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    X-Men

    Team » X-Men appears in 13410 issues.

    The X-Men are a superhero team of mutants founded by Professor Charles Xavier. They are dedicated to helping fellow mutants and sworn to protect a world that fears and hates them.

    Cartoon Censorship: X-Men The Animated Series

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    ZombiePie

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    Edited By ZombiePie
    No Caption Provided

    Ah X-Men: The Animated Series how you ooze nostalgia. The show is of course important to comics in many ways. For one it is sometimes credited for introducing a whole new audience to the comic book series and as being one Marvel's better forays in animation. As such it is still to this day held in high regard by cartoon and comic enthusiasts. It is however often criticized for being too campy and being devoid of intense action or character death/injury. The sad truth for these criticisms is that the writing and animation staff of the show wanted to include such story elements and desperately tried to inject more action and more mature stories into the show but found most of their attempts constantly rebuffed by the Broadcast Standards and Practices (BS&P).

    Now here's a little backstory. X-Men: The Animated Series first came out in the United States in 1992 which is five years before the Television Parental Guide System was put into place in the U.S. This meant that while the show still had to conform to certain standards of what could go on air there wasn't any sort of rating looming over the top left hand corner of your T.V. screen. The political battle in the U.S. to create such a rating system was occurring two seasons into X-Men the Animated Series' five season run and as an animated program it was subjected to more scrutiny from media watch dog groups. These watch do g groups force the writers in constant contact with BS&P censors forcing them to turn in outline, drafts, and final scripts before a single episode could air on television. Things got even more difficult when Fox decided to air the program on prime time meaning that the BS&P would even more heavily scrutinize the show.

    The following episodes were written by Stephen Melching who published these BS&P notes on his blog. Now before anyone jumps the gun and accusses members of the BS&P of wrong doing it's important to note that they were doing their job and as Melching notes on his blog:

    These are the people who have to protect the network from the many so-called "media watchdogs" out there who would like to child-proof the world. I've seen some of the letters that these people write, threatening boycots of shows and sponsors over the strangest things. Also keep in mind that the FOX network in particular was under a lot of scrutiny at the time due to its prime-time programming, and the spectre of government regulation of content was looming ever closer.

    Now that said some of these notes are down right CRAZY and make no sense whatsoever. Also as fans of the X-Men comics noted at the time and still do to this deprived the show of a real sense of danger. This get so bad that the BS&P censors outright deny the writers of the show from depicting characters punching or hitting each other. Now with all of this in mind here are some of the wonderful things the BS&P doesn't think the children of the world shouldn't seen with their little innocent eyes:

    (Author's Note: I have bolded some of BS&P's more ridiculous requests)

    Episode: "Longshot"
    Episode Outline
    Page 4: It will not be acceptable for Mojo to call anyone "numb nuts." Also, he should not pick Spiral up by the head.
    Page 10: Either show that the hunters Rogue buries are robots, or do not bury them past their necks.
    Page 11: Please substitute for Longshot's two uses of the word "killed." Something like "destroyed" or "take their lives" would be acceptable.
    Final Script
    Page 3: Please delete or substitute for Spiral calling Longshot "Lover," since we would not want to give their encounter sexual overtones
    Page 6: Longshot should not appear "wounded" or bloodied. Also, what does "you sure you got guy" mean? It will not be acceptable for a wolf to "slash" Wolverine in the back, nor for Wolverine's claws to connect with any of the wolves.
    Page 23: It will not be acceptable for Jubilee to "blast Jan in the face." Please revise.
    Page 25: Please substitute for the boulder Rogue hurls at the two hunters, since this would injure them severely. Please incapacitate them with something less harmful.
    Page 27: Please delete or substitute for Rogue's use of the term "scale butt." something like "scale face" would be acceptable.
    Page 29: Caution that Slagg not backhand Wolverine in the face.
    Pages 31 and 35: Caution that no one is hurt by the raptors.
    Page 32: Please show that the bounty hunters are alive after the facade falls on them.
    Page 36: Please keep the kiss between Longshot and Jubilee brief.
    Episode: "Sanctuary - Part One"
    Episode Outline
    Page 1: Please do not have the Astronaut say "My God."
    Page 7: Please avoid having Cortez call Magneto his "savior."
    Page 8: Please avoid calling Magneto's followers "acolytes."
    Page 9: Please do not refer to the objects as "killer satellites."
    Page 11: Please do not have Cortez accuse the X-Men of "assassinating" Magneto. Also on this page, Magneto's compartment should not look as though it is burning, nor should Magneto be surrounded by flames -- no "fireball" with him inside it. Perhaps the compartment could break up or eject Magneto before it explodes.
    Also, please change the villain's name from "Cortez" to something non-Hispanic. There are no prominent Hispanic X-Men to provide balance for this kind of negative character.
    First Draft Script
    Page 16: Please show that the Magistrate in the hovercraft is alright when the craft is knocked out of the sky.
    Page 17: Please show that Delgado is alright immediately after the Sentinel's blast.
    Page 26: Please do not show Amelia with suitcases in her hands when she leaves Xavier.Revised Draft
    Page 26: As also mentioned previously, please do not show Amelia with suitcases when she leaves Xavier.
    Episode Storyboard
    Page 127: Caution that, as it appears here, the hovercraft is only about six feet off the ground when Cortez hurls the pilot out.
    Pages 141, 167 and throughout: Please ask the producers to forward models of the new Mutants in this episode. All women, including Unuscione, should be modestly dressed -- no low-cut costumes, please. Also, what will the "skinsuited" Genoshan slaves look like?
    Page 145: Please show that the two guards are alright after they are blasted off their feet.
    Page 159: Please show that the two mutants hit by advancing Genoshan guards are alright afterwards.
    Page 212: Please do not show a suitcase in Amelia's hand when she leaves.
    Page 257: Please do not give the two Nomads such large, hooked noses.
    Episode: "Sanctuary - Part Two"
    Episode Outline
    Page 2: Another funeral for another person who isn't really dead? Please could you just show the X-Man talking informally about Magneto over coffee or something, not have another death ceremony in the garden.
    Also on this page, it will not be acceptable to show or imply that Gambit is being tortured. Please remove the electrodes. He may be imprisoned, and Cortez could threaten never to release him, or some such. Let's discuss alternatives. (Again, his name should not be "Cortez.")
    Page 4: Please do not have Xavier state overtly that there's "a good chance some of them won't be returning from this mission." We would prefer emphasis on the importance of the battle, not its potential for fatality.
    Page 5: It will not be acceptable to destroy a landmark such as the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps Cortez could blow up a mountain, or some such. Also on this page, Gambit should not be bruised or appear to have been beaten.
    Page 8: Please do not have Gambit grab Cortez by the face or neck.
    Page 10: It will not be acceptable to imply that Magneto injures or kills Cortez here. Please devise a way to show Cortez escaping.
    Final Script
    Page 14: Please do not identify the location of the attack as Nevada, nor the dam as Hoover Dam.
    Page 21: Please show that Chrome is only trapped behind the heavy equipment, not crushed under it.
    Page 25: Please ask the producers to send me a model for Unuscione, including what she looks like with her "exo-skeleton projected. And what does Wolverine mean, "she'd be a handful on a date"?
    Episode: "Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape"
    Episode Outline
    Page 5: Please do not refer to Maverick as Wolverine's "drinking buddy."
    Page 8: Please substitute for the use of "Shiva," a Hindu god. A name from Greek mythology, or some such would be acceptable.
    Page 9: It will not be acceptable for Sabretooth to say he wants to "kill" Wolverine.
    First Draft Script
    Pages 1 and 13 (flashback): Silver Fox may be in jeopardy, but she should not be lying on the floor injured. Also, please lose either Sabretooth's "...and tasty," or "just like..." to avoid a suggestive reference to Silver Fox.
    Pages 2 and 16: Please do not show Wolverine and Sabretooth "trading blows" (socking each other with their fists).
    Pages 3-5: Please do not have Wolverine intentionally slash the support for the lights so they strike Cyclops, and do not have Cyclops seriously hurt or knocked unconscious. Cyclops and Xavier should not require hospitalization or monitoring afterwards.
    Page 9: It will not be acceptable for Wolverine to say "I almost killed Scott." Something like "I was completely out of control when I attacked Scott" would be acceptable.
    Page 14: Please do not have Wolverine attack Sabretooth first.
    Page 15: Caution to make all the weapons futuristic.
    Page 17: Please delete or substitute for Sabretooth calling Silver Fox "squaw."
    Page 20: Please limit the shots fired in the "Andre" scene. Each person should fire no more than one blast.
    Episode: "Hidden Agendas"
    Page 2: Please keep the flames well away from Sam and Pa.
    Page 13 and throughout: Please check with your Legal regarding the many references to a "mutant Peace Corps."
    Page 14: Please have Gambit use his powers (not tools) to short the sensor and open the hatch lock, or keep all of his actions off camera so they are not instructive.
    Page 17: Please do not have the Captive Mutant cry out. Also on this page, do not have the truck come close to hitting Paige andSam.
    Page 19: Please delete or substitute for Kenny's "dang mutie."
    Page 20: Please delete or substitute for Gambit's "...tell you where you can put dat."
    Page 25: Please do not show a cigarette butt igniting the gasoline.
    Page 27: Please do not show anyone in the mob carrying a gun.
    Page 29: Please do not show glass breaking after the sonic boom.Page 30: The "Shock Troopers" should clearly be robots, not people in flying armor.
    Page 31: Do not have Beast shocked by the Trooper.
    Pages 32-33: Please have Unit One just freeze in place, or some such, not fall to the ground and grab his head, as if he is in pain. Also, please eliminate Sam blasting another Trooper and Rogue hurling a Trooper toward Gambit, and delete the action of Sam blowing up the train, which plays as excess for BS&P.
    Episode: "The Phalanx Covenant - Part One"
    Final Script
    Pages 1-3: As noted at outline stage, a fight will not be acceptable in the teaser. Sabretooth may not slam into Wolverine, who may not be hurled into a brick wall and knocked unconscious, Rogue may not be "smashed," Beast may not slam into Sabretooth, and so on.Find a way to show Sabretooth's capture without depicting violence -- no blows that connect, no injuries.
    Page 7: Please delete or substitute for the underlined in Sabretooth's "look who finally got up off his butt."
    Page 8: While "Sabretooth" may morph into Jean, she should be in standard costume, not a bath robe, and please delete or substitute for the line "is this how you want me?"
    Episode: "The Phalanx Covenant - Part Two"
    Episode Outline
    Page 30: Please do not have the townspeople "splatter" when Sinister blasts them. They may melt, or some such.
    Page 1: Caution that it is clear that no Morlocks are injured, only captured or transformed by the Phalanx, in the Teaser.
    Page 5: Please show that Moira is alright, although "assimilated" by the Phalanx.
    Final Script
    Page 11: Please do not show hospitalized patients being grabbed by tentacles.
    Page 24: It will only be acceptable for Amelia to blast Hodge's head if this looks like a mechanical object is hit.
    Page 30: Again, please have Warlock's torso separate in a mechanical way, rather than looking like a human injury.
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    TheBlueAngel93

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    #1  Edited By TheBlueAngel93

    This is one of the reason why I love Batman: TAS so much, when the badguys shot at Batman, it's with bullets, not "lasers" and they actual use the word "kill" in the show. Honestly, I think some of the things they to "protect" a child's innocence is a bit drastic these days, I mean the fact of the matter is that bad guys use GUNS, they shot at the good guys with BULLETS, and are trying to KILL them, not "destroy" or "injure", KILL... -___-

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    eccentrix

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    #2  Edited By eccentrix

    They should make a show where they submit it as usual and then follow the suggestions as awkwardly as possible. "I wish I could hit you and make you do that thing we're not allowed to say where you stop living!"

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    PrinceIMC

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    #3  Edited By PrinceIMC

    Reminds me of the issues the BS&P had with the show ReBoot.

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    The Poet

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    #4  Edited By The Poet  Moderator

    wow...

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    Gambit1024

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    #5  Edited By Gambit1024

    Huh. That's Fox for ya.

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    danhimself

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    #6  Edited By danhimself

    this is pretty much the same thing that happened to Spider-man: TAS....he wasn't even allowed to punch the villains on the show

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    MyraMyraMyra

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    #7  Edited By MyraMyraMyra

    Cartoon cencorship really gets ridiculous sometimes.

    It's important for children to experience negative emotions like fear in a safe environment so that they are prepared to face frightening situations later in their lives. Stories with dangerous, exciting, and sad moments allow children to practice feeling these kind of emotions & to learn how to deal with them in real life. Children don't get emotionally scarred when they see a dangerous situation on screen as long as they also get to see how the dangerous situation is resolved. I think it's wrong to make cartoons overly tame & rob children a chance to safely experience all kinds of emotions.

    Of course shows aimed at children can't contain material that is way too racy for a child to handle, but I seriously doubt that any original script for the X-Men TAS ever contained anything completely unsuitable for children. Looking at the suggested and demanded changes above, these episodes would have been totally harmless even without the cencorship. Kids who aren't old enough to handle vaguely suggestive or vaguely offensive lines like "she'd be handful on a date" or "...tell you where you can put dat" aren't old enough to even get them. I've never really understood what makes futuristic laser guns better than realistic guns, since they only enforce the idea that shooting someone with a weapon rarely causes any real damage. I also don't see why the main characters aren't allowed to be involved in dangerous situations. ("Also on this page, do not have the truck come close to hitting Paige and Sam") if they're going to survive the situations anyways. As I said, kids can handle excitement and fear when the exciting and scary situations are also resolved; the dragon on screen won't haunt a child's nightmares if the child is also shown how the dragon is defeated.

    I'm especially baffled by the ban of all references to death. Death, loss, and mortality are exactly the sort of things kids should learn to deal with when they're young since unfortunately many young children have to face the death of someone they know at an early age. It would be easier for them to understand and accept death if it was actually represented & talked about in cartoons they watch.

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    Video_Martian

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    #8  Edited By Video_Martian

    Censorship sucks.

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    CATPANEXE

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    #9  Edited By CATPANEXE

    Their were heavy differences between the pilot release of the two part Night Of The Sentinels, and the official season release as well that I caught, especially in that the action sequences were toned down in the latter and not as violent. Then again despite the facts you are looking at, this show killed a main character right off the bat, and it aired on Saturday morning. I would say they actually pulled out even and pretty strategically got mature themes into the series, and hardly view it as any kind of watered down fluff. This was an experimental time for animation and the attempt was only beginning in crossing the threshold to make it into even a broader array, so they did do more than expected as far as the tone of this series and any other in it's time. Likewise while still enjoyable the majority of syndicated animated series seem more withdrawn with the exception of Adult Swim and Family Guy ventures of course (Simpsons was no less muted in X-Men's day really). Everything from Batman, Gargoyles, Spider-man and what not during that time period did in fact have these same problems, but pulled it off anyways and better than today's properties do, likewise even Rated R films still face the deadly hand of the editors. That just comes with the craft. On the other hand look at how people would've lost it over little things like that and condemned the work? Perhaps they weren't thinking of their own values and scrutinies but of the public's and insuring the works longevity? I believe this to be true. It's even worse now actually. Look at how many people come on this site just for one and have a kinipschin if a comic character has any feature on their body that resembles a real life human being? If a character says the letters GD? If a character pats the other on the back? If theirs a dialogue exchange that isn't suggestive but one can imply on it anyways? Any of the above highlighted requests? Actually close the half of the topics here are just that.See I can do it too, and the reason I can is experience with what the masses do think and outcry about at large. It's called art reflecting life. These things are what the public already demanded of kids cartoons at the time, not the reverse, and yes I stress " kids cartoon". Their were Happy Meals, sugar fruit snacks, Chef Boy R Dee pastas and ect for this. Anyone that thinks this was supposed to be a hardcore mature HBO show is delusional and needs to check all the details and understand that they actually gave more in these series then they even were supposed to, ei: the censors were lenient with show actually. Personal dreams, expectations and want or different then standards for a reproductions. Really what you've highlighted is definitely not ridiculous. Example: Jubilee and underage girl at the time kissing the adult Longshot. You believe then this should have been an extended make-out scene? I take it there isn't a such thing as statutory rape where you live? You do understand the censors were actually supposed to cut even the brief kiss and not allow it at all? It's fine that people dream and want those shows to have been like their favorite Deviantart fanon and all but be realistic for a a second. There's a reason no one actually complained back then about these things and editorial choices, and that's because everyone understood what was right regardless of what they wanted and was happy to have the show as is. Peeling back to this animated series, in it's time again cartoons like this were just attempting to break the walls down. Batman likewise aired in Prime Time...and failed utterly, so it had to become a children's show in that time slot again. That eras cartoon shows were dependent on having a successful toyline and children's merchandizing relation otherwise the networks would cut them from the line-up all together and that's just the way business was done. So in other words this was pre-emption, because one screw up could've ended this series and then we would have had no X-Men animated series and instead Looney Toons reruns in it's place. Morality of the public and viewing audience is what made these decisions, the editor just and censors just did their job. Why was violence and death pulled back in this show, and why was that stressed? Perhaps it had to do again with killing Morph right out the gate and parents out crying over that, putting the series in jeopardy and considering for cancellation? Wolverines claws as far as most parents we're concerned are knives. Does anyone believe that parents want their children to see examples that okay playing them and fighting people with them? Probably not, so there's another thing this show got away with that most in it's day never would. Ect. Given the impact that specific series had on the entire future of the X-Men franchise, where would one suppose it would have ended without it, and likewise weigh the importance of making the hard and detailed decisions in editing back then knowing these projections? But maybe I'm wrong, and 80's-90's cartoons would have went over well with the public if they had no censors or forethought to the subject matter presented to children...

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    TheCrowbar

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    #10  Edited By TheCrowbar
    Page 2: Another funeral for another person who isn't really dead? Please could you just show the X-Man talking informally about Magneto over coffee or something, not have another death ceremony in the garden

    I lol'd even censors are sick of useless deaths.

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    EnSabahNurX

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    #11  Edited By EnSabahNurX

    @War Killer said:

    This is one of the reason why I love Batman: TAS so much, when the badguys shot at Batman, it's with bullets, not "lasers" and they actual use the word "kill" in the show. Honestly, I think some of the things they to "protect" a child's innocence is a bit drastic these days, I mean the fact of the matter is that bad guys use GUNS, they shot at the good guys with BULLETS, and are trying to KILL them, not "destroy" or "injure", KILL... -___-

    Surprisingly Batman TAS did some incredibly dark stories which is why it lacks the cheesiness that the other cartoons had. Who would have thunk, treat children like adults and not like idiots. Today's cartoons treat children like idiots, no wonder why the US is sinking in education

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    Daveyo520

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    #12  Edited By Daveyo520

    Zombie! You are a mad man! I thought I got away from you!

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    Edgeworth_11

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    #13  Edited By Edgeworth_11

    The X-men show still the best!!

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    Icarusflies

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    #15  Edited By Icarusflies  Moderator

    Haha, this is hilarious! xD

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    chaosimpact79

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    #16  Edited By chaosimpact79

    it just goes to show that while their intentions were right their method of operation was completely wrong.it also show that mutants will be outlaws in and out of comics.a cartoon is a cartoon and should be treated as such not as a life altering tv series aimed at children.i guess they never seen tom&jerry;,looney tunes,flintstones,g.i.joe or thundercats which had more than its share of violence but was deemed good for kids.i always hated censorship because it takes away the ability of free thought,freedom of speech,freedom of exspression and freedom of reality.that's why i'm thankful for shows like south park that points the big finger at censorship just to make them mad.if anything should be censored its the politicans,the censorship community and anyone that don't believe in the freedom of thought.

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    BatteredArmor

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    #17  Edited By BatteredArmor

    LOL seriously did you guys read each and everyone of there complaints? this was hilarious I can just picture somebody reading these to me in a monotone with a British accent I can honestly see them going on comedy central and just reading this humorously into the camera. Still it's sad this would have been an awesomer show without these hilarious changes

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    Bigheart711

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    #18  Edited By Bigheart711

    Censorship may be ridiculous at times, but sometimes, such things are very funny. XD

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    Jonny_Anonymous

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    #19  Edited By Jonny_Anonymous
    @CATPANEXE said:

    Their were heavy differences between the pilot release of the two part Night Of The Sentinels, and the official season release as well that I caught, especially in that the action sequences were toned down in the latter and not as violent. Then again despite the facts you are looking at, this show killed a main character right off the bat, and it aired on Saturday morning. I would say they actually pulled out even and pretty strategically got mature themes into the series, and hardly view it as any kind of watered down fluff. This was an experimental time for animation and the attempt was only beginning in crossing the threshold to make it into even a broader array, so they did do more than expected as far as the tone of this series and any other in it's time. Likewise while still enjoyable the majority of syndicated animated series seem more withdrawn with the exception of Adult Swim and Family Guy ventures of course (Simpsons was no less muted in X-Men's day really). Everything from Batman, Gargoyles, Spider-man and what not during that time period did in fact have these same problems, but pulled it off anyways and better than today's properties do, likewise even Rated R films still face the deadly hand of the editors. That just comes with the craft. On the other hand look at how people would've lost it over little things like that and condemned the work? Perhaps they weren't thinking of their own values and scrutinies but of the public's and insuring the works longevity? I believe this to be true. It's even worse now actually. Look at how many people come on this site just for one and have a kinipschin if a comic character has any feature on their body that resembles a real life human being? If a character says the letters GD? If a character pats the other on the back? If theirs a dialogue exchange that isn't suggestive but one can imply on it anyways? Any of the above highlighted requests? Actually close the half of the topics here are just that.See I can do it too, and the reason I can is experience with what the masses do think and outcry about at large. It's called art reflecting life. These things are what the public already demanded of kids cartoons at the time, not the reverse, and yes I stress " kids cartoon". Their were Happy Meals, sugar fruit snacks, Chef Boy R Dee pastas and ect for this. Anyone that thinks this was supposed to be a hardcore mature HBO show is delusional and needs to check all the details and understand that they actually gave more in these series then they even were supposed to, ei: the censors were lenient with show actually. Personal dreams, expectations and want or different then standards for a reproductions. Really what you've highlighted is definitely not ridiculous. Example: Jubilee and underage girl at the time kissing the adult Longshot. You believe then this should have been an extended make-out scene? I take it there isn't a such thing as statutory rape where you live? You do understand the censors were actually supposed to cut even the brief kiss and not allow it at all? It's fine that people dream and want those shows to have been like their favorite Deviantart fanon and all but be realistic for a a second. There's a reason no one actually complained back then about these things and editorial choices, and that's because everyone understood what was right regardless of what they wanted and was happy to have the show as is. Peeling back to this animated series, in it's time again cartoons like this were just attempting to break the walls down. Batman likewise aired in Prime Time...and failed utterly, so it had to become a children's show in that time slot again. That eras cartoon shows were dependent on having a successful toyline and children's merchandizing relation otherwise the networks would cut them from the line-up all together and that's just the way business was done. So in other words this was pre-emption, because one screw up could've ended this series and then we would have had no X-Men animated series and instead Looney Toons reruns in it's place. Morality of the public and viewing audience is what made these decisions, the editor just and censors just did their job. Why was violence and death pulled back in this show, and why was that stressed? Perhaps it had to do again with killing Morph right out the gate and parents out crying over that, putting the series in jeopardy and considering for cancellation? Wolverines claws as far as most parents we're concerned are knives. Does anyone believe that parents want their children to see examples that okay playing them and fighting people with them? Probably not, so there's another thing this show got away with that most in it's day never would. Ect. Given the impact that specific series had on the entire future of the X-Men franchise, where would one suppose it would have ended without it, and likewise weigh the importance of making the hard and detailed decisions in editing back then knowing these projections? But maybe I'm wrong, and 80's-90's cartoons would have went over well with the public if they had no censors or forethought to the subject matter presented to children...

    That's actually pretty close to how the turtles originally where
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    #20  Edited By ZombiePie

    @EnSabahNurX said:

    @War Killer said:

    This is one of the reason why I love Batman: TAS so much, when the badguys shot at Batman, it's with bullets, not "lasers" and they actual use the word "kill" in the show. Honestly, I think some of the things they to "protect" a child's innocence is a bit drastic these days, I mean the fact of the matter is that bad guys use GUNS, they shot at the good guys with BULLETS, and are trying to KILL them, not "destroy" or "injure", KILL... -___-

    Surprisingly Batman TAS did some incredibly dark stories which is why it lacks the cheesiness that the other cartoons had. Who would have thunk, treat children like adults and not like idiots. Today's cartoons treat children like idiots, no wonder why the US is sinking in education

    It is important to note that Batman: The Animated Series aired on weekends and not prime time.

    @CATPANEXE: I'm not saying that this show should have been an adult animated show. My point was just to highlight the ridiculousness the BS&P can sometimes be responsible for. Impact, audience, and story? I don't really care about that...I kind of don't read comics I'm more of a film and animation guy

    Also with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles they did try and get edgy and dark and were allowed to so in part because the TV Parental Guide System gives animators an option for fantasy violence in television programming for children which the writers and animators for X-Men for the most part were not allowed to do depending on the time. But as many will tell you Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actually got rebuffed with by the BS&P when one episode of the 2003 series was deemed unsuitable to air and you can only watch on YouTube. There are still issues in animation.

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    Rabbitearsblog

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    #21  Edited By Rabbitearsblog

    I never did like censorship because it pretty much violates the freedom to express yourself and also, dangerous situations and vulgarity can't be avoided in real life, so it would be best to have some shows that shows these type of dangerous situations, but have it set up where the characters have a solution to these problems so that way, children would know what to do in these situations.

    It's sad about what they did with X-Men the animated series, because the X-Men comics have always been mature, so nothing should ever get censored unless it's too much for the child to handle. I've read some of these reasons and they were ridiculous, especially the whole "death" issue. I remembered one time on Nickelodeon where all the shows weren't allowed to say "kill" or "dead" and I found that ridiculous. Some children face death at an early age and they should be shown how to deal with it. The whole censorship thing also caused one of my favorite shows to get canceled (The Angry Beavers) just because one of the characters said "shut up" and the network had to BLEEP OUT the word, even though that would cause even more controversy. Sometimes I think that X-Men the animated series could have all the violence and mature content it wanted if it was permanently a prime time show aimed at teens and adults so that way it would have been slightly avoided by the censors.

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    Kairan1979

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    #22  Edited By Kairan1979

    I feel happy every time I see the cartoon not dumbed down, with blood, bruises, curses and character deaths. 

    Hulk vs. Wolverine - I think it's the first cartoon when his claws draw blood.

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    Rabbitearsblog

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    #23  Edited By Rabbitearsblog

    @Kairan1979 said:

    I feel happy every time I see the cartoon not dumbed down, with blood, bruises, curses and character deaths.

    Hulk vs. Wolverine - I think it's the first cartoon when his claws draw blood.

    I loved Hulk vs. Wolverine! It was probably one of the few Marvel cartoons other than X-Men the animated series that stayed closely to what Wolverine's weapons is all about.

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    CATPANEXE

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    #24  Edited By CATPANEXE

    @spiderbat87: Um. I know. That's why I used the example. A lot of comic fans had a tizz at the time because the cartoon wasn't as edgy as the comic. There were good reasons it wasn't and still has never been, which I explained. The same thing happened with the X-Men, and it's a relevant point. And that was in 1997 and people still haven't done any research into the creative process behind male projected American syndicated animation and gotten a grasp as to why things were the way they were. Things stay the same I suppose...

    @ZombiePie: It wasn't ridiculous at all actually, I got that you were saying that hence my answer. As for the Turtles see above, I'm already well aware of the process behind it, well aware, I thought I just posted that information? As for the Ninja Turtles being dark and edgy? Um, no sorry it never has been in animation. Also the part you don't understand is there are no " problems in animation ". Again see my post. The " problem " you see is the way you, or others want animation to be because you can't discern between the way you fantasize it to be and the way it is and has to be to be there at all. That's not a problem with animation, that's a problem with not understanding why shows, and especially and I repeat, American children's animation have to be the way they are or they will be cut from the line-up. Your trying to make a lot of associations with time slots and what not in order to imply or state these shows were meant to be for mature audiences. They weren't, aren't nor ever will be. It's delusion at worse and silly at best to even try and support such a claim as much as it is to endorse that shows primarily intended for young audiences should have mature content in any way shape or form. The animation team would have made said changes either way, I can tell you this much. Your belief that the BS&P had the power they did is faulty in that you still aren't grasping that the changes made are to appeal to the public's opinions, and the studio themselves would likely agree to these changes and had discovered them on their own, lest they would've not done them at all anyways.

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    I'maDC/ImageGuy!

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    #25  Edited By I'maDC/ImageGuy!

    @ZombiePie: This episode is the reason why 4 kids took over and made FF & BTTS

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    I'maDC/ImageGuy!

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    #26  Edited By I'maDC/ImageGuy!

    @EnSabahNurX: What are you talking about?

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    Hazlenaut

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    #27  Edited By Hazlenaut

    I would like to see a joke made of the constant misses with cutting weapons, or the asking if they are a robot bug since they are allowed to cut them if they are. I think we laugh about it now of how they improvise. Remember that episode in Batman Brave and the Bold when Shaggy punched Joker.

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    ms__omega

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    #28  Edited By ms__omega

    @CATPANEXE:

    LMAO EPIC!

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    infinitetoasters

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    @catpanexe: I couldn't disagree with you more. You say "the way we want or fantasize" or whatever you said, but your wrong, factually. The above article blatantly shows the shows writers wanted to put more "mature" as you call it ideas in it, and they made them redo it. So we just see beyond the censorship bs, and read the comics, so we know what was supposed to happen. That dude wasn't supposed to walk away from a tank exploding, he was supposed to be inside it, obviously (for example). The fact you think a kid can't handle seeing a super hero grab another by the throat is laughable, as if he prison raped him instead. The fact that people think a kid can't handle the above said situations is beyond stupid. There were only one or two things I agreed with in the censorship notes, and one was making the kissing scene a little shorter. Sure, why not, that's not really altering it too much, just toning it down a bit, which makes sense. But you can't seriously think a kid couldn't handle some violence when the victim isn't a robot right? The problem itself is that parents flip out when their kids see it, and it's stupid. The show and kids shouldn't be punished or scrutinized, the parents should be told to take a chill pill. I mean, why can't a character say "she'd be a handful on a date"? By making someone censor it, THEY are making it dirtier than it is. I'm an adult and I don't think that sex was implied, more like she's a pain in the ass or a badass and would wreck the place you went out to. You really think laser guns are more acceptable than real guns? That wolverine being slammed into a brick wall is too intense?

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    mistrx75

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    I remember reading about this for Spider-Man, but this is the first I'd heard for X-Men as well. Which makes sense, because they were the same company, weren't they?

    It does remind me of the commentaries for Batman's DVDs, where the creators talked about how they liked when they had robotic characters because then they could have Batman or whoever just go to town on them. So even that had some censorship, though obviously not at the level of the Marvel shows.

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    Tyger

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    @mistrx75: They weren't, but you might notice with cartoons of that era that they were pretty common rules.

    (And if you are thinking about the crossover episodes near the end of Spider-Man's run, that was really just a phenomenal display of cooperation between several studios.)

    Also, I do remember in the old Turtles cartoon where they heard the robot foot soldier go 'clang' and were glad because they could cut loose.

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