PTC Study Takes Issue with “Adult Content” in Kids’ Animation

LOS ANGELES: The Parents Television Council has unveiled the results of its latest study, Cartoons Are No Laughing Matter, which finds high levels of adult content on networks with the highest rated prime-time animated cable shows among kids 12 to 17.

The study, which uses Nielsen data, reflects where kids are consuming the most popular animated shows during prime time: Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Dinsey Channel and Nick at Nite. Based on the Nielsen findings, PTC examined 123 episodes of animated programming that aired on Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nick at Nite for the presence of sexual content, violence, drugs and explicit language between March 21, 2011 and April 14, 2011.

The analysts found 1,487 incidents of explicit language, drugs and sexual content during the four-week period. On average, viewers were exposed to adult content once every 2 minutes, 19 seconds. For animation rated TV-PG, sex, drugs or profanity was seen every 2 minutes, 31 seconds.

Other findings show that there is now more sexual content in cartoons than violence. Of the programming screened, 85 percent of the TV-PG shows and 64 percent of the TV-14 shows containing sexual content did not have an "S" descriptor in the rating to alert parents. Also, TV-PG and TV-14 shows included advertisements for adult media, such as TV-MA DVDs, TV-MA shows and R-rated movies.

“Nielsen data told us where children ages 12-17 are watching animated programming on basic cable,” said Tim Winter, PTC’s president. “PTC analysts followed the Nielsen data in order to see exactly what type of material kids are consuming. The findings of this report should be vexing for every parent. The term ‘adult’ not only describes the nature of the cartoon content itself; it also describes the products being marketed to kids.

“Adult content isn’t just creeping into the cartoons that kids today are watching the most; it has overtaken much of that animated programming. We’re not talking about cartoon characters slipping on banana peels and ramming into doors. Our data demonstrates that today’s norm is profanity-laden storylines involving everything from rape and cocaine to STDs and crystal meth. There is now more sexual content on these cartoons than violence – even when counting traditional ‘light’ cartoon violence.

“Parents might not be surprised that there is an abundance of adult-themed content on a cable network called Adult Swim; but those same parents are likely to be very surprised at just how adult the content is and how often teens and pre-teens are flocking to the network. Many don’t even realize Adult Swim appears on the same channel as the decidedly kid-centric Cartoon Network and begins airing at 9 p.m. eastern/8 p.m. central.

“Just as shocking as the volume and degree of adult material in the cartoons was the abysmal network failure rate in applying consistent TV content rating standards. During the study period, harsh profanity and graphic sexual depictions aired during programs rated TV-PG. Cartoon Network failed to use the ratings system to warn parents about sexual content, suggestive dialogue and explicit language 100 percent of the time. We also discovered the networks are directly marketing adult entertainment products to kids during TV-PG programming, including R-rated movies and TV-MA shows and DVDs,” Winter continued.

“Parents need to understand just how explicit these cartoons are so they can make better viewing decisions for their family. They also must be given the chance to unsubscribe to explicit cable networks. As it stands now, every parent who subscribes to cable so their kids can watch Disney or Nickelodeon is also forking over cash every month to Adult Swim. Parents, not cable companies, should decide which cable networks they want to pay for.

“In addition to cable choice and more responsible programming decisions by the networks, the entire television content ratings system needs to be overhauled. The current system fails parents and families when it comes to accuracy, consistency, transparency and accountability,” Winter concluded.