Violent Cartoons: Are They Actually Violent?

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Recommended: The impact of TV violence on children

In today’s society, 54 percent of kids have a television in their own room (“Facts and TV” 1). To add to that, about 109.6 million televisions are in homes throughout the country (“Facts and TV” 1). Is what the children are watching safe? Whose responsibility is it to make sure they are watching something suitable for their age? In the article, “What’s Up Doc? A Bloody Outrage, That’s What,” by Katherine Ellison, she focuses on a specific cartoon that she can recall specifics from when she encountered her young son watching it. Happy Tree Friends upset Ellison and did not earn her approval. Ellison claimed that certain cartoons are not appropriate for young children because they show unnecessary violence. However, as proved with statistics, cartoons may not be appropriate, but youth certainly have access to them. Even though Ellison makes good points in her article for the cartoon being inappropriate for children, she could have improved her incentive and article in a few ways.

In the article, “What’s up Doc? A Bloody Outrage, That’s What,” by Katherine Ellison, she begins her plight by sharing a personal story about her life with her audience. Katherine has a 6-year-old son who she happened to find watching a cartoon. Furthermore, it was a violent, bitter, and gory cartoon to say the least. Ellison goes on to explain why she feels the cartoon should not exist, and especially why it is not appropriate for her young son to be watching. Ellison critiques the cartoon Happy Tree Friends, and does not have one good thing to say about it. She points out that the show is inappropriate because the animals appear to be singing, looking sweet and innocent, but just moments later they kill each other in brutal ways. Not only is the cart...

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...ives should be somewhat interested in the controversy of the topic. It is important to not look at it in a biased way like Ellison did, but rather consider all viewpoints before choosing one way over the other. Ellison could have made her article stronger, more effective, and more reliable with a few slight changes. Evaluating other viewpoints within her article would have made a huge difference. People should realize what is best for their own child, and think about world affairs and happenings while doing so. Internet cartoons is truly one of the smaller issues in America, but it cannot be overlooked.

Works Cited

Ellison, Katherine. “What’s Up Doc? A Bloody Outrage That’s What.” Argument! Ed. Erica Messenger. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. 295-297. Print.

“Facts and TV Statistics” Parents Television Council. Parents Television Council 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2012.

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