Looney Tunes Gets Bloody, Is it Too Much for Kids?

I just read about a new art exhibit called “Splatter” where Looney Tunes characters are taken to the next violent level – complete with blood and guts.

Artist James Cauty created the controversial exhibition with his 15-year-old son Harry Photo: jCauty&SON copyright out of control 2008, courtesy of THE AQUARIUM

According to the Telegraph, the exhibit claims to show your favorite Looney Tune characters in “unrelenting acts of blood and discomfort never previously witnessed on the Cartoon Network.”

The exhibit itself doesn’t bother me.  I’m all for free expression.  I don’t think my kids are mature enough to see that kind of thing yet, so I simply won’t take them.  Others are free to see the exhibit if it interests them.  The gallery even attached a parental advisory to the exhibit.  I’m fine with that.

What did upset me was a statement by artist James Cauty.

“I’m a parent myself, and if I saw pictures like that I would think of something kids would really love, because it’s no holds-barred violence.”

I find the statement terribly disturbing.  I’m a parent and I don’t want my young kids to be getting that excited about “no holds-barred violence.”

We should be teaching our children about limits, not “no holds-barred.”  We should be stressing the importance of right and wrong, not the bloodier the better.

What does it say about our society that we are encouraging our kids to get excited about violence, that blood and guts are “fun.”

I currently limit the amount of Looney Tunes cartoons my kids can watch.  They are extremely violent as is.  We have discussion after watching them about what is right and what is wrong.

I watched Looney Tunes growing up and I turned out ok.  But I was raised with a strong moral foundation.  Even so there’s a big difference between watching an anvil drop on coyote’s head and watching Jerry mutilate Tom.

There’s no way I’d let my kids into that exhibit until they were much, much older.  They need to be mature enough to understand what is “entertainment” only.  They should know why it’s really not fun when people get hurt.

But the idea that our kids are getting excited about extreme violence, that they find blood and mutilation fun, scares me.  Because too many kids are mature enough to distinguish between reality and entertainment and too many aren’t getting the moral discussions to distinguish between right and wrong.

What do you think are we as society doing too much to encourage this trend among our children that the more, bloodier violence is a good thing?  Are we setting up our children for trouble in the future?

Letter to Yourself at 17

I had the radio on the other day when Brad Paisley’s new song “Letter to Me” came on and as I listened to the song I contemplated the merits of a letter like Brad’s.

For those of you not familiar with the song, Brad contemplates what he would say to his 17-year-old self if he could send a letter back in time.

Can you imagine how your life might have changed if your youthful self could benefit from the knowledge and experience the older, wiser you has?

So I’ve got a couple questions for you.

1. If you could send a letter back in time to yourself, would you?  Why or why not?  And what age would you send it to?
2. Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your teenage self?  Advice, warnings, reminders, encouragement, something else?
3. Do you think that if you gave yourself advice that changed a regret that it might change other circumstances and a good thing in your life might not then happen?

For instance, I was married and divorced in college.  Not exactly the proudest moment of my youth, but going through the experience made me a stronger person.  What if by preventing that marriage, I actually remained the shy, timid person I was before the divorce?  And would I have still eventually met my husband now?

I’m not actually sure if I would send myself a letter if it was possible.  But if I did, 17 or 18 would be a good age.

I was a very determined girl who was focused on the future and always doing the “right” thing, so I would have told myself to not be in a hurry to grow up.  I would have told myself that I should take time to enjoy life and live a little.

And no I wouldn’t have warned myself about my first marriage.  Despite the downsides of the divorce, there were a lot of things I gained and learned from that experience.  I think it not only helped me grow as a person, but it also prepared me to meet and appreciate my husband and be in a healthy relationship.  Sometimes the benefits of going through a painful experience far out weigh the pain in the end.