In Russia the Simpsons cartoon has given a hard-core adults-only rating. The show is being blamed for corrupting Russian schoolchildren and degrading family values.
The Russian State Duma have voted (417-1) to limit the cult of violence and cruelty on television. This legislation will have serious effects on the Simpsons. One MP said, “The experts gave just the result we feared. They found The Simpsons were crammed with violent and aggressive episodes. These cartoons also introduce antagonism between children and parents.” Did they need to hire an expert to find out that the Simpsons include violence???
The Russian television channels are faced with a choice: self-regulation or censorship.
The vote asks for television companies to more strictly adhere to a voluntary code of conduct signed in June by the chief executives of six leading national channels to avoid promoting a “cult of violence and cruelty”. The First Deputy Speaker Lyubov Sliska said it was a “yellow card” for the channels (was this an intended pun we ask?)
Considering the troubles in Russian with crime (organised or not), poverty and terrorism you might think that the Simpsons was the least of their worries.