Unicef bomb the
Smurfs in shocking new campaign
October
2005
Who would have
thought that bombing the Smurf Village would cause such a stir? References
to Smurfs in websites and blogs these days generally consist of someone
poking fun at the little blue guys, rehashing the old joke about what
happens if you choke a smurf, discussing the various smurf communist
theories, or they simply question whether anyone actually remembers
the Smurfs? Well the strong reaction to the Unicef Smurf bombing campaign
has certainly proved that the Smurfs are far from forgotten!
The Unicef
Smurf Video
So what exactly
is so shocking about this Unicef smurf video? Well it starts out like
any other day in the Smurf Village, Smurfs are dancing, playing smurf
music, butterflies are fluttering through the air, and the Smurf song
plays in the background, a familliar Smurfy scene. But suddenly bombs
start falling, smurfs are running for cover, smurf mushroom houses
are being blown up and basically the scene is carnage. The scene closes
with Baby Smurf left wailing by a very dead Smurfette. Some people
say it is too shocking, others say it is ridiculous, but one thing
is true, Unicef have certainly gained an extraordinary amount of publicity
from this, what some would call, ingenious idea. IMPS, who license
the Smurf products, have stipulated that this smurf video must not
be shown before the 9pm watershed on television so as to avoid upsetting
smurf loving children.
The message
behind the Unicef Smurfs Video
So obviously Unicef
aren't bombing the Smurfs just for the fun of it, there is a very
serious message behind this campaign and that is: -
"Don't let
war affect the lives of children."
The Smurfs lead
such an idyllic life, they are secure in the knowledge that there
is only one "baddy" in their world and that is the evil
Gargamel although obviously his evil cat Azrael also deserves a mention!.
That is the beauty of the Smurfs, that they are truly "good"
and in times of trouble Papa Smurf is always on hand to put things
right. Such simplicity rarely occurs in modern children's animation
today and this is why Unicef using the Smurfs for this campaign really
is quite inspired. Children grow up so quickly today and it is very
easy to forget just how innocent they really are. If you watch a child
aged four or five playing, they won't be concerned about the colour
of their skin, or language barriers, and they don't discriminate against
children with disabilities. Like "The Smurfs", children
are generally innocent, and we do have a duty to protect them. Society
seems to have decided that Smurfs are "uncool" but perhaps
their message is more powerful than we think, otherwise this campaign
by Unicef would not have caused such a furore. So as well as appreciating
Unicef's message to protect children everywhere from facing the horrors
of war, perhaps we should look at our values in general, and not encourage
our children to grow up so quickly?
For big kids and
little kids everywhere, Smurf merchandise can be purchased from Kitty's
Cavern Smurf Shop.
