Simpsons criticized for lack of safety messages
Researchers "suggest that the growing number of children ending up in hospital after accidents may stem from them acting out scenes or behaviours -- such as eating poisonous berries, getting electrocuted or not wearing a seatbelt in a car, -- that they have seen on cartoons."
My main problem with this is that the shows are quite clearly cartoons. Why single out animated works as lacking in the proper safety messages? Take a look at the live-action television shows (such as sitcoms) and kids' movies -- those severely lack in safety messages. Gates for pools, bike helmets, and yes, even seatbelts are often not included on-screen.
Movies, television and animation don't exist to depict an accurate portrayal of the world -- and it is folly to expect real-world safety devices to be shown when the inclusion (or exclusion) will not substantially alter the plot or story.
That's not to say that media doesn't have an impact on our lives. It most clearly does -- but to safety proof every message that can be interpretted in animation is to hold animation to a higher standard than can be realistically expected from any other media form out there.
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