From controversial wartime propaganda to inappropriate content, classic animation has faced numerous censorship challenges over the years. Join us as we explore the most notable instances where beloved cartoons had to be altered, banned, or completely removed from broadcast!
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00:00You dirty wretch! You've switched boxes on me! You are so right!
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're going back to the past to discuss old-fashioned cartoons that crossed the line so much they had to be censored.
00:15I glanced at it. Boy Cry's wolf has a few laughs. I forget how it ends.
00:21Number 10. Tweety's original pink color. Looney Tunes.
00:25The Tweety we know and love today took a handful of cartoons before becoming his lovable yellow self.
00:31I thought I saw a pussy cat.
00:34Tweety, at the time called Orson, debuted in the 1942 cartoon A Tale of Two Kitties, not to be confused with the similarly named Garfield sequel.
00:45Originally, Orson resembled a baby bird, bizarrely inspired by the animator's baby photos.
00:51I did. I saw a pussy cat.
00:55In the following cartoon, Orson was renamed Tweety, alongside getting blue eyes.
01:06Tweety's final naked appearance was in his third cartoon, but after this, he was painted yellow for good.
01:12It was because they considered a bird in their birthday suit to be too inappropriate.
01:26As if all birds in nature weren't already naked?
01:30Number 9. Cigarettes. Tom and Jerry.
01:32The adorable cat and mouse duo debuted in 1940, quickly becoming a global success.
01:39At one point, they were so successful they even overtook Looney Tunes.
01:43Not everyone considered the original shorts to be entirely family-friendly, however.
02:00Many things deemed violent, racist, or sexist, among other things, have had to be censored from broadcast.
02:06On numerous occasions, smoking has had to be cut from episodes.
02:20Some of Tom's most iconic moments involve him lighting a huge cigar, which was specifically banned in the UK.
02:27Number 8. Kissing Cousins. Sailor Moon.
02:36In a modern cartoon, there are numerous LGBTQIA plus romances adored by millions.
02:43Society hasn't always been so accepting of these things.
02:48Even as recently as the 90s, censorship was heavy for these types of things.
02:52Sailor Moon is one of the most famous examples where two lesbian characters were censored to become cousins.
02:59Let me introduce Miss Haruka Tenno and Michiru Kaya.
03:02It's Haruka! And Michiru too!
03:04In hindsight, everyone agrees this made things even weirder for children to watch.
03:09Rather than a wholesome romance, it turns into a bizarre relationship between cousins.
03:14Well, you heard her. You wasted your time, you deal.
03:17In the end, it feels like they're trying to normalize having a romance with your cousin.
03:22The censors seriously didn't find this weird.
03:25To stop this catastrophe, we need to find those talismans as soon as possible.
03:30Number 7. Daffy Duck Gets Hung. Good News.
03:34Probably the most controversial Daffy Duck cartoon was Good News from 1962, which has been rarely aired in its 60-year existence.
03:42The plot centers around Daffy stowing away on a ship where the captain likes to hang stowaways.
03:49Fetch me a rope, Mr. Tristan!
03:53Just happened to have one, Captain.
03:56Daffy has to comically convince the captain he's a magician, but it doesn't seem to work.
04:02Daffy ends up stuck in a chest for 10 days, finally being released when the captain decides to string him up.
04:08Simple trick. Anybody can do it, but he can't.
04:11Daffy's last magic trick is to explode the ship, but it doesn't free him from the captain's news.
04:18It's easy to see why this was heavily edited, or barely played at all, since they were worried about children copying it.
04:25Perhaps I've been a bit hasty, but this is your last chance, sir!
04:31Number 6. Rabies Syndrome. The Simpsons.
04:34In the 90s, The Simpsons pushed boundaries for what's allowed in a cartoon.
04:39Despite being a family comedy, it was still pretty edgy for its time, laying a lot of groundwork that made later adult cartoons possible.
04:46It's often offensive humor has led the show to become heavily censored globally.
04:56One instance is in Marge Gets a Job, where Bart pretends to have a spot of Tourette Syndrome.
05:02Bart, to avoid this test, you've had smallpox, the bends, and that unfortunate bout of rabies.
05:08Well, I'm not sure I'm over it.
05:09It's easy to see why many were outraged, with the joke being widely considered ableist.
05:14Instead of cutting the scene, they had to redo the scene, replacing it with rabies.
05:19The truth is...
05:21There was no wolf. I faked the whole thing.
05:29I'm just gonna lie on the floor now. Please don't let me swallow my tongue.
05:34There, doesn't it feel better to tell the truth?
05:36Number 5. World War II Cartoons, Popeye
05:40Spinach's number one lover first appeared in 1929, becoming remarkably popular by the outbreak of World War II.
05:48As such, Popeye was a prime candidate for wartime propaganda cartoons.
05:59Today, there's no shortage of Americans who love Japan, and the reverse is also true.
06:04In the 40s, things were completely different, with the two being major rivals.
06:10This led to some extremely racist Popeye cartoons.
06:13And I warn you, if this incident occurs again, you'll have the devil to pay.
06:17Just their names are enough to tell you why they've since been almost completely banned.
06:23The Germans also became victims of Popeye's punches in cartoons that have been equally censored.
06:29Number 4. Naming the Pope
06:35The Ren and Stimpy Show
06:36As far as 90s cartoons go, The Ren and Stimpy Show was one of the most surreal.
06:41One episode featured a superhero called Powdered Toastman, who spent the episode fighting evil, doing a pretty poor job of it.
06:49At one point, he finds the Pope tied to a barrel of TNT in the Antarctic.
07:06Fascinatingly, the Pope was voiced by Frank Zappa a year before his death.
07:10It was so controversial that they had to edit him for reruns, instead calling him the funny little man in the pointy hat.
07:17Much more sensitive.
07:18But Powdered Toastman, what about Muddy Mudskipper?
07:22Hmm, my gosh, you're right. How thoughtless of me.
07:26Interestingly, this was one of the least controversial aspects, with many viewers considering Powdered Toastman an anti-American hero.
07:37Sorry Mac, but I've got to attend to something really important.
07:43Number 3. Japanese Racism, Looney Tunes
07:46So, Popeye became a tool for wartime propaganda, but surely the Looney Tunes never sank that low, right?
07:54Sorry to break it to you, but even Bugs Bunny once held anti-Japanese sentiments.
07:58Eh, just killing time till the island that inevitably turns up in this kind of picture. Inevitably turns up.
08:05One 1944 cartoon features bugs wackily fighting the most extreme stereotypes of Japanese soldiers.
08:12Another heavily banned Looney Tunes cartoon is Tokyo Jokyo, which is an egregious piece of American propaganda.
08:19It's a fake Japanese newsreel which features various segments praising Imperial Japan that were completely satirical.
08:32They were also severely cruel, causing it to be rarely played since the war.
08:36Number 2. Mickey gets drafted.
08:42The Barnyard Battle
08:43Potentially Walt Disney's most famous creation, Mickey Mouse, hit screens in 1928.
08:50Since then, he's remained the mascot for the company, making him a global household name.
08:55While he's considered innocent to many, he also committed crimes in the past.
09:06In the 1929 cartoon, the Barnyard Battle, Mickey ends up getting drafted into a mouse army.
09:13They then face off against invading cats, heavily inspired by the German military in World War I.
09:25This caused it to be banned in Germany in 1930 for being offensive to national dignity.
09:31It's also probably not fondly remembered for showing Mickey at war, something society no longer considers child-friendly.
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09:58Number 1. The Censored Eleven
10:00Taking the top spot is not one cartoon, but Eleven.
10:04As you can guess by their name, they're all heavily censored.
10:08Released between 1931 and 1951, most only began getting censored from 1968 onwards, reflecting 20th century America's racial sentiments.
10:20I'm hitting a trail for Hallelujah Land
10:23I can see my silver lining
10:25To the past is greener twining
10:27I'm hitting a trail for that dead land
10:30One was a Looney Tunes short, while the rest were all from Merry Melodies.
10:37Literally, all of them feature African and African-American stereotypes, made in an era where they were acceptable.
10:44Thankfully, times change, and Warner Bros. has removed them from syndication since 1968.
10:56Unlike other racially insensitive cartoons, such as the World War II propaganda ones, these have never been re-released in home media, making them the most banned Golden Age cartoons ever.
11:07The tall man with the high hat will be coming down your way.
11:12Get your savings out when you hear him shout, and he bonds today!
11:17Do you think these censorships were justified, or do you believe some of them were ridiculous?
11:22Drop your thoughts in the comment section.
11:24You don't think this is another time warp, do you?
11:27Maybe this time the sky is just falling.
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