The best children's programming astutely blends humor for kids with jokes that even a jaded
parent can appreciate.
But a few moments deemed too risqué for sensitive audiences can sometimes slip past the in-network
censors, causing minor public relations nightmares, and leading the offending material to be pulled
from the airwaves.
Here are a few shows that went too far.
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures - The Littlest Tramp
The original Mighty Mouse was launched in the 1940s as a mousy knockoff of everyone's
favorite underpants-clad Kryptonian, Superman.
In the late '80s, the character was revived in The New Adventures, which lasted all of
two seasons, and featured notorious Ren & Stimpy creator John K behind the storyboards.
One episode in particular garnered a significant amount of unwanted attention.
"The Littlest Tramp" includes a brief sequence where the hero takes a nice long sniff of
a fragrant flower.
While watching the episode in 1988, a family became concerned that the petals seemed a
little too much like "a powdery white substance."
Amid the feverishly antidrug '80s, the public jumped all over the show.
Bowing to public pressure, the episode was re-edited to remove the contentious scene.
"Be an original. Sy no to peer pressure."
Powerpuff Girls - See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey
On the cusp of a new millennium and chock full of "girl power," the Powerpuff Girls
combined entertaining storytelling with highly stylized animation, but even the pint-sized
crime fighters weren't entirely immune to controversy.
Initially intended to wrap up the fifth season, "See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey" was a rock opera
featuring the villainous Gnome.
A crushing defeat leaves the girls depressed and searching for answers.
The tiny terror first appears friendly, promising them world peace in exchange for giving up
their powers.
Unfortunately, his idea of world peace is more of a totalitarian state, where the citizens
of Townsville turn into a Gnome-worshiping cult.
Although the episode aired in other countries, it wasn't released in the United States at
all.
Some claimed it was because of a pro-Communism ideology, especially in light of the red outfits
the cult members wear.
Others claimed the episode was banned due to the strobe effects potentially causing
epileptic seizures.
But creator Craig McCracken disputes these claims on his personal blog, revealing the
real reason behind the pulled episode, saying, "They banned it because they claimed that
the metal beams in the destroyed buildings looked too much like crosses and one of the
hippies looked like Jesus."
Steven Universe - We Need to Talk
Despite its progressive outlook, including
a well-characterized lesbian relationship between extraterrestrials Ruby and Sapphire
as a part of the fabric of daily life, Steven Universe has mostly marched along without
a hiccup.
However, the episode "We Need to Talk," did not fare as well in the United Kingdom.
During one of the musical numbers, Pearl shares a very close but sweet dance with Steven's
mother, Rose.
Apparently, the scene made the heads of Cartoon Network UK a tad uncomfortable.
As a result, they pulled the episode, cropping about three seconds of the footage before
broadcast.
After the move stirred ire from fans, the network claimed their edited version was more
comfortable for local kids and their parents.
"It's hard to beat the original"
Shake It Up - Party It Up
The bubbly Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up! followed a duo of would-be dancers on
their misadventures as they sought fame and fortune.
During a model soiree sequence in the episode, "Party It Up," one of the shallow model-types
quips at the duo: "I could just eat you guys up! …if I ate."
After the show aired in 2011, singer Demi Lovato took to Twitter with her own not-so-amused
comeback, saying: "I find it really funny how a company can
lose one of their [actresses] from the pressures of an EATING DISORDER and yet still make [a]
joke about that very disease.
#nice" Lovato, who starred on Disney Channel's Sonny
With A Chance, has been public about her own battles with bulimia.
After her scathing remarks, Disney Channel PR's Twitter outlet responded, stating "it's
NEVER our intention to make light of eating disorders!"
The episode was then pulled, stripped it of the insensitive remarks, and returned to circulation.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - Conflict
Fred Rogers typically kept his messages and
episodes relatively evergreen.
One of the few times he did address current concerns happened during the height of Cold
War tensions, and it ruffled quite a few feathers.
In the lost story arc "Conflict" from 1983, King Friday and Prince Tuesday mistake the
contents of a mysterious package, fearing that the neighborhood beaver Corney is secretly
building a bomb.
This sets off a week-long narrative about paranoia, misunderstandings, and diplomacy—rendered
in all their puppet-y glory.
Thankfully, cooler heads prevail, and kids learn a valuable lesson about love triumphing
over misunderstandings and mistrust.
PBS pulled the controversial episodes in 1996, reportedly due to their subject matter, and
they didn't resurface until recently.
Sometimes, it's not such a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
"I made a very bad mistake."
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