PTC report: Kids consuming "shocking levels of adult content"

By Nancy Tartaglione

The Parents Television Council has released a report, "Cartoons Are No Laughing Matter," which it says documents "shocking levels of adult content on networks with the highest-rated primetime animated cable shows among children ages 12-17."

Per the report, the networks included in the study reflect where kids are consuming the most popular animated shows during primetime: Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nick at Nite.

According to a PTC release, research analysts documented 1,487 incidents of explicit language, drugs and sexual content during a four-week study period. On average, young viewers were exposed to adult content once every two minutes and 19 seconds, the report found.

Said PTC President Tim Winter: "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," Winter continued.

Among the findings:

Instances of sex (including simulations or obscured scenes of sexual intercourse, pornography, masturbation, pedophilia and prostitution) surpassed every form of violence in animated primetime cable programming.

There were a total of 208 incidents relating to drugs.

The study identified 565 incidents of explicit language on shows rated TV-PG and TV-14.

The PTC has also compiled a video mash-up of what it considers some of the more egregious clips.