Friday, October 15, 2010

Ruh-roh

So I'm watching Scooby-Doo on the Cartoon Network with Peanut.

Her favorite cartoon.

And to my horror, someone has now decided to screw it up for kids.

The episode jumped the shark, the parental guidelines, the decency factor, the moral standard and one of the key storylines of this ongoing saga.

There was an all girl "eco-goth" rock band. Sexily dressed. Way too curvaceous. Called The Hex Girls. Who wore vampire teeth. Were angry at the world. Made potions.

Worse, Fred was a bit too interested in Thorn, the lead singer.

Then, Fred has an idea to solve the show's mystery, and as usual, he splits up the group and chooses Daphne to be his partner.

Velma then asks why Fred always chooses Daphne. Then Daphne tries to kissy-face with Fred.

And to top it all, the man in the show who needed help from Mystery Inc. was a descendant of a woman who he proudly explains was a Wiccan. Sarah Ravencroft was her name. And she was extolled for using her powers to help "sick people that could not afford healthcare".

What's next? The Tasmanian Devil is actually on crack? Wiley Coyote joins al Qaeda? Daffy Duck talks that way because he has his tongue pierced?

What adult is making these decisions? This crap doesn't just happen. Someone decided to put those messages in a Scooby-Doo cartoon.

I never thought I'd sound like Rev. Donald Wildmon, but folks, watch out.

Maybe free TV should just go away. Let it all be PPV, or internet delivered. Let families pre-select and pre-screen everything that goes into the heads of their precious little ones.