1500 historische tekenfilms, waaronder Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones en Scoobie-Doo zullen gecontroleerd worden op scènes die roken positief afschilderen. Dat heeft Time Warner, eigenaar van Hannah-Barbera productions, gisteren bekendgemaakt. Scènes waarin boeven roken zullen behouden blijven, maar de 'stuitende' scènes zullen uit het oude materiaal verwijderd worden.

De actie van de filmreus volgt op een klacht van een kijker bij de Britse mediacontroleur Ofcom, die zich druk maakte over twee scènes in een Tom and Jerry film.

Geschiedsvervalsing. Vernietiging van historisch materiaal. Demonisering van bevolkingsgroepen.

Waar en wanneer hebben we dat al eerder gezien?

"We are going through the entire catalog," Yinka Akindele, spokeswoman for Turner in Europe said on Monday.

"This is a voluntary step we've taken in light of the changing times," she said, adding that the painstaking review had been prompted by the Ofcom complaint.

The regulator's latest news bulletin stated that a viewer, who was not identified, had complained about two smoking scenes on "Tom and Jerry," saying they "were not appropriate in a cartoon aimed at children."

In the first, "Texas Tom," the hapless cat Tom tries to impress a feline female by rolling a cigarette, lighting it and smoking it with one hand. In the second, "Tennis Chumps," Tom's opponent in a match smokes a large cigar.

"The licensee has ... proposed editing any scenes or references in the series where smoking appeared to be condoned, acceptable, glamorized or where it might encourage imitation," Ofcom said, adding that "Texas Tom" was one such example.

Akindele said cartoons would only be modified "where smoking could be deemed to be cool or glamorized," and that scenes where a villain was featured with a cigarette or cigar would not necessarily be cut.

Reuters