What the Smurf was the UN Smurfing?

UNICEF has decided the best way to raise money is to shock.

And the best way to shock? Kill the Smurfs.

Watch the television spot.

(WARNING: Smurfy discretion advised)

From the London Daily Telegraph:

BRUSSELS -- UNICEF's first adult-only episode of "The Smurfs," in which the blue-skinned cartoon characters' village is annihilated by warplanes, has terrified young children.

The short but chilling film is to be broadcast on national television this week as a campaign advertisement for a fundraising drive by the U.N. children's agency.

The animation was approved by the family of the Smurfs' late creator, "Peyo."

Of course, the family knows best. They must be confident that "Peyo" would approve. Still, I hate to think that the creator of the Smurfs would sign off on the possibility of exposing children to images of their beloved cartoon characters being killed.

To me, that's disturbing.

What kind of guy was "Peyo"? Did he seek to bring joy to children or nightmares? Is the family of "Peyo" abusing the Smurfs to further their own agenda?

Belgian television viewers were given a preview of the 25-second film last week, when it was shown on the evening news.

The reactions ranged from approval to shock and, in the case of small children who saw the episode by accident, wailing terror.

UNICEF and the family company, IMPS, which controls all rights to the Smurfs, have stipulated that it is not to be broadcast before 9 p.m., when it is hoped that children will be in bed.

The short film pulls no punches.

It opens with the Smurfs dancing, hand in hand, around a campfire and singing the Smurf song. Bluebirds flutter past and rabbits gambol around their familiar village of mushroom-shaped houses until, without warning, bombs begin to rain from the sky.

The Smurfs scatter and run in vain from the whistling bombs, before being felled by blast waves and fiery explosions. The final scene shows a scorched and tattered Baby Smurf sobbing inconsolably, surrounded by prone Smurfs.

The final frame bears the message: "Don't let war affect the lives of children."

It is intended as part of a fundraising drive by UNICEF's Belgian arm to raise more than $100,000 for the rehabilitation of former child soldiers in Burundi.

Philippe Henon, a spokesman for UNICEF Belgium, said his agency had set out to shock, after concluding that traditional images of suffering in Third World war zones had lost their power to move television viewers.

"We have never done something like this before, but we've learned over the years that the reaction to the more normal type of campaign is very limited," he said.

...The advertising agency behind the campaign, Publicis, decided the best way to convey the impact of war on children was to tap into the earliest, happiest memories of Belgian television viewers. They chose the Smurfs, who first appeared in a Belgian comic in 1958.

Julie Lamoureux, account director at Publicis for the campaign, said the agency's original plans were toned down.

"We wanted something that was real war -- Smurfs losing arms, or a Smurf losing a head, but they said no."

The film has won tentative approval from the official Smurf fan club. "I think it will wake up some people. It is so un-Smurf-like. It might get people to think," a club spokesman said.

I'm shocked!

I was not aware that the Smurf fan club had any sort of political agenda. I may have to cancel my membership.

Julie Lamoureux sounds like a sadist. She also doesn't appear to be too bright.

"We wanted something that was real war -- Smurfs losing arms, or a Smurf losing a head."

Yeah, a Smurf losing an arm is "real war".

Right.

The only people who would be deeply affected by the film would be unsuspecting, innocent children.

Does Lamoureux enjoy the thought of young children being traumatized by the war on Smurfs? It's sick.

Moreover, I seriously doubt that the Smurf spot will prompt people to donate to UNICEF.

Do you think this scenario is possible?

A guy views the 25 second film. Suddenly, for the first time, he understands the impact of war on children. Before he saw Baby Smurf crying amid the smurfy carnage, he really never thought about it. But now, everything has smurfed. He gets it. The death of the blue crew got to him. The guy immediately smurfs a contribution to UNICEF.

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

It's more likely that Papa Smurf will be the one to replace Kofi Annan as the UN Secretary-General.

And from the Associated Press:

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- "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.

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.

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.

"We get reactions from all over the place," said Henon. "People are shocked and want to know the reasons behind this cartoon image."

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.

Are the hits on the website translating into dollars? If not, the film isn't working, as Philippe Henon claims.

If it's a successful strategy and the War on Smurfs campaign does bring in contributions for UNICEF, I can't help but think of how unfortunate it is that years and years of cartoon violence was never tapped to raise funds prior to this smurfiness.

Think of the millions of dollars the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote could have garnered for some worthwhile cause.

How about Kenny from South Park? He would be a gold mine!

Most likely, other than horrifying little Smurf lovers, UNICEF probably won't accomplish much by killing the Smurfs and making an orphan out of Baby Smurf. The "graphic and disturbing scenes" of smurfy deaths are gratuitous.

I think it's twisted for UNICEF to exploit childhood innocence in order to raise money to alleviate the suffering of children.

Smurf you, UNICEF! Don't smurf with the Smurfs!