Turner to Edit Smoking Scenes from Classic Cartoons

Perhaps nothing illustrates changing attitudes about smoking more than the recent decision by Turner Broadcasting to edit out smoking scenes from the 1,500+ classic cartoons in its catalog.

Prompted by viewer complaints, Turner will edit or modify scenes in which smoking is glamourized. Scenes showing villains smoking, however, would be left intact.

The move is not without controversy, as fans and purists contend that the smoking scenes must be appreciated in the context of the era when the cartoons were made (the 1940s through the 1960s), when smoking was far more socially acceptable. Others, though, note that the majority of those who watch these cartoons are children, who should not be given any message that smoking is "cool."

The cartoons in Turner's holdings include such favorites as Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and The Flinstones.

Source: Reuters (via AOL)