Toei/FoxIt’s easy to think in the age of generation snowflake that we’ve become overly sensitive and slightly hysterical when it comes to being offended.
However, looking back at some of the more popular kids TV cartoons over the last few decades, we can see that being offended at literally nothing has been around for a fair while now.
Digital Spy have put together a comprehensive list of some of the weirdest decisions cartoon producers have made to get their shows on the air.
Here’s a selection of the best…
Steven Universe
Cartoon NetworkCartoon Network was rightly criticised for cutting a lesbian romance from an episode of Steven Universe in the UK, despite not cutting a similar heterosexual scene.
The scene, which featured Pearl and Rose Quartz dancing in a romantic manner, was edited in a way that removed the romantic context but kept in the heterosexual romantic scenes.
An online petition was launched attacking the network for ‘taking much-needed role models away from vulnerable kids,’ to which CN responded that in the UK cartoons need to be cut for children of any age and they deemed it inappropriate.
In a statement, they said:
We do feel that the slightly edited version is more comfortable for local kids and their parents. We have an ongoing dialogue with our audiences and our shows reflect their preferences. Research shows that UK kids often watch with younger siblings without parental supervision.
Be assured that as a channel and network we celebrate diversity – evident across many of our shows and characters.
Yeaaaah, I’m not buying it.
Spider-Man
FoxWhen the wisecracking Webhead got his own cartoon series back in the Nineties, he was slapped with a number of super restrictive guidelines by concerned producers.
Despite having the proportional strength of a spider, Spidey wasn’t allowed to simply punch his opponents. Instead, he’d become involved in odd wrestling matches with baddies like The Shocker and Rhino.
This was because he wasn’t actually allowed to punch his opponents as execs were worried children may copy his fights.
Other odd guidelines meant that Spidey couldn’t say ‘kill’, which led to bizarre adaptations of classic Spider-Man stories ending in characters being ‘transported to other dimensions’ rather than dying.
X-Men
FoxSpidey wasn’t the only beloved Marvel franchise slapped with a ‘kill’ ban.
The X-Men couldn’t kill their foes either, instead having to ‘destroy’ them.
Wolverine might as well have had spoons between his knuckles for the amount he could do with his claws.
Power Rangers
BandaiIn Malaysia, parents weren’t concerned with their kids copying the Power Rangers’ sweet karate moves, instead there were other concerns.
The government actually banned the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers because it was encouraging kids to take heroin.
If you’re struggling to remember when Jason taught kids how to find the vein using a rubber hose, then you’re not alone, because the only thing Power Rangers encouraged that was even slightly dangerous was wearing denim dungarees.
But the Malaysian government were worried that the word ‘morphin’ was too close to the word ‘morphine’ and banned the show.
Pokémon
While pretty much everyone knows about the banned Porygon episode that induced seizures in kids watching, Pokémon has had more than a few banned episodes.
The most notorious one is ‘Beauty and the Beach’, which sees cash-strapped Team Rocket enter a female beauty contest, and James wearing a pair of fake breasts while he teases Misty about her chest.
The episode was pulled from original U.S. schedules, and the scene was edited out completely when they finally showed the episode.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.