A Moscow court has ruled that a complaint by a Muscovite who wanted The Simpsons and Family Guy to be banned from Russian TV was baseless. The cartoons will continue to be broadcast as scheduled and will not be deemed “for adults only”. Igor Smykov, the plaintiff, first went to court three years ago claiming that the cartoons popularize violence, drugs and homosexuality. He believes that watching The Simpsons made his six-year-old son nervous and naughty and its characters taught him to swear. He also sought $10,000 in moral damages from REN-TV that broadcasts the cartoons. Smykov earlier received support from some State Duma deputies. The MPs said that the cartoons were “crammed with violent and aggressive episodes and introduced antagonism between children and parents”. However, the politicians’ backing failed to help the claimant obtain a favorable verdict.
