Scrivener.net

Monday, November 07, 2005


Russian Unreality TV: The Simpsons reconsidered and condemned.

Back in April I noted this ...
A Moscow court spent several days watching episodes of "The Simpsons" before rejecting claims the show is "morally degenerate" and could lead kids to drugs and violence...
... and optimistically observed: "Putin hasn't taken things back all the way, yet. And once Bart and Stewie start having their effect the popular culture over there, he'll never be able to..."

My mistake. Spoke too soon. The Putineestas are indeed taking things backward...

Russian MPs have given a final warning to TV stations to cut back on violent shows like the Simpsons if they want to avoid censorship.

State Duma deputies overwhelmingly voted for a motion warning television channels to cut down on the amount of violence they show...

The resolution ... was approved by a 417-1 landslide. It called on television companies to more strictly adhere to a voluntary code of conduct signed in June by the chief executives of six leading national channels to avoid promoting a "cult of violence and cruelty".

The move came after the Simpsons was given a hard core adults-only rating and blamed for corrupting Russian schoolchildren and degrading family values...
[Ananova]
Russia's got a long way to go. Heck, even the Arabs are happily taking the Simpsons these days.