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October 11, 2005
In the blogs....
Some odd main stories in the blogs today. Three in particular are worth noting. One I am saddened by, one amuses me, and the other is close to disturbing.
The first is the sad news that the entire set history of the telemovies of Wallace and Gromit has been destroyed by fire at a warehouse in Bristol, England. The sets from the recent film are okay but the early history is all gone.
The second item is both bizarre and amusing as the Catholic Church now are admitting that much of the bible probably shouldn't be considered entirely accurate. It's only taken them a couple of millenia. Nice one Benedict! They don't call you Pope Rat for nothing, do they?
The final item is something I'm having trouble with. In Belgium, UNICEF has released an advertisement portraying the horrors of war from a children's perspective, using Smurf characters from the much-loved cartoon series. I actually admire the approach from an academic and marketing perspective, because once you've worn out traditional means of shocking people, taking something as charming as a beloved childhood cartoon and thrusting it into the misery and carnage of war is extremely effective. But there's also something inside me that wavers on this issue. It's not the broadcast scheduling or the fact that the issue of the impact of war on children should be disregarded... I guess I'm just wondering what parts of our lives should be sequestered from exploitation for marketing purposes. I understand and value the message that needs to be communicated. But somehow I feel that in using these images, we're proving, rather than preventing, the impact of war.
Posted by jj at October 11, 2005 8:10 PM
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IMNSHO the Smurf ad isn't going to be effective, and possibly even counterproductive.
For children, yes perhaps it is an effective way to show them how terrible war is. But these children aren't in a position to do much about it.
Adults, those who can vote and/or donate, react differently. I read about this ad in another blog. This will reveal me to be jaded, callous, and insensitive, but my initial reaction was "Smurfs being bombed? Cool! Where do I get a copy?"
And judging from what other people were writing in response, I'm not alone.
The concept is so grotesque, that's it's just not something I can take seriously.
Posted by: Hugh at October 12, 2005 9:41 AM
bwahahahhahaa
Warning: Your bible might not be true. Please use accordingly
Posted by: westyx ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.joannejacobs.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 12, 2005 10:38 AM
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