Top 10 Times Classic Cartoons Were Censored

Looney Tunes (1930-)

The Tweety we know and love today took a handful of cartoons before becoming his loveable yellow self. Tweety, at the time called Orson, debuted in the 1942 cartoon A Tale of Two Kitties, not to be confused with the similarly named Garfield sequel. Originally, Orson resembled a baby bird, bizarrely inspired by the animators baby photos. In the following cartoon, Orson was renamed Tweety, alongside getting blue eyes. Tweetys final naked appearance was in his third cartoon, but after this, he was painted yellow for good. It was because they considered a bird in their birthday suit to be too inappropriate, as if all birds in nature werent already naked.

Tom and Jerry (1940-)

The adorable cat-and-mouse duo debuted in 1940, quickly becoming a global success. At one point, they were so successful they even overtook Looney Tunes. Not everyone considered the original shorts to be entirely family-friendly, however. Many things deemed violent, racist, or sexist, among other things, have had to be censored from broadcast. On numerous occasions, smoking has had to be cut from episodes. Some of Toms most iconic moments involve him lighting a huge cigar, which was specifically banned in the UK.

Sailor Moon (1992-97)

In modern cartoons, there are numerous LGBTQIA+ romances adored by millions. Society hasnt always been so accepting of these things. Even as recently as the '90s, censorship was heavy for these types of things. Sailor Moon is one of the most famous examples, where two lesbian characters were censored to become cousins. In hindsight, everyone agrees this made things even weirder for children to watch. Rather than a wholesome romance, it turns into a bizarre relationship between cousins. In the end, it feels like theyre trying to normalize having a romance with your cousin. The censors seriously didnt find this weird?

Good Noose (1962)

Probably the most controversial Daffy Duck cartoon was Good Noose from 1962, which has been rarely aired in its 60-year existence. The plot centers around Daffy stowing away on a ship, where the captain likes to hang stowaways. Daffy has to comically convince the captain hes a magician, but it doesnt seem to work. Daffy ends up stuck in a chest for ten days, finally being released when the captain decides to string him up. Daffys last magic trick is to explode the ship, but it doesnt free him from the captains noose. Its easy to see why this was heavily edited, or barely played at all since they were worried about children copying it.

The Simpsons (1989-)

In the '90s, The Simpsons pushed boundaries for whats allowed in a cartoon. Despite being a family comedy, it was still pretty edgy for its time, laying a lot of groundwork that made later adult cartoons possible. Its often-offensive humor has led the show to become heavily censored globally. One instance is in Marge Gets a Job, where Bart pretends to have a spot of Tourettes syndrome. Its easy to see why many were outraged, with the joke being widely considered ableist. Instead of cutting the scene, they had to redo the scene, replacing it with rabies.

Popeye (1933-57)

Spinachs number one lover first appeared in 1929, becoming remarkably popular by the outbreak of World War II. As such, Popeye was a prime candidate for wartime propaganda cartoons. Today, theres no shortage of Americans who love Japan, and the reverse is also true. In the '40s, things were completely different, with the two being major rivals. This led to some extremely racist Popeye cartoons. Just their names are enough to tell you why theyve since been almost completely banned. The Germans also became victims of Popeyes punches in cartoons that have been equally censored.

The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-96)


As far as 90s cartoons go, The Ren & Stimpy Show was one of the most surreal. One episode featured a superhero called Powdered Toast Man, who spends the episode fighting evil, doing a pretty poor job of it. At one point, he finds the Pope tied to a barrel of TNT in the Antarctic. Fascinatingly, the Pope was voiced by Frank Zappa, a year before his death. It was so controversial that they had to edit him for reruns, instead calling him The Funny Little Man in the Pointy Hat, much more sensitive. Interestingly, this was one of the least controversial aspects, with many viewers considering Powdered Toast Man an anti-American hero.

Looney Tunes (1930-)

So Popeye became a tool for wartime propaganda, but surely the Looney Tunes never sank that low, right? Sorry to break it to you, but even Bugs Bunny once held anti-Japanese sentiments. One 1944 cartoon features Bugs wackily fighting the most extreme stereotypes of Japanese soldiers. Another heavily banned Looney Tunes cartoon is Tokio Jokio, which is an egregious piece of American propaganda. Its a fake Japanese newsreel, which features various segments praising Imperial Japan that were completely satirical. They were also severely cruel, causing it to be rarely played since the war.

The Barnyard Battle (1929)

Potentially Walt Disneys most famous creation, Mickey Mouse hit screens in 1928. Since then, hes remained the mascot for the company, making him a global household name. While hes considered innocent to many, he also committed crimes in the past. In the 1929 cartoon, The Barnyard Battle, Mickey ends up getting drafted into a mouse army. They then face off against invading cats, heavily inspired by the German military in World War I. This caused it to be banned in Germany in 1930 for being offensive to national dignity. Its also probably not fondly remembered for showing Mickey at war, something society no longer considers child-friendly.

Taking the top spot is not one cartoon, but eleven. As you can guess by their name, theyre all heavily censored, released between 1931 and 1951. Most only began getting censored from 1968 onwards, reflecting 20th-century Americas racial sentiments. One was a Looney Tunes short, while the rest were all from Merrie Melodies. Literally, all of them feature African and African-American stereotypes, made in an era where they were acceptable. Thankfully times change, and Warner Bros. has removed them from syndication since 1968. Unlike other racially insensitive cartoons, such as the WWII propaganda ones, these have never been re-released in home media, making them the most banned Golden Age cartoons ever.

Do you think these censorships were justified, or do you believe some of them were ridiculous? Drop your thoughts in the comments section!