Adult Swim’s crass humor, thinly veiled social commentary, and ridiculously popular shows may entertain viewers, but people who have the wherewithal to write letters to the FCC are not quite as pleased. Intrepid Redditor Trill-I-Am did the world a favor and requested the last three years of FCC complaints about the cable network. The 33 pages of reports have some real gems, like this one from September 21, 2014:
On the bumper of the show Mr. Pickles, blatant subliminal messages are used. Within one second the following phases are used in this order…
“Since 1425 one secret organization”
“Has sought dominion over the world of man”
“ILLUMINATI”
“tonight it reaches a new level of indoctrination”
“Hail BAPHOMET”
“With an animated show”
“About a dog”
“Give your soul to Mr. Pickles” (With images of pentagrams and baphomet being flashed rapidly)
Mr. Pickles is the Satan incarnate in the show and viewers are being told to give their soul to him. I’m no prude, but this is Cartoon Network for Christ’s sake! A children’s channel! Kids stay up past 10 and this is what’s waiting for them at 1030! Mutilating prostitutes, conjuring demons from hell, promoting abortion and the list goes on.
I don’t know how the hell this show slipped past you guys, but this is absolutely sick If Adult Swim were a standalone Channel that would be one thing, but this is a kids network!!! Oh my God!
And this, from June 16, 2014:
Cartoon network is airing commercials for their ‘Adult Swim’ block of programming during hours where young children may still be watching. My 9-year-old was watching his program and when it ended a commercial for Adult Swim came on in which animated characters were portrayed, and the West Coast of the US was referred to being on ‘Porn Time’. My son asked me what porn was. There is no reason for this to be aired at 8:30.
And this one from May 22, 2013, was about a show that hadn’t even aired yet:
I do not appreciate the overt alcohol reference in the up coming episode of Regular Show. Though the attempt to pretend like they are not drinking beers is made, the cans in paper bags is blatant. If I saw a child drinking a bottle/can from a paper bag, I would confront him. If a police officer saw a child walking around drinking from a paper bag, they would confront the child as well. Believing the bag was carrying an alcoholic beverage. Is it 100% true that paper bag means alcohol? No, but in society, that’s the hallmark. Even in literature, To Kill A Mockingbird for example, they state that the general convention is that a can in a bag alcoholic beverage. Just like a woman’s head bobbing around a mans crotch is censored and not allowed because of the overt suggestions, cans/bottles in brown paper bags are clear and obvious references to alcohol. Which would be fine on Adult Swim, funny, hilarious, it’s to keep the drinks cold, funny stuff guys. BUT NOT FOR KIDS. NOT FOR CHILDREN. THIS IS SICK. This show has consistently attempted to skew the censors with nonsensical distractions, but this won’t go unnoticed.
Fortunately, all the complaints can be summed up with one single sentence from a report on September 3, 2013: “Offensive Adult Swim has gone too far. They need to back off some.”