And now, from the "Thank God my taxes don't pay for this" department, and Yahoo! News

Sudiegirl sez: Let me start by saying that I am all for strong images to make a point. That's what good literature, film, music and art is based upon. However, there is a point when this just makes one smack oneself on the forehead with a 2 x 4. This is one of those times. For fear of spoiling the fun, I will stop my pre-article comment now and do what I do best. Don't stop me folks...I'm on a roll! And BTW, when are the Care Bears going to be napalmed? Unicef, are you listening?

UNICEF Bombs Smurfs to Highlight Plight
By HELENA SPONGENBERG, Associated Press Writer
Tue Oct 11, 5:04 PM ET

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Smurfette is left for dead. Baby Smurf is left crying and orphaned as the Smurf's village is carpet bombed by warplanes — a horrific scene and imagery not normally associated with the lovable blue-skinned cartoon characters.
(Unless, of course, you buy the "Director's Cut.)

These are the scenes being shown as part of a new UNICEF ad-campaign on Belgian television. (They should just shut up and make some more damned chocolate.)

"It's working. We are getting a lot of reactions and people are logging on to our Web site," UNICEF Belgium spokesman Philippe Henon said Tuesday. (Please note...the types of reactions and log-ons have not been shared. Something tells me they're trying to sneak something past us...what say you?)

The Belgian office of the U.N. children's fund said it has decided to use the creations of late Belgian artist Peyo to shock a complacent public into backing its fund-raising efforts for ex-child soldiers in Africa. (What's wrong with a bake sale? My mom has an awesome chocolate chip cookie recipe...)

The 20-second video commercial clip now being shown on Belgian TV aims to show that war can happen in the most innocent of places, Henon said. (Please note this is the country that spawned Jean Claude Van Damme, so of COURSE they know about appropriate violence, right?)

"We get reactions from all over the place," said Henon. "People are shocked and want to know the reasons behind this cartoon image." (As for myself, I want to know why the hell they didn't do it sooner? Also, has Francis Ford Coppola decided to insert it into yet another recut of "Apocalypse Now"? Could you imagine the Smurfs being strafed with carpet bombs to the strains of "Ride of the Valkyries"?)

The appeal is meant to raise money for UNICEF projects in Burundi, Congo and Sudan, Henon said. However, due to its graphic and disturbing scenes, this cartoon is not for everyone. The advertisement is aimed at an adult audience and is only shown after 9 p.m. to avoid upsetting young Smurfs fans. (Which leads me to another question...ARE there young Smurf fans? I mean, didn't the Smurfs kind of...I don't know...die with New Wave music?)

The video is peacefully introduced by birds, butterflies and happy Smurfs playing and singing their theme song when suddenly out of the sky, bombs rain down onto their forest village, scattering Papa Smurf and the rest as their houses are set ablaze. (You know, if they show it in America, how soon before wacky college students make up a drinking game about it?)

The bombs kill Smurfette leaving Baby Smurf orphaned and crying at the edge of a crater in the last scene of the video and finishing of with the text "don't let war destroy the children's world."
It calls on viewers to donate.
(Hell, I'd give my left lung to see the Smurfs blown to pieces? Where do I sign up?)

UNICEF traditionally uses real life images of playing and laughing children but decided to change it for something that would shock people, Henon said. (Of course, they don't mention the cheers and "Yahoo" cries rolling across America as we read about it! Little blue bastards...thank god they're gone.)

"We wanted to have lasting effect of our campaign, because we felt that in comparison to previous campaigns, the public is not easily motivated to do things for humanitarian causes and certainly not when it involved Africa or children in war," he said. (So the key here is different color? That's a bit odd...and other than Baby Smurf, all the Smurfs are grown up so there really isn't much of a comparison, never mind that Africa is a warmer climate than Belgium.)

Henon added that UNICEF would never cross the line and film real-life war scenes in its appeals. (Bummer. There goes my new film project for Martha Stewart and Tom Cruise.)

The UNICEF campaign was launched Friday with the Smurf TV spot and will last until April. (I'll bet child psychologists in Belgium will see office visits skyrocket.)

"We see so many images that we don't really react anymore," said Julie Lamoureux, account director at Publicis, an advertising agency that drew up the campaign for UNICEF Belgium. "In 35 seconds we wanted to show adults how awful war is by reaching them within their memories of childhood." (Uh, no. Not in this country, anyway. Try somewhere else.)

The Smurf ad will be followed by similar ad in November to promote UNICEF's "let children live in peace" campaign. (So that will be the Care Bears one? Hope so!)

French children's program Martine and the children's song "Au Clair de la Lune" will be presented with changed lyrics. (OK, THAT sentence came out of nowhere. Is it in context with this damned exploding Smurf commercial or what?)

Sudiegirl's final opinion?

It's a lovely day at Rancho Sudiegirl. Anytime I read a news story about Smurfs being strafed by carpet bombs, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

War is bad; however, when Smurfs are the victims, it doesn't seem quite so tragic.

Smurfily yours,
Sudiegirl

PS: Maybe that damned CGI Smurf movie will also be cut short. The tragedies of war...