Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry are, by far, the funniest cartoon double act. At least from a slap stick laugh out loud point of view. Dangermouse and Penfold, now there is a funny duo although the humour there is more subtle: a droll humour as we would say at home. Tom and Jerry are in the news again. Censored. Can you believe it? Aparrantly cartoons depicting Tom rolling and smoking cigarette and another showing a cigar smoking character are no longer to be shown. never mind the smashing and bashing of Jerry or the hammering and pool cue swallowing exploits of Tom. Violence is OK since it's slapstick but smoking is not. At first i thought removing the smoking references was a good thing but having thought about it I just don't see the point.

How many children have parents that smoke? Do you think seeing adults smoking would influence a child less than a cartoon. I grew up watching tom and Jerry. I grew up with two parents who smoked, but have since given up, I never once smoked or had the urge to try it. Certainly no cartoon ever influenced my behaviour in this or any other regard as a child. Do we adults forget what it was to be a child and project our adult fears and hang-ups onto children and childish things? I remember that I had a "gollywog" doll as a child. I'm sure people remember these dolls but they are no longer available and rightly so. I loved my "gollywog". It was one of my favourite toys/teddybears. I never saw it as a representation of a human never mind a derogitory representation of someone of African origins. In adulthood I am not, in any, way racist or bigotted, so clearly the doll and it's negative connotations had no influence over me because as I child I never saw it. Children are innocent and naive and not corrupted in the same way as adults. I remember the "gollywog" became "gollydoll" and then became extinct. I asked my Dad waht a wog was when I was wee and he told me it meant Western Oriental Gentleman, which to me didn't seem a racial slur but merely categorised a group of people who came from a region outside Britain. After all it referred to them as gentlemen, which is a respectful phrase. I undertsood that wog was just an acronym for the phrase so what was the problem? However, if a group (racial, religious or whatever) takes offence at a phrase or acronym then it is only right to discontinue the use of such a term out of respect, even if it was never intended to be offensive. Interestingly though the idea of where do you draw the line is a tough one. Anything could be offensive to someone. For example, I am Scottish. That is my nationality. I carry a British passport because my government is British,which is a political amalgamation, an umbrella group if you will, and not a social or cultural amalgamation. My nation is Scotland but my government is British. If someone calls me a Brit, I take offence. Not in a big way but still it causes me to bridle since my nationality is not acknowledged or respected even though I realise that the person using the phrase is not likely intending offence. Should the term "Brit" be as unacceptable for use as other racial terms that are outlawed? When does a phrase reach the threshold of unacceptability?

Got off track a little. Tom and Jerry should be left alone and revered as the classic cartoons they are. Dangermouse though, There's a cartoon that everyone should see. Ohh crumbs DM! Shush, Penfold. Shush.