bunch of BS. I'll say TV is bad for kids when 50% of all kids are trying to copy Naruto's moves on innocent bystanders.:shrug:

PS: Popeye was violent and prejudice towards wommen too as well as a majority of Childrens programing during our parent's and grandparents time which was prejudice against a lot of minorities.

PPS: I wonder how people in the animation indrustry feel about these groups or what their opinion is on this?

[Chris Wood]

Why is this poll even here? I smell a PTC plant.

[FinnMacCool]

Originally posted by Sage Shinigami:

That neutered version of Shaman King? If B:TAS can air on Saturday mornings, so can 4Kids' version of SK.


Ah, but, when it comes to violence in children's programming it works to divide things into pre and post-Columbine. Before mid-1999, at least some kids' cartoons, like Batman and Gargoyles, could get away with guns, death, frank discussions of dark themes, and all that good stuff. Then, in 1999, two kids went on a killing spree at Columbine High School. After that everyone started getting real twitchy about violence in programs targeted at children. For example, I believe it was about that time that Batman Beyond had the "no killing" rule reinstated, even though Gotham Knights, Superman, and the early Batman Beyond eps could and did kill people.

NOTE: This is in regards to broadcast network programming. Cable is a whole different story.

[Tash]

I was wondering when they were going to go after Shaman King. I wonder what this means for 4Kid's other dubs.

[sparkythebdog]

I blame the parents for letting Hollywood raise their kids.

[Beat]

It's funny. We have fans, who think these shows should be darker and MORE violent, and these clowns who think the shows should be even more fanciful and less violent. As far as I'm concerned, these shows should be more violent, not less, and if the parents don't like it, they shouldn't let their kids watch. TV-PG is being used for a reason.

The PTC must have had puppies when they saw Naruto.

[Wanted]

Not very many cartoons come out of Hollywood nowadays... maybe Burbank, but not Hollywood.

[havokpryde]

I was wondering when they were going to go after Shaman King. I wonder what this means for 4Kid's other dubs.
4Kids will most likely bow down to pressure, and now Luffy will use a watergun and Zolo will be the master of three massive candy canes.

[j32885]

Is CN too violent? Realistic and common sense answer: YES

For most part, CN aim's at higher demographics than: ABC Family, Disney Channel, & Nickelodeon. CN also has different programming blocks, which the other networks don't have. Besides, this is old news anyway. The PTC has been *****ing at CN for sometime already. :o

[Antiyonder]

Is CN too violent? Realistic and common sense answer: YES

Yeah, but they make it seem like it's the same level as Friday The 13th, The Blade Trilogies, not to mention Spawn. Compared to that, their programs are grade school level.

[Funkmasta Zeph]

Programs like "Teen Titans" on the Cartoon Network and ABC Family Channel's "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" often feature intense fights with swords, guns and lasers, the group said.

What the hell? Power Rangers has been on since ....forever.
And features fights so incredibly lame they're funny. Even back then they were funny.

There's nothing wrong with fanciful, fantasy violence, said Brent Bozell, PTC founder. "I grew up with `Tom and Jerry' and I think I'm OK," he said.

Yhea, my generally sensible parents saw it fit too grow me up on Indiana Jones and the melting faces. And I turned out better than some chump who pays his bills worrying about cartoons.

"Popeye beat up Bluto and you cheered," he said. "That was perfectly fine. Now the protagonists will be caught in dark, powerful, oftentimes scary scenarios where there is hard violence."

God forbid we get some drama and suspense in our kids taste buds.....I swear the generations raised on the post-columbine **** will create some pretty godawful fiction.

Violent cartoons can increase children's anxiety, desensitize them or lead them to believe that violence is more prevalent and acceptable in real life than it really is, said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center of Media and Children's Health at Harvard University's medical school.

Only if thier parents RAISE them on the ****ing TV.

Children under age 8 are cognitively unable to distinguish between real and fantasy violence, he said. Rich studied reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and found children much less upset than their parents, perhaps because they couldn't distinguish it from what they saw on TV regularly, said Rich, who endorsed the study.

Are any of those 3 (Shaman King, Teen Titans, Power Rangers) for 8 year olds?

"They will tell you it's only make-believe," he said. "The responses they have to it are exactly the same as the real-life information."

Maybe because they're being sheltered from the reality of those things really happening as well?:shrug:

The PTC cited the Cartoon Network as having the most violent incidents. The watchdog group also criticized the ABC Family Channel while praising the Disney Channel as the least violent network; both are owned by the Walt Disney Co.

And that just goes to show....Disney has so much CRAP on it, its unbelievable.
I wish I could say kids knew better than to like such things, but the High School Musical soundtrack outsold the ****ing Beatles? man....

The watchdog group also criticized networks for coarsening the dialogue with potty humor and mean-spirited name-calling. There's also been a trend toward mimicking movies in including double-entendres so shows will appeal to both children and adults, their report said.

Dude....would they dare? Is there honestly a problem with that?
I can still enjoy....no....enjoy Toy Story and other Pixar films MORE because of the double appeal. Its a very good sign of talent in a staff.

"This should be the age of utter innocence for a child," Bozell said. "Hollywood should do anything within its power to protect that innocence."

Yhea **** you and your comics code pap. Kids who read/watch complex, dramatic, double layered stuff Vs. Your brood of sugar hounds.
Lets see who does better in creative writing class.

Man, the same logic that dictates that cliffhangers are bad for children...

[SAMaine]

You know I would rather allow my kids to see that "violence can let to hospital time or death" versus "Violence makes you a pancake for a few seconds."

Either way, parents have the V-chip, TV ratings, and the remote control. Parents can and should say no to thier kids. movies, TV, and video games has ratings now. A parent should look at them to determine what is appropiate for kids.

[Serena S.]

I blame the parents for letting Hollywood raise their kids.

Exactly.

[Undrave]

You know I would rather allow my kids to see that "violence can let to hospital time or death" versus "Violence makes you a pancake for a few seconds."
.

Hear hear!

When I have kids (or nephews and nieces wichever come first) I'm showing them Gargoyles, if just for the episode 'Deadly Force'!

When they learn english that is :sweat:

[Wanted]

Would your brother(s) and/or sister(s) go along with the idea is the question that I'd like to ask.

[Undrave]

Would your brother(s) and/or sister(s) go along with the idea is the question that I'd like to ask.

My sister? Ya probably. I mean we WERE raised the same way :p Gargoyles isn't Spawn or something like that.

[Deadman]

i really dont think anything on cartoon network is too violent.

[Tash]

Rich studied reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and found children much less upset than their parent
YA THINK?? No, really? Why would an 8-year-old NOT be more upset than their parents that international terriorist units have declared war on America??

The report lost it's credablity there.

[Master Moron]

[[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Yhea, my generally sensible parents saw it fit too grow me up on Indiana Jones and the melting faces. And I turned out better than some chump who pays his bills worrying about cartoons.


Actually, my mom one time told me how she knew someone who's son was traumatized by that face melting scene in Indiana Jones and had to go into therapy. My point? I don't have one.

[Undrave]

Off course children wouldn't be as affected by 9/11! It was just two towers collapsing, you didn't see any bodies. Heck even I had trouble grasping the fact that there were all these people in there! I watched it live and didn't shed a tear, so imagine children who have trouble even IMAGINING the number '1000'.

[hobbyfan]

I take issue with the PTC painting the entire CN schedule with the same brush.

Ed, Edd, & Eddy, for example, is harmless slapstick comedy, not quite as violent as, say, the 3 Stooges, which might've been one of the influences for the Eds.

Superhero series, such as Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans, present more complex battles of good vs. evil, but we cheer for the heroes just as we did for Popeye and Mighty Mouse back in the day. The violence depicted in those series is no different, really, than the comics upon which these shows are based.

What Bozell and his Legion of Soccer Moms & Disenfranchised Nerds should take issue with is CN's erratic, constantly changing program schedule.

Speaking of disenfranchised nerds, exhibit A is NY Post columnist Phil Mushnick, who has to be a card-carrying member of the PTC. Bozell used to do editorial columns for the Post until a few years ago.

[Han Ji-Eun]

Here's something I don't get: in Japan, where I think that all here know is the country of origin for Shamen King, this kind of stuff IS given to 8-year-olds to watch, and it is deemed perfectly acceptable. This statement probably shouldn't make any difference, until you consider the fact that Japan has a tremendously lower crime rate than America.

So parents, it looks like its YOUR fault that your kids are growing up into psychos. Not the telly's.

[SuperStantzio]

I couldn't agree with you more about that!

[k-day42]

Here's something I don't get: in Japan, where I think that all here know is the country of origin for Shamen King, this kind of stuff IS given to 8-year-olds to watch, and it is deemed perfectly acceptable. This statement probably shouldn't make any difference, until you consider the fact that Japan has a tremendously lower crime rate than America.

So parents, it looks like its YOUR fault that your kids are growing up into psychos. Not the telly's.

THAT'S what i've been trying to say the whole ****ing time!!!!! Thank you very, very much!!!!

[Anarky]

too violent? no
too horrible? yes

godspeed JLU:crying:

[GOB]

I say (and people like Michael O'Donoghue might also) cartoons aren't violent enough. Watching enough saccarine sweet crapola on Nick Jr and PBS will cause anyone with an ounce of wit to go on a multi-state murder rampage. Dora the Explorer? Just the new version of Helter Skelter.

"Television has brought back murder into the home - where it belongs." - A. Hitchcock.