GOOD EFFECTS OF CARTOONS ON CHILDREN Introduction: Good morning ladies and gentlemen!

First of all, let us thank you all for coming here today. We aware that you all have very tight schedules in the end of year, so we appreciate you taking the time to sitting here. For those of you who dont know us, we are As you can see on the screen, our topics today is good effects of cartoon on children. Our talk is particularly relevant to those of you who have honey babies and who are going to have kids. In other words, we think it will suitable for you all. We have divided our presentation into four parts. First, Mr./Ms. will start off by showing you some photos of some famous cartoon films and discussing about the relaxation values that cartoons bring to our children. Then, Mr./Ms. is going to talk the next two main points, that are the development of relationship between parent and their kids when they watch cartoon film together and the enhancement of imagination in childrens mind. Last, Mr./Ms. is responsible for contend about the education benefits. It should take about 10 minutes to cover these issues. Dont worry about taking note. We will email the PowerPoint presentation to you if you want. And as usual, there will be time for questions after our presentation. Body: Now, let us begin with the first idea of how cartoons relax your children. Do you agree that all children are attracted by watching cartoon films? As you know, these movies are made mostly for children, we can say they are central focus of many young childrens lives. Children have become much more interested in cartoons over many years and it has become a primary action to some lives. Typically, children begin watching cartoons on television at an early age of six months, and by the age two or three children become enthusiastic viewers. Each cartoon film are always watched eagerly by these audiences. Your kids also could see an old one again and again without bored, and characters were known by heart. These two principle figures (show Tom and Jerry) have been becoming familiar to various kids generations all over the world, you know, they were created in the early 1960s, exactly in 1963. Answering previous question, we consider the main reason is that cartoon films were mostly produced in ways of funny characters, flexible plot and colorful

sceneries. So, our children very happy when see this kind of films. This brings us to the end of our first contend. Turn to the next point, we want to emphasize on the development of parent children relationship when they enjoy an interesting cartoon film together. We mean that your kids will be very happy if you spend your valuable time to watching a funny cartoon with them. On the other hand, it will be very easy for you to show your care about your kids in this situation. As a fact, many researches have shown that media influence parent children relationship. How can it do that? We think it is just because your children will deeply feel the love you give them. When you watch film with your kids, you should share them the idea about plot meaning, you laugh naturally in a fun-filled detail, you hug your kids in your laps,so they see the warmth you have for them. In addition, there are so many cartoons have deep educational content, so that you can directly teach your kids many useful lessons while watching them. We will discuss the educational effects clearly in a few minutes later. Now, in the third content, we want to introduce some benefits of cartoons to children mind. Brain function and architecture are altered by exposure to audiovisual media during critical development between birth and 2 years of age. This will be reflected in long-term mental, behavioral outcomes. Studies have shown that television and games improve the general knowledge and IQ of children. By watching different programs and cartoons children become more creative. They try to do things in different ways, so there imagination and creativity is enhanced. There is also evidence in the literature that childrens imaginative play can be positively affected by cartoon content. In fact, several experiments have found that cartoon on television can teach specific attention skills and strategies. Let us go to the last issue, the educational benefits of cartoon film.. Infant, toddlers and preschoolers learn so many thing from cartoon. By watching educational cartoon films, children at every age learn so many things, they start knowing difference symbols, words and many other gestures, they also know their meanings. They also learn good things like sharing, caring about friends, keeping the surrounding clean, and doing their duties (like homework) happily. For example in Baby Looney tunes where there are some kids in a daycare and Granny looks after them, she encourage them to do good and also reward them when they do so. Similarly, when someone does a bad thing like lying, Granny tells that baby in a kind way that what he has done is wrong and sometime even punishes him by no giving him desert after dinner to make him understand. This help a child understand that he/she must do the right thing to be a good child. Moreover, good cartoon increases the vocabulary of the kids. Children learn to interact in various languages with help of media. For instant children who dont have English as their first language,

learn English more readily, from educational cartoon as compared to their teacher and books. Conclusion: Ok, we think that are everything we want to say. Before stop, let us go through our main points again. Those benefits of cartoon films are: source of entertainment, development relationship, enhancement imagination and education. What we would like to suggest is that parent should let their kids time to watch cartoon films, especially educational films. Now we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Reference: Cartoon films are central focus of many very young children's lives, used by parents to help manage busy schedules, keep the peace. Many parents also express satisfaction with the educational benefits of TV and how it can teach positive behaviors. Some of these positive effects are : Educational benefits: By watching educational cartoon films ,children at every age learn so many things. Infants and toddlers start learning different words, objects and their meanings. Also, they can improve overall cognitive knowledge among young children. When a kid watches TV in his very early age, he learns many things before going to school. He takes up things easily and tries to learn how to speak and conduct himself. Helps Improve Vocabulary and Learn new languages: Good media increases the vocabulary of the kids. Children also learn to interact in various languages with help of television media. For instance children who dont have English as their first language, learn English more readily, from watching these cartoon films as compared to their teacher and books . Makes a Child feel more confident While watching their favorite cartoon show, kids adopt many things and sometimes they talk and behave in the same manner as their favorite characters do. Doing so they feel more comfortable and confident that they can talk to people and even can perform in front a crowd Enhance imagination and creativity By watching cartoon films, children become more creative. They try to do things in different ways. so their imagination and creativity is enhanced. There is also evidence in the literature that childrens imaginative play can be positively affected by television content . The children get new ideas with which they can show their talent. Develop parent-children relationship When parents buy different storybooks, watch different cartoons and children programs with their children or let their children to cinemas for watching movies. In each of the above case parents spend time with their children. As a result parents child relationship is improved. Many researches have shown that media influence parent child relationship.

Source of entertainment Cartoon films are also source of entertainment for every child even for infants and toddlers. Like infants and toddlers enjoy sounds and movement and at the same time they also learn from it.

Introduction: Effects of Cartoons on Children Children have become much more interested in cartoons over many years and it has become a primary action to some lives. Typically, children begin watching cartoons on television at an early age of six months, and by the age two or three children become enthusiastic viewers. This has become a problem because too many children are watching too much television and the shows that they are watching (even if they are cartoons) have become violent and addictive. The marketing of cartoons has become overpowering in the United States and so has the subliminal messaging. The marketing is targeted toward the children to cause them to want to view the cartoons on a regular basis, but the subliminal messaging is for the adults to target them into enjoying the cartoons. This is unfortunate because children watch the cartoons on the television and they see material that is not appropriate for their age group. The Children who watch too much cartoons on television are more likely to have mental and emotional problems, along with brain and eye injuries and unexpectedly the risk of a physical problem increases. Mental and Psychological Effects of Childrens Cartoons By: Stevie Hossler Children have become much more interested in cartoons over many years and it has become a primary action to some lives. Typically, children begin watching cartoons on television at an early age of six months, and by the age two or three children become enthusiastic viewers. This has become a problem because too many children are watching too much television and the shows that they are watching (even if they are cartoons) have become violent and addictive. The marketing of cartoons has become overpowering in the United States and so has the subliminal messaging. The marketing is targeted toward the children to cause them to want to view the cartoons on a regular basis, but the subliminal messaging is for the adults to target them into enjoying the cartoons. This is unfortunate because children watch the cartoons on the television and they see material that is not appropriate for their age group. The Children who watch too much cartoons on television are more likely to have mental and emotional problems, along with brain and eye injuries and unexpectedly the risk of a physical problem increases.

Mental and Psychological Effects on Children who Watch Cartoons From the time children start school to the time that they graduate they are averaged to spend around 13,000 hours in school. This may seem like an awful lot of hours to attend school unless it is compared to the hours a child watches television, which is nearly 18,000 hours (from the time school is started to the time of graduation). This comparison is an outrage because of the amount of television that is watched by a child will have an effect on their brain, emotions and their sense to feel pain. In a 2000 report on adolescent violence, the U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher stated that more aggressive behavior in a young childs life is caused by frequently watched entertainment that incorporates violence in it. This has become a public health issue and because of the research findings; the American Psychological Association passed a resolution in February of 1985, informing broadcasters and the public about the dangers violence on the television has on children. Three major effects have been proven by psychological research caused by children seeing violence on television are that the child may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; children who watch violence do not fear violence nor are they bothered by violence in general and the children are more likely to become aggressive or use harmful actions towards others. When we are born we have the capacity for motivation, experience, and training, and because of this our minds are very impressionable. Therefore, our brains development is a dynamic mix of nature and nurture, so it is important to choose a healthy environment for all children. This means cartoons with violence will be unhealthy for a child because in general, being interactive with any environment enhances the development of a successful brain. As a result, a tremendous amount of childhood involvement with electronic media can limit social interaction and may obstruct the development of a brains social systems. Televisions Effect on the Brain and Eyes By: Robert Leu In December 1997, an episode of the Japanese cartoon Pocket Monster (later renamed Pokmon for international distribution) drew worldwide attention after multiple cases of children suffering seizures after watching the episode were reported (Warner, 2004). Parents began to wonder how the cartoons their children watched affected their mental development. While no former study specifically relating to cartoons has taken place, multiple studies over the years have charted the impact of television on the minds and eyes of developing children. Most eye specialists agree that watching television is not a danger to the eyes, as long as children watch in the right conditions. The room should not be pitch black, and children should not sit closer than five feet away from the

screen. Sitting in a dark room or closer than five feet will not damage the eyes, but will result in eye fatigue. (Adams, 1992). As for the brain, there is scientific evidence that too much television can be detrimental to children. The April 2004 issue of the medical journal Pediatrics published a study done by Childrens Hospital and Regional Medical Center of Seattle, Washington. The study revealed that children who watched three to four hours of television daily had a 30 to 40 percent greater risk of developing attention deficit disorder than children who did not watch television. While no specific program is directly responsible, Dr. Dimitri Christakis, leader of the study, speculates that the speed of the images displayed could affect childrens brains (Todays Chiropractic, 2004). But does watching television give young children seizures? Yes, and no. A study released by The New England Journal of Medicine in July 2004 found that most children who suffered seizures from that December 1997 episode of Pocket Monsters had epilepsy, or some other underlying condition that would have caused development of seizures, regardless of whether or not they saw that program (Warner, 2004). Increased Risk in Child Safety By: Brandon Ybarra Today in many childrens cartoons you see cartoon characters jumping, diving, and falling from very high heights, then landing without being harmed. Parents seem to be happy with this as along as the cartoon doesnt promote sex or any kind of violence. But, are these type of cartoon really ok for your children to watch? On every episode of Loony Tunes you will probably see a short clip of Wile E. Coyote trying to catch the Road Runner. And in every clip Wile E. Coyote in some shape or form seems to fall off a cliff or simple have one of his inventions back fire and cause a mass explosion. Yet, he manages to collect his teeth, dust him self off and get up for another attempt to catch the Road Runner. Another example of this sort of cartoon would have to be Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. In these cartoons it always seems to be rabbit hunting season and Elmer Fudd can never seem to shoot that dang ol rabbit. When he tries, Bugs usually finds a way to either bend the gun to aim at Elmer or to plug it up with some kind of object. But, either way the guns always fire into Elmers face. I could go on about numerous cartoons that display these kinds of characteristics. But, what Im trying to get at is that these sorts of cartoons are displaying false sense of reality upon children. Being able to fall off a tall cliff or being shot with a gun in the face and walking from these incidents with barely a scratch. At a young age, this false sense of reality can really affect them. It has been proving that children on average watch 4 hours or television a day. And because of this false sense of reality for every hour of TV viewed per day, the risk of injury rose by about 34% in the children studied. (Website) As

a child growing up I know I looked up to and wanted to be like the super heroes in the cartoons I watched. I would imagine that it would be the same today. Thats why the false sense of reality that cartoons show may in encourage children to try things that they see their favorite super hero do. In some cases TV has also been linked to causing seizures. Either high-speed flashes of light or rapid color changes are thought able to induce seizures in vulnerable individuals. (Website) They found this to be the reason for so many seizures in Japan. Rapid changing stimuli can play havoc with the special cells in the retina called rods and cones that help the eye transmit visual information to the brain. (Website) So just because the cartoons your children are watching dont show sex or violence doesnt mean that they are innocent. Because of this false sense of reality children at a young age cant tell the difference between cartoons and realism. An increase of 34% isnt a small jump when talking about injuries to children. TVs Effect on Childrens Behavior By: Ben Wilcox Television has long been criticized for influencing our children. People complain that certain TV shows are having negative effects on their children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) both feel that TV does influence the behavior of children as young as one year old. From their studies, the AACAP states, Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. This speaks to the impressionable mindsets of young children, who are still learning control of their minds and bodies, and are likely to mimic what they see, as it seems quite normal to them. The AACAP also stresses the need for parents to keep a close eye on what their children watch. They must be there, the AACAP says, to explain that the cartoon character or actor that was shot has not been harmed, but would actually be seriously injured, or die in real life. They should also work to tell their children that violent behavior is not the best course of action to resolve a conflict. The AAP states Neuroscientists have shown that environmental experiences significantly shape the developing brain. This again adds to the idea that young children are very impressionable. They paid more attention to the effect of TV on children in their daily lives. Higher levels the AAP states, of television viewing correlate with lowered academic performance, especially reading scores. This may be because television substitutes for reading practice, partially because the compellingly visual nature of the stimulus blocks development of left-hemisphere language circuitry. A young brain manipulated by jazzy visual effects cannot divide attention to listen carefully to language. TV is a very quick medium. Messages are shot at the viewer as if by an

automatic rifle. Their minds must be equally as quick to interpret the messages, and with such a two-minute mind, many messages are misinterpreted, or confused. When the child becomes used to receiving information at so fast a rate, they lose interest in information that is more detailed and methodical, such as the information received in day-to-day schooling. Television certainly does affect our children, who find themselves mesmerized by the bright flashing objects, and rapid assault of messages. It is good to know that the leaders of our medical professions feel that parents and supervisors of children are able to help slow the information down, and explain what the messages really mean, so as to have a more positive effect on our children. Visual Subliminal Messaging in Childrens Cartoons By: Chris Choma Childrens cartoons are packed with many controversial topics such as violence and sexuality. These messages are not always purposely placed in the cartoon, but instead are sometimes the result of an oversensitive parent or a misunderstanding. However, many parents would be shocked to learn that cartoon makers are intentionally brainwashing their children by secretly placing messages never to be deciphered by the conscious mind, but instead propagating the subconscious, into behaving a certain way. This practice is known as subliminal messaging and it is certainly nothing new to mass media. Ever since the advent of television and radio, subliminal messaging has had a place in both advertising and programming. But what is subliminal messaging? It is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as, Below the threshold of conscious perception; inadequate to produce conscious awareness but able to evoke a response (AHD, 1352). What this means in the world of mass media is advertisers and programmers are slipping in messages that you act upon and dont even realize that you are doing it. And they are also doing it to children. Although there is no official law that makes subliminal messages illegal, it is widely frowned upon by the Federal Communications Council (FCC). Stiff fines and penalties including revocation of a stations broadcasting license can arise if a station knowingly airs anything containing a subliminal message. This is was not always the case as proven by the FCC in the 1950s when legislation that was to forbid subliminal messages was overturned. The FCC referred to Section 326 of the Communications Act stating, The FCC is prohibited from censoring broadcast material, including advertising. It wasnt until 1958, when the National Association of Broadcasters pressured the FCC to make subliminal messages illegal, that the FCC finally complied by revising its policies on the matter. The new code states: Any technique whereby an attempt is made to convey information to the listener by transmitted messages below the

threshold of normal awareness is prohibited (FCC Information Bulletin 7). This law, however, only limits the use of auditory subliminal messaging. There has never been any legislation passed restricting the use of visual coercement of the subconscious, which remains legal today. Many acts of accused subliminal messaging are easily explained by a simple coincidence. Such as the infamous Disney stories, when in the 1990s, conservative Christian groups such as the American Life League accused the childrens entertainment giant of placing subliminal messages of a sexual nature in its films. In the movie, The Lion King, the word S-E-X is spelled out by flying dust as Simba plops on the ground. There was also the incidence of a phallic symbol being placed on the cover of The Little Mermaids videotape box. While these can be explained as an accident or a coincidence that just slipped by, other acts of subliminal messaging are purely intentional. Ken Sobel, a business man from New York, became aware of subliminal messages in cartoons in the 1980s while viewing a videotaped episode of Alf, the animated series, he noticed a glitch in the middle of a battle scene. Upon further review, he was able freeze the tape on the exact frame that caused the glitch. He was instantlystunned at what he saw. There, on the screen, was the image of an American flag in the background, the statue of liberty in front of that, and diagonally across the screen in large block letters was the word A-ME-R-I-C-A. This image was present for only one frame, or 1/30th of a second. This was brought to the attention of NBC Studios which originally aired the broadcast. Although NBC, as well as ABC and CBS, has a policy prohibiting the use of subliminal messages, it does not actively screen its shows for such content. NBC launched its own investigation on the incident and reported that while in production at Korumi Studios in Japan, where the cartoon was made, animators admitted to intentionally placing the image as well as others within their cartoons. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was also at the center of controversy after it was released on home video. In a scene where Jessica Rabbit is tossed out of the car, her legs spread and for about four frames, there is her exposed genitalia in full detail. The animator responsible for this scene admitted to what he had done, claiming: I thought no one would notice. The use of subliminal messages such as these has been almost eliminated because technology has advanced to where home viewers are now able to search what they are watching frame by frame. Animators are now cautious not to put such blatant images in cartoons. Whether or not subliminal messages still exist is known only by those who put them there. Since we are not meant to know, will we ever know if we and our children are being brainwashed?

Auditory Subliminal Messaging in Childrens Cartoons By: Shawnte Ray The lessons that the media conveys to those parts of the mind without conscious perception through the cartoons that people watch, are referred to as subliminal messages. If thats the Democraitc way, I am voting Republican. This was said by Meowth in an episode of Pokemon that aired on Monday, October 11th, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. When children watch cartoons, they always pay attention to what is being said. In a childs subconscious mind, he or she is exposed to auditory subliminal messages that they may never discover, but they will eventually become a part of their lives. Not all auditory subliminal messaging is negative. However, most of these messages have a negative effect on children. The interesting thing about the situation is that these messages are most common in popular cartoons. Sponge Bob Squarepants has been on the air since 1999 on Nickelodeon. Today, it still remains popular and new episodes are still being created. It is now 2004 and people are speaking out against the messages that they found hidden in a number of episodes. The main allegation against SpongeBob Squarepants is its use of metaphors in place of profanity. When he is disappointed, SpongeBob will often yell out Tartar Sauce. To an adult ear, that phrase may sound like it is intended to represent a curse word. Also belonging to the Nickelodeon station is Rugrats. It has been on the air since 1991. The show is often seen as prurient or sex driven. The last name of the main characters is Pickles which is a euphemism for the male genitalia. Lou Pickles usually calls his grandson, Tommy Pickles by the name sprout. It has been argued that this nickname is also a euphemism for the male genitalia as well. Angelica Pickles represents the S&M of Rugrats because constantly physically and verbally abuses the babies. Lesbianism is also portrayed in this cartoon. Phil and Lils mom, Betty Deville is what we would call a Bull Dyke because she wears a bandana, hangs out with feminine women, yells a lot, and loves sports. When parents choose what cartoons to let their children watch, they want to make sure that these cartoons are appropriate for general audiences. If a parent was to find profane or sexual language in the content of a cartoon, they wouldnt allow their children to watch that cartoon anymore. People who create popular cartoons are careful to not allow any vulgar content to be incorporated into their cartoons. However, every cartoon cant be made perfectly safe for viewing by children and some of the verbal content may be mistaken for auditory subliminal messages. Marketing Practices of Companies that produce Childrens Cartoons

By: Divia Nelson Ask any company today what is one of the best ways to sell a product? Many will respond, make it accessible to children. Surprise by this response? Well, you shouldnt be. Nearly 2 billion dollars is roughly spent on advertising to young consumers in America alone. Nearly 30 billion dollars are racked in annually from children 4 to 12 years of age and the numbers get even higher with age(Shah 1). Children are no longer viewed as vulnerable human beings that need to be nurtured. Nowadays, companies are increasingly viewing kids through an economic lens. This is because children are easy to take advantage of. A child will see an item that they want and will throw a complete tantrum until their parents give up and purchase it. This is a marketing companys dream come true. Children tend to trust adults even when they shouldnt. So, when a spokesperson for a product encourages the child to purchase a product, they will. Marketers are fully aware of this piece of information and take complete advantage of it. Advertising at its best is making people feel that without this product, youre a loser says Nancy Shalek, president of Shalek Agency. Kids are very sensitive to that. If you tell them to buy something, they are resistant. But if you tell them that theyll be a dork if they dont, youve got their attention. Marketing Companies can open up emotional vulnerabilities, and its very easy to do with kids because they are emotionally vulnerable. Cartoon companies are the most common companies that are tapping into this new trend. It is literally impossible to walk into any store today and not see any licensed cartoon merchandise. From playing cards to toothpaste, these companies have covered every angle possible. By doing this it makes it impossible for a child to walk into a store and not want a specific item. Cartoon companies are also known to advertise their object in between television shows. The commercials are designed to have the child infatuated with the object and wanting it as soon as possible. With such devises these companies are using today, it is quite understandable why these companies bring in billions of dollars a year.

THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CARTOONS ON THE MINDS OF OUR CHILDREN Dr. Ruebert Saturnine III presents a lengthy case study on the adverse effects of cartoons on children. By Dr. Ruebert Saturnine III | Thursday, April 1, 2004 at 12:00 am

Opinions and idea expressed in this article do not represent the opinions of AWN Inc., its staff or its affiliates.

Dr. Ruebert Saturnine III at a toon-agedy conference in Estonia. All Photos courtesy of Boing-busters. In light of the recent Super Bowl debacle, the harmful effects of media on children have once again become a hot topic in this country. One of society's most important and sacred responsibilities is to mold the future leaders of the U.S. during their impressionable years. Janet Jackson's breast baring has awoken America and moved legislators to remove lurid material from radio and TV. I recently testified in front of the House of Representatives to push for increased fines against broadcasters that air and performances that contain unsuitable content. However, what the mainstream press is not discussing is the adverse effects of animation on children. Kid friendly channels like Cartoon Network are no longer safe with its "adult" programming. Like the use of the cartoon character Joe Camel, children and their parents see cartoons and think safe product. But as we have learned that its harmful to give cigarettes to six-year-olds, we need to address the dangerous effects of Space Ghost and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law on our children as well. Cartoon related injuries are a serious topic that America has been avoiding for years. Dozen of our children each year fall prey to being over stimulated by crazed and/or super-powered characters. How many times will children be hurt under the guise of "having fun?" It is a note to AWN's balanced coverage of the animation community that it is willing to publish my case study on the adverse effects that cartoons have had on our youth. What you read may be disturbing, but as a concerned parent, grandparent or court appointed guardian, this article is a must read. Afterwards, hopefully each of you will join my call to ban all harmful cartoons. The first reported "toon-related" incident occurred in 1914, when a 9-year-old upstate New York boy fell from his pony while pretending to be Winsor McCay atop Gertie the Dinosaur. The prep school student was already an experienced

rider, but was distracted during a routine trot by fanciful thoughts of barebacking a brontosaurus. After the release of Steamboat Willie in 1928, the number of cases of toon-related injuries skyrocketed. Strangely enough one of the most publicized "Willie ward" cases -- as the hospitals use to call them was from the same upstate New York town that the aforementioned Gertie fiasco occurred. Many scholars in the field of toon-agedies have looked into the susceptibility of the New England states to toon-related occurrences. Some have linked it to harmful levels of cod in the groundwater, but others feel it's simply due to the region's loose liberal attitudes.

This picture was used in Johnson's trial as proof of his unruly behavior. In the fall of 1928, young Dickie Johnson decided to take the family yacht for a spin around the lake. Unfortunately, the small boy was not yet an accomplished sea-fairing captain and he crashed the family heirloom into the dock, ruining his sisters otherwise splendid cotillion. This incident spurred the first toon-related injury lawsuit. Dickie's father, Gaylord Johnson, filed the case against Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks on charges of corrupting a minor and inciting mischief. When Dickie took the stand in the summer of 1929, he told the jury, "I thought if a lowly, common mouse could drive a boat, surely I could too." In other damning testimony, the boy's mother, Mrs. Virginia Johnson said, "After seeing that crazed mouse in the theater, Dickie became a hellion. He just wouldn't stop tormenting the cat. He even fashioned his fathers ascots into a nest!" Disney, not one to flinch from adversity, stood his ground. The case is officially still on the books. Luckily, after a short institutional stay, young Johnson grew out of his Mickey Mouse fixation and ended up founding the hugely successful Orkin Extermination franchise. Such cases grew and grew, as animated shorts became a staple in movie theaters around the world. However, a large spike in reported cases can be seen in 1937 with the release of the first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. As chronicled in the Journal of Modern Psychology, hundreds of reports of children being poisoned by tainted apples during Halloween came flooding into

police stations across the United States. Grumpy, Doc and their animated housemates were now unhinging the fragile minds of the mentally unstable. The film also garnered the distinction of gaining the first reported toon-related injury to a young girl. That up until this point, only boys had been traumatized can be attributed to the fact that most parents did not let their daughters leave their rooms until the start of World War II, when they went to work in munitions factories. In 1938 after viewing Snow White, 16-year-old Isabel Hart was inspired to take laudanum in a deluded attempt to secure a date to the fall formal. Subsequently, the teenager slipped into a coma for a week. Her mother, Rosie Hart, told the The Local Paper, "I don't know what she was thinking. Me and her stepmom wouldn't have let her go to the dance anyway. She has chores to do." Like young Dickie Johnson, Isabel was rehabilitated after a four-year stint in the Lehigh County Metal Institute. After her release she went on to gain a solid job as a social worker helping neglected children. Undoubtedly, her toon-related incident spurred her desire to help other afflicted youth. Years later, Hart sued the Walt Disney Co. for copyright infringement on the feature film, Cinderella. Cases of toon-related injuries persistently increased each year after. However, yet another great rise in the number of incidents came in the dawn of television animation in 1956. For the late part of the 1950s, children didnt begin speaking at a normal age, directly attributed to Gerald McBoing Boing. Many professional psychologists and government officials feared that it was a secret Communist plot to under-develop American children's minds.

An early victim of television animation. Former Senator Joseph McCarthy even re-ignited his Communist fight against UPA and CBS -- the show's broadcasters -- soon after the series started airing. In an interview shortly before his death in 1957, McCarthy said in the magazine Capitalists' For a Better Tomorrow, "It's got red inked all over it. You know what UPA really stands for? Undemocratic Pinkoes for America." After McCarthy's passing, many "Boing-busters," as they were called, fought to have the show removed from airwaves. The group later lobbied against all harmful television productions. One of the groups 1960 promotional pamphlets

stated that, "the avante-guard imagery in TV cartoons is clearly hallucinogenic and will inspire ruthless and care-free behavior in our young children when they grow older. Plus, theyre not funny." This idea later grew more prominent as the group compiled volumes of evidence against cartoon makers, showing thousands of examples of "beat-nick" behavior within many theatrical and television characters. The Boing-busters later discovered proof linking the entire "hippie" movement of the 1960s and 1970s to mind altering cartoons. Mina Joyless, president of Boing-busters during those turbulent years, in her plea to the U.S. congress in 1969, said, "We can directly link this new generation's confused sexual identity to Looney Tunes shorts. Bug Bunny often gleefully without shame cross-dresses. In one such short, Bugs Bunny marries Elmer Fudd, who wears a white wedding dress. The homoerotic undertones are obvious, but what is more disturbing in the prevalence of bestiality." The case against animation was weakened once a liberal study released at U.C. Berkeley presented the notion that the U.S. school system was a far greater factor in the under-development of American youth than anything seen on television. Though the scholars were later discredited by allegations that they drank wine in a hot tub, unfortunately, the damage to The Cause had already been done. Though they failed to rid television and movie houses of damaging cartoons, Boing-buster did however, bring toon-agedies into the public consciousness. No longer could animators hide their willy-nilly leftist thoughts under the guise of "children's entertainment." America was taking note of the harmful mental and physical damage that cartoons were producing. However, with everything good comes some bad. Films like Fritz the Cat, Yellow Submarine and Mad Monster Party? were now free to say, "Okay you figured us out" and make cartoons with no shackles of self-restraint. Luckily, the conservative Reagan administration of the 1980s created a more sterile environment in America. Brilliant marketing by the Boing-busters made U.S. audiences disregard liberal art animations as "flower power frivolities," rendering them "uncool" to the younger generation. Cartoons like The Care Bears and The Get-A-Long Gang acted as sedative elements in children's lives, counteracting the detrimental effects of Woody Woodpecker, Tom Slick and Tom & Jerry reruns. However, the decade did see the most publicized toon-related injury case ever brought to court. The complex lawsuit was brought against all the major cartoon studios for years of continued "mental anguish," "reckless endangerment" and "inciting criminal acts." This court case was the first brought against a cartoon creator by an adult who was first afflicted as a child. The family of Devin Grimm filed the suit against Walt Disney, MGM, Universal, Fox and Warner Bros. for years of mental abuse. The case rested on

the foundation that between the ages of 2 and 17, Devin had watched approximately 20,956 hours of animation. The daily toon onslaught had left Mr. Grimm mentally unstable, socially inept and tragically unhip. Like many other caring modern parents of the atomic age, Devins mom and dad thought the TV would raise their kid to be a useful member of society like many scientists of the time believed. Instead, their son was turned into a reclusive and dangerous lunatic. By age five, Devin's parents Mac and Beth Grimm, noticed that their son had developed strange speech patterns, pronouncing r's as w's and ending sentences with "beep, beep. He would only speak seven phrases -- heavens to mergatroid," "What's up doc?," "That's all folks," "Exit stage left," "No need to fear. Devin is here" and "This program was brought to you by the rich chocolaty taste of Ovaltine." His parents were generally unconcerned, finding the behavior rather cute. However, his seemingly innocent cartoon-induced impersonations turned into a nightmare overnight on the first day of kindergarten. Much like any number of famous cartoon characters that flashed through his brain Devin came unglued. If he wasnt sitting in the corner pounding his head with a large mallet or defiantly trying to disprove the laws of gravity, he was perched atop a row of tall file cabinets screaming, Ah, ah, ey, ey, tookie, tookie! Throughout his elementary school years and into his tweens, Grimm was kicked out of school after school. This is the period where his superhero obsession took hold. So convinced he had superpowers, he would refuse to take off his cape and eat his mother's meatloaf, running away from the table screaming Youre trying to rob me of my powers with that insidious Kryptonite log. He suffered minor burns one night trying to summon the powers of Greyskull with a metal spatula thrust into an exposed light socket. Moreover, signs of a split personality surfaced, when he began maniacally tying female classmates to cafeteria benches, then leaping back to save them later after changing into various odd leotards in a nearby janitors closet. As Devin reached his teens his behavior became more deviant and more violent. At age 13, Devin started smoking -- corn cob pipes exclusively -- and muttering cocky statements under his breath. No female student teacher was safe from his wolf whistles, howls and screams of Aoogah! In 1984 at age 15, soon after his parents' divorce, Devin became very reclusive and began watching more and more cartoons, refusing to watch more normal teenage male programming like sports and sitcoms like Charlie's Angels or Mr. Belvedere. During the trial Mrs. Grimm observed, "This was the time he began sawing the furniture and speaking in a Canadian accent. We thought it was some kind of teen fad."

Grimms obsession with animation had by now grown into a full-blown addiction. Much like a junky, Grimm had to feed his need for the most obscure animated programming at any cost. At first, he just borrowed money to purchase bootlegs copies of films like Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, Thank You Mask Man, and Private Snafu's Booby Traps. He left a trail of worthless IOUs all over town. He started devising irrational schemes to gain cash. He was once found at a Williams Sonoma frantically rubbing a copper kettle screaming, Its mine -- all mine, all mine! In another incident, he threatened to shoot chickens in the frozen foods section at a local supermarket with a Super Soaker filled with BBQ sauce if they didn't lay a golden egg. Unable to show his face at any of the towns video stores, Devin hatched a plot to get his hands on a complete collection of Krazy Kat. After eating three cans of spinach and painting anchors all over his face, Devin hid out all night on the roof of Bobs Video store, where he had hoisted an anvil by a rope and lay in wait for the owner to open up shop. At 9:00 am the next morning, as the owner approached, Devins ill-fated plan went awry. Not realizing the rope was also wrapped around his foot, he let go of the anvil too soon, which landed 10 feet in front of the owner, pulling Devin off the roof and onto the rear bumper of a nearby Pinto, causing a tremendous explosion, which burned the hair off all the cats in the adjacent pet store's window display. Grimm was institutionalized after he was ruled not fit to stand trial for the assault. Dr. Buster Mirth took Devin's case and soon learned the extent of damage cartoons had inflicted on the teenage boy. After two years of extensive counseling, Dr. Mirth urged the Grimms to file suit against the animation community. The case went to trial on March 7, 1989. Once, Devin took the stand the trail hit a fever pitch. After two hours of cross-examination the lead lawyer for the defense, Dean Gulberry, asked Devin, "So Mr. Grimm, you can't maintain adult relations or hold a steady job. Are you blaming this all on cartoons?" Devin replied, "This doesnt look like Miami Beach! I musta taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque... I mean in adolescence and it has led me to this state, varmi't. Race, Dr. Quest, quick, get the transfibulizer!" Soon after, several of the studios settled out of court. 20th Century Fox continued on and was eventually acquitted. It seems that so few people had ever seen a Fox cartoon that no one could prove they had any real negative effect on society. Disney finally forced the lawsuit to be thrown out after convincing the judge that Grimm's lawyer had stolen inflammatory animation cels from the company's dumpsters.

At the age of 24, Devin was released from the mental institution. However, like most addicts, getting clean and going straight was just too much for him to handle. In 1992, after drifting in and out of halfway houses and homeless shelters, Grimm took a job as a writer on the USA Network animated series, Duckman. As the 1990s rolled in, toon-agedies reached an all-time high. The appalling effects of such irreverent cartoons asThe Simpsons, South Park and Pokemon, have been so well documented I will not delve into them here. Pepe LePew cartoons have been linked to teen pregnancy, Goofy shorts to careless extreme sports injuries and Snorksto scores of teen suicides. When will this stop? We must follow the example of Turkey and take broadcasters of detrimental cartoons off the air. Future generations need to be free to grow up unabated from the tyrannical thumb of cartoonic oppression. Dr. Ruebert Saturnine III is a professor at the New Jersey Online University and is the current vice-president of the Boing-busters. He would like to wish you all a happy April Fools Day and thank iStockPhoto.com for the use of its images.