Nicorette for cartoon charachters

What is the world coming to? Everyone’s beloved cartoon characters Tom and Jerry have been rapped for smoking in front of children.

Ofcom, who are responsible for policing British TV shows, received a complaint from an uptight viewer complaining of the smoking scene. Tom rolled up a ‘fag’ in an episode and smoked it infront of Jerry, while he was trying to pick up a female cat.

Ofcom say that scenes of smoking are not permitted in TV shows mainly aimed at children. However, Ofcom have noted that the episode in question has been drawn and first published in a time when attitudes to smoking were different.

The scene has been removed from the episode.

While agree with the upraise against smoking, you have to draw the line somewhere. Judging by this decision Tom and Jerry should be banned from TV entirely as they are not only culprits for smoking, but also condone and promote senseless violence.
One might even go as far as to argue case of racism in the TV show where a particularly white (grey) cat is chasing a brown mouse. I’m surprised that some activist didn’t pick up on this at the height of the human rights battle.

So to sum it all up: Chasing each other, blowing each other up, causing bodily harm, throwing each other off from cliffs is OK

Smoking: No. Apparently smoking is politically incorrect and foul that authorities have banned it from cartoons.

My question is: Are children really that impressionable that they will pick up smoking from one scene on the TV or are they going to submit to violence, which is being fed to them in nearly every show suitable for children?

Kids are more likely to pick up smoking from their parents and peers than they are from a cartoon!