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Real firearms in western animation aimed at minors

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agc161 Since: Jan, 2001
#1: Feb 20th 2011 at 9:34:41 AM

it's something i've been wondering for a while now. does replacing firearms with lasers really bother anyone who watches these shows or you personally? would shows like GI Joe or superhero cartoons be better with them or not?

DoKnowButchie from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since: Jan, 2001
#2: Feb 20th 2011 at 3:01:34 PM

While I'd prefer it didn't happen at all, how much it bothers me depends on the cartoon and how its handled. For example, I really didn't mind the original "Navy rifles are turned into super-soakers that shoot bullets" edit in 4Kids' One Piece dub—they looked natural enough so that I didn't even suspect that it was an edit until I went to the internet. G.I. Joe Renegades also works relatively well enough, although it's annoying when the show is dealing with civilians who should have guns but don't. Something like the guns in The Batman, X-Men: Evolution or Spider-Man: TAS, or turning guns invisible in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! dub, however, really takes me out of the action. Personally, I think Gargoyles and (eventually) the second TMNT series handled it best: limit lasers to people with extraordinary resources and/or make sure there's a reason why Jimmy Bats the meth addict can get his hands on ordnance with a million-dollar research budget behind it.

Avatar art by Lorna-Ka.
Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#3: Feb 20th 2011 at 3:08:09 PM

Still, better than replacing them with Bananas and Lollipops.

edited 20th Feb '11 3:09:10 PM by Mattonymy

You are displaying abnormally high compulsions to over-analyze works of fiction and media. Diagnosis: TV Tropes Addiction.
agc161 Since: Jan, 2001
#4: Feb 20th 2011 at 3:24:44 PM

Question time: Did anyone actually complain when Elisa was shot during that episode of Gargoyles back when it first came out ?. I ask because i figured the image of Elisa dying in a pool of her own blood would raise some flags with the moral guardians.

Trickdice Lucidly Unsane from Reno or bust! Since: Oct, 2010
Lucidly Unsane
#5: Feb 20th 2011 at 3:44:22 PM

Looking around here it seems that people really liked that episode for dealing with gun control in a manner that didn't treat the viewers like idiots. Maybe less "gun control" and more "gun responsibility." Guns are dangerous, but not evil. Respect them and treat them like anything dangerous: carefully.

"Silent Hill always gives the best presents." -agentjr "Death feels like acoustic guitar." -helloween
boobustuber on a horse from hey what did i just say Since: Apr, 2010
on a horse
#6: Feb 20th 2011 at 3:46:07 PM

Actually, I think a banana gun would be cool.

agc161 Since: Jan, 2001
#7: Feb 20th 2011 at 4:31:38 PM

I think a Banana gun would be an impractical weapon at best, though it would be fun at kids parties. Anyway, do you guys think that a show could get away with having actual firearms being used with no strings attached, or would that be a case of too much work for too little reward?.

ozaiangels Since: Nov, 2009
#8: Feb 20th 2011 at 5:07:33 PM

There are a few cartoons on right now that have guns. I know that with the Avengers they had to choose between having guns or Nazis. Besides that, it doesn't seem that executives and censors care that much about firearms in cartoons if it's PG, at the moment.

Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#9: Feb 20th 2011 at 5:22:32 PM

Is there a trope that explains why laser ray guns are more kid-friendly than something like a MK 47?

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ozaiangels Since: Nov, 2009
#10: Feb 20th 2011 at 5:33:31 PM

I always figured it's because a kid could possibly get their hands on an actual gun but not a laser gun. So I don't know they'll do in the future when laser guns are available to anyone with a permit.

Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#11: Feb 20th 2011 at 5:39:57 PM

As for a banana gun, you can purchase a real life version here: [1]

You are displaying abnormally high compulsions to over-analyze works of fiction and media. Diagnosis: TV Tropes Addiction.
DoKnowButchie from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since: Jan, 2001
#12: Feb 20th 2011 at 6:09:23 PM

Is there a trope that explains why laser ray guns are more kid-friendly than something like a MK 47?

Family-Friendly Firearms has a good overview of the reasons why. One of the big ones is because with lasers, you can fudge the amount of damage they do to make it as bloodless as necessary. If you have people getting hit by real bullets, you either have to show realistic damage, which is a problem when you can't show blood and such, or you have to sanitize it to a degree that is both unrealistic and may give the wrong impression of how dangerous guns are.

Avatar art by Lorna-Ka.
RichReeders Official Muffin Watcher from Watching this muffin. Since: Feb, 2011
Official Muffin Watcher
#13: Feb 21st 2011 at 12:25:57 PM

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang, Banana gun...

(I'll...I'll just go now, shall I?)

Don't you try anything, you baked good you.
Theoriginalblader Sloving cases one by one from Downtown Since: Feb, 2011
Sloving cases one by one
#14: Feb 21st 2011 at 1:02:31 PM

I think its alright as long as the show is PG. But if you take it a bit far(like say, Columbine and 9/11) your going to get a big complaint from people. I was going to say that Diddy Kong had a Banana gun but it was with nuts instead of bananas.

S3 Witch Murderer from Neo Arcadia Since: Feb, 2011
Witch Murderer
#15: Feb 22nd 2011 at 10:00:09 AM

Yo!Guns KICK ASS.

They need to be featured A WHOLE LOT MORE in cartoons so we can compete with Japan and their overrated BS.

Violence makes EVERYTHING better when properly used and executed, and having guns is a step in the right direction. I mean, what happened to the freedom to bear arms for self-defense's sake??

I know I sound crazy, but it's all in the execution, and showing respect for the real world and the portrayal of it through animation to your audience. It's all in the execution, handling of the situation, and maturity to put things forward.

Now if these things are carried out immaturely or for the sake of proving a point that only serves to talk down to the audience, like most of Japan's fare does IMHO, then, yeah. Maybe we are better off just having fun with lazers...

edited 22nd Feb '11 10:04:37 AM by S3

In Neo Arcadia, there are no politics. Just Law, Order, and judgement. And violence - LOTS OF F***ING VIOLENCE! YAY, VIOLENCE!!!
NapoleonDeCheese Since: Oct, 2010
#16: Feb 22nd 2011 at 10:02:19 AM

@Ozaiangels: Wait, did they really have to choose between guns and Nazis?

So, you can say Nazis exist in your universe, and you can say guns exist in your universe, but you can't say Nazis with guns ever existed in your universe? What's the logic behind that?

edited 22nd Feb '11 10:02:53 AM by NapoleonDeCheese

scythemantis first insect politician from Oregon Since: Nov, 2009
first insect politician
#17: Feb 22nd 2011 at 12:49:46 PM

The stupidest part of all of this is that no child mentally distinguishes a bullet-shooting gun from a laser-shooting gun in a way that would make them less likely to pick up and play with the former. To kids, a cool shooty weapon thingy is a cool shooty weapon thingy.

bogleech.com for my writing, comics and cartoons.
AttilathePun The scourge of God! Since: Feb, 2011
The scourge of God!
#18: Feb 22nd 2011 at 1:42:54 PM

When lasers are used in anything that's not science fiction, it makes it seem just a bit more "kiddy". At the same time, having bullets whiz by is another extreme. It's really just grey area. As a weapons enthusiast, I would love to see some more realistic looking firearms in fiction, but at the same time I'm not sure it's appropriate exposing kids to that sort of thing.

I'm torn.

Scardoll Burn Since: Nov, 2010
Burn
#19: Feb 22nd 2011 at 4:49:51 PM

I know I sound crazy,
It does.

Part of the reason why Japan allows more guns in its animation is because of the country's high firearm control. It's very easy to get a gun in the US of A, so guns are treated with more caution in our cartoons.

Fight. Struggle. Endure. Suffer. LIVE.
Cider The Final ECW Champion from Not New York Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
The Final ECW Champion
#20: Feb 22nd 2011 at 8:06:29 PM

If the cartoon is aimed at minors, then why is it that important?

Anyway, so long as people aren't getting the bloody death weapons should cause in real life, they tend to be allowed.

Modified Ura-nage, Torture Rack
Scardoll Burn Since: Nov, 2010
Burn
#21: Feb 22nd 2011 at 8:07:56 PM

More guns for adults=Easier access for minors.

I don't agree with the idea that guns in children's media=more children dying due to getting shot, but that's Moral Guardians for yah.

edited 22nd Feb '11 8:08:34 PM by Scardoll

Fight. Struggle. Endure. Suffer. LIVE.
Locoman Since: Nov, 2010
#22: Feb 23rd 2011 at 3:43:39 PM

What do you have against Japan, S3?

Buscemi I Am The Walrus from a log cabin Since: Jul, 2010
I Am The Walrus
#23: Feb 23rd 2011 at 3:45:25 PM

You want to know what's worse than having guns in cartoons? Fart jokes. The fact that violence is so bad but toilet humor can get past the censors bothers me.

More Buscemi at http://forum.reelsociety.com/
KlarkKentThe3rd Since: May, 2010
#24: Mar 3rd 2011 at 5:08:38 PM

Laser guns in cartoons give children incentive to grow up as mad scientists and CREATE laser guns.

maxwellelvis Mad Scientist Wannabe from undisclosed location Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: In my bunk
Mad Scientist Wannabe
#25: Mar 3rd 2011 at 5:26:51 PM

If I were doing a kids action show, and I could use real guns, I'd still use rules similar to The A-Team: Only the bad guys shoot to kill, that's what makes them the bad guys. The good guys only shoot to disarm or rout the bad guys. Unless they're robotic henchmen, of course.

Of course, don't you know anything about ALCHEMY?!- Twin clones of Ivan the Great

Total posts: 33
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