Toons go smokeless; Tom to be covered in bandages, nicotine patches

Turner Broadcasting will go through its library of Hanna-Barbera cartoons to remove any scenes that might have the potential to glamorize smoking. The move comes after the British Office of Communications received a single viewer complaint, and will leave Tom the cat's Now, Voyager moment with a female pussy on the cutting room floor:

In the first, "Texas Tom," the hapless cat Tom tries to impress a feline female by rolling a cigarette, lighting it and smoking it with one hand. In the second, "Tennis Chumps," Tom's opponent in a match smokes a large cigar.

"The licensee has … proposed editing any scenes or references in the series where smoking appeared to be condoned, acceptable, glamorized or where it might encourage imitation," Ofcom said, adding that "Texas Tom" was one such example.

[Turner Europe flack Yinka] Akindele said cartoons would only be modified "where smoking could be deemed to be cool or glamorized," and that scenes where a villain was featured with a cigarette or cigar would not necessarily be cut.

So that easily hoodwinked infielder for the Gashouse Gorillas appears to be safe…for now.

Thanks to Spike TV's Ryan Posly for the tip.