Iron Circus: ROCKET SCIENTIST ALERT.

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August 30, 2003

ROCKET SCIENTIST ALERT.

Oh, good. Overprotective parents are whinging about Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, the only block of decent animation for adults currently airing in the entire country. Super. Great. Cuz y'know, I didn't really like having my tastes finally catered to, anyway.

Apparently, this woman looked up from her needledrugs long enough to notice the "TV-PG" rating on FLCL / Furi Kuri / Fooly Cooly. I guess the implied "Decide for yourself whether or not your kids are ready for this" statement encapsulated in the rating wasn't enough for her. So now, she's calling the every imaginable special interest on CN for daring to make FLCL anything less than TV-MA.

OH NOES NOT THE ACLU!!! Tool.

In case you've never seen it, FLCL is... different. I won't try to explain the whole thing here, but it's weird, even for anime. Gas-powered guitars, an indestructible Vespa, an alien housemaid, and Medical Mechanica-brand robots misusing the portal between the hemispheres of an 11-year-old's brain. All I can say is that I recommend it. It's just violently strange, very atypical, and you either love it or despise it.

(PS: I <3 TV-Boy / Canti.)

It's because of people like this woman who feel the need to foam-pad the world that cartoons and comics for anyone over eighteen get so little play in the US, despite the fact that there's an enormous potential audience for them. Nobody wants to get sued because some worthless, oblivious parents let their kids watch TV unsupervised while they're out bar-hopping, and then have the nerve to be outraged when little Chandler brains baby Bratleigh with daddy's Fender.

The show was rated "Parental Guidance Suggested," was airing on a block called ADULT Swim, was recommended to her by 20-somethings, and was on in the middle of the fucking night. What more does she want? How much more obvious could it be? What was she expecting, the goddamn Care Bears?

Her stupidity is agonizing. I can't empathize with anyone this eager to get up in arms about the content of a cartoon that was clearly marked "Use your judgement when deciding whether or not to allow your kids to watch this show." It's like ignoring the R rating at a movie theater, and then being shocked by the bewbies and explosions you see when the lights go down.

I'm really, truly sorry it's not as easy as just setting the V-chip in your TV, lady. Yup, looks like you'll still have to actually pay attention to your kids. Be brave.

This is the kind of witch who gets comic shop owners busted on obscenity charges for having Cherry Poptart on the top rack... in the back of the store... behind a curtain... under a sign reading ADULTS ONLY NO KIDS BEYOND THIS POINT. Because gosh, she just can't believe they're trying to sell such filth to her precious children.

Control your kids. If you don't want them watching FLCL, fine. I don't blame you. It's completely inappropriate for children (and some younger teens), pretty out there, and probably wouldn't make much sense to little kids anyway. But if you can't deduce that from the fifteen flashing warning signs set up around it, I'm amazed you can work your television in the first place. OMG SO MANY SHINY BUTTONS.

(By the way: That wasn't a lollipop. It was a popsicle. And the scene lasted for all of three seconds. If she was reading sexual suggestions into that, she REALLY needs to get out more.)

Posted by Spike at August 30, 2003 06:48 AM

Comments

FLCL is awesome... over protective douche bags are not. ... You knew that already though X#3~

Posted by Shannon at August 30, 2003 08:18 AM
205.188.197.156

Jesus, stupid fucks like this make me angry. Stupid bitch should be forcibly sterilized with a Swiss Army Knife.

This article makes me think of a great MiSTing I read, though.

"Violence Aimed Even At Preschoolers". Not even the most inane mooing of a stupid parent can withstand well written sarcasm.

Posted by Rich at August 30, 2003 01:26 PM
128.238.245.190

http://www.geocities.com/mysterysciencefreezer/MSTindex/violence.html

Posted by Rich at August 30, 2003 01:27 PM
128.238.245.190

Nudity below the waist? What was that crazy bitch smoking??? Bart Simpson shows more ass than FLCL characters do.

And Jesus. Apparently she's never heard of airsoft/bebe guns, either. What a moron, I'm totally disappointed she ended up breeding.

Posted by jaclyn at August 30, 2003 02:16 PM
68.104.233.252

I've seen more suggestive shit out of that "love" scene in The Lion King.

On an entirely different note, I found a site you might enjoy: http://marichan.com/ikenie/en/

Posted by Tia at August 30, 2003 03:17 PM
68.51.191.158

Ah. That was... cleansing. Thanks for the link, Rich. I actually feel better, after reading that.

Jaclyn: I had no idea what the hell this woman was talking about, so I actually went back and skimmed through all the episodes, looking for her kiddie porn. I guess she must have meant the scene where Ninamori loses her gym shorts while kicking Canti in the face, with half a robot sticking out of her head. You know, that scene that was, uh, played for humor. And didn't show anything. And lasted four seconds, tops. *rolleyes.*

And thanks for the link, Tia. I've been meaning to give Mari-chan a link for months, but it just keeps slipping my mind..

Posted by Spike at August 30, 2003 10:48 PM
68.20.33.25

HOLY FUCKING SHITE

That's the Tribune!! I, um, grew up in Tacoma, 18 yrs, family still lives there. My dad is actually the editorial page editor (click on "editorial board" to the left: scroll down.) - I can call home and give him hell, if you'd like. :D Man.

-Ainsley S, who has never seen FLCL but now kinda wants to

Posted by Ainsley S at August 31, 2003 12:36 AM
64.161.24.164

At least they printed a letter that refuted that arse editorial.
As a mom, and a mom of kid who is sometimes up late enough to watch Adult Swim, I deflore fucktards like this.

http://www.tribnet.com/opinion/letters/story/3799550p-3825252c.html

Posted by Lea at August 31, 2003 04:52 AM
66.69.118.25

Well, here I am, making my comment. Sadly, we don't get FLCL over here in little, insignificant NZ. We do get things like Tenchi Muyo, Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, Cowboy Bebop, etc., through the Adult Swim programme on the Australian-based CN...but I still feel deprived.

Anyway, this woman sounds as if she doesn't realise that warning labels are to be taken into account, and that the people seeing them must make decisions for themselves. A rating of PG is about as effective as AO if you aren't going to actually PAY ATTENTION to them. If she's so unhappy about the quality of the cartoon, she should take heed of the label, and make a decision for herself - whinging to give the programme a more mature label is going to do nothing in terms of the kids. If they look past a PG label, they're going to look past an "M" label too. And if something has PG on it, it means Parental Guidance is advised - in other words, she should be checking out the cartoon to see if it's suitable for her children, and even if it is, still be watching it with her children so that she knows they aren't exposed to any...inappropriate aspects of animation. Odds are, if the animé doesn't say "hentai", you're not going to find that sort of thing in it anyway.

I guess this is what happens when you get people bitching about the irresponsibility of my generation - they forget that hypocrisy doesn't add weight to their argument. Idiots.

Posted by Randell at August 31, 2003 08:44 PM
203.98.50.22

Well said, Randell. I agree completely... except that,a ccording to the link Lea posted, this woman's wrong, and FLCL is rated TV-14, which is stricter than TV-MA. So she's got even LESS to complain about.

And Gawd damn, it's a small world. Tell your pop (and family) to get out of Tacoma before this retard calls in the OMG ACLU SHOCK TROOPS, Ainsely...

Posted by Spike at September 1, 2003 09:34 PM
68.20.33.25

Two things:
1.) I have neither television nor cable, so I am unable to enjoy the myriad of quality programming available to the general public. This is one of the few programs that make me want a TV.
2.) I don't know if they are yet available in wherever whoever reads this is located, but yellow tomatoes are fo' sho' the shiznit. Woot.

Posted by The Bloated Camel at September 2, 2003 06:37 PM
205.188.200.146

omg i cant beleve such a retard would think that that show is harmful i mean they do have warnings in between each show but gd some people have no life all they can do is complain about every little thing even tho this show dosent show anything exeped o.. underware and it dosent show anything and maybe sometimes it sounds like that theres something going on and besides if she has kids and shes so protective then she should just put a fucking block on cartoon network (well at least on her tv) and leave the show alone insted of bitching

Posted by cheetbosss at October 24, 2003 12:04 AM
209.100.183.170

I think this lady is freaking retarded......she wants to bitch and whine about FLCL, followed by Trigun & Cowboy Bebop, which are more violent than FLCL......I think she should be forced to watch Fraiser for 24 hours followed by a marathon of Scarface.....and then enclosing her in a rocket and send it off to the moon, where she will hopefully understand that its not that bad....
And Jesus it was given the TV-14 rating.....dipshit..

Posted by Gamecage at October 28, 2003 09:19 AM
156.63.249.25

Posted by BS at October 28, 2003 09:21 AM
156.63.249.25

fooly cooly is the best show ever adult swim is the best program thing that showed it AND IM !!

Posted by sassy at June 24, 2004 10:34 AM
165.139.116.60

FLCL is a awesome show and any stupid idiot who says its a bad influence so to speak is obviously mentally retarted! i think tht FLCL is one of the best dam anime shows tht has ever aired on adultswim. its just a combination of comedy, violence, and tht awesome anime drawing style in a little 1:30 am package. and anyways, there is a warning before adultswim even shows, so whtsa with the big old "bad influence" thing anyways!

Posted by jim donny at July 10, 2005 01:25 AM
24.162.239.64

NEWSFLASH WOMEN,MOST KIDS START SAYING **** WHEN THEY ARE 9.NO,NOT FROM THE EVIL PG tv RATING SHOWS,but from friends,which get it from there dad,or brothers.....omg,my 10 year old child is watching fooly cooly,oh ya,hes probably downloading he- ntay to.i mean jesus women....if everyone was as stupid and protective as you,kids wouldnt have friends,kids wouldnt go outside,kids would get coal shoved down there pants just for saying hell.how do i know this?cus i am a kid.i am 12,and fooly cooly aint bad.....but the japaneese fan subs.....i think they ad more detail to CERTAIN PARTS,and make the text different from what the real japaneese dialog is.fooly cooly actualy teaches a good leason:DONT SCREW AROUND WITH OLDER WOMEN,especialy 2 of em.lesson 2:cell phones are delicious.3.AIRSOFT GUNS ARE GREAT FUN BUT NOT WHEN THEY HIT YOU IN THE.....well...rule 4:dont treat people badly and think you can just make them forget about it,and finaly 5:GUITARS HURT LIKE A BITCH WHEN SWUNG AT YOUR HEAD.....that is all and you should stop watching long anime like inuyasha,short anime is usualy better cus they can focus on only a few episodes not 134,and this the few episodes are awsome

Posted by is it a vespa....or a moped? at August 25, 2005 07:02 PM
69.105.94.122