Scooby Doo Arrested for Assaulting Ghost

What is the deal with cartoons these days? What happened to cartoons being cheesy, mindless, comedic shows for kids? My favorite cartoon as a child was "Tom and Jerry." Critics said the show was too violent and have since edited tons of what I consider "cartoon violence."



Well, cartoons have taken a whole new meaning in the 21st Century. Let's see today's version of "cartoon violence" with this Stewie and Brian clip from "Family Guy:"

All of a sudden, T&J doesn't look so bad, does it? In a span of a couple of decades, cartoons have gone from clip #1 to clip #2. Not all cartoons are kid-friendly these days.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that this just started in our lifetime. Way back in the day, they had what were considered at the time as "adult cartoons."

"Betty Boop" hit the scene during the Depression Era of the 30's as animation's first sex symbol.  

"Fritz the Cat" came along in 1972 and became the first U.S. cartoon to get an "X rating."

1981 spawned "Heavy Metal." This was the first adult cartoon that I remember seeing (8 years later as a college freshman).

1989 started TV's era of adult cartoons. Enter "The Simpsons." If you were at least 13 years old in 1989, then you should remember the controversy surrounding this show. FOX was already pushing the envelope with the likes of "Married with Children," and protesters were up in arms over this unruly, spike-haired boy by the name of "Bart." Little did any of us know that it would be considered tame by today's standards.

After "The Simpsons" came "Ren & Stimpy" which led to "Beavis & Butthead" which led to "South Park" and so on and so on...

So, what's next? Will we see some modern day Scooby Doo arrested for assaulting a ghost? Does animation's favorite crime-fighting dog turn into a "Matrix" meets "The Transporter" type of action show where ghosts are assassinated?

That remains to be seen.

Mess with this pooch or his crew and get "Scooby Smacked!"

The purpose for this post is this: the world constantly evolves and it's not always for the better. It's imperative that parents recognize how the world has changed and find a way to change with it. You can no longer rely on TV to babysit your child while you get chores done or try to take a quick nap. You may think you're turning on a harmless cartoon and the next thing you know, your child is dropping the n-word on people because he / she was watching "The Boondocks."

Take the time to not only screen what your child watches, but watch it with them. That way if anything mature is shown, you're there to put things in perspective or to offer an explanation. Make sure he / she is watching "Dora the Explorer" and not "Dora Gets Explored." You're laughing, but don't think it can't happen some day. Maybe 20 years from now, but it could. (Okay, I made that one up, but you get my point. You know, I wouldn't doubt if that was some actual porn title. If not, I'm suing the first person to use it.)

So, despite seeing cartoonish figures and maybe even famous faces, don't assume that a show is good for your six year old. Give it a test run yourself before allowing others to see it. Know what's on TV at all times so your kid won't grow up to be the Einstein from "Robot Chicken" instead of the Einstein from the history books.

(Warning: Language may be inappropriate for the sensitive)