Okay, this is just crazy. If not for the fact this is being used to educate children, I would find this picture hilarious! I don't have kids, but it doesn't seem right that Unicef is taking a friendly, happy, fun, cartoon - the Smurfs - and turning them into these poor blue folks getting bombed to teach about war. There is often more to war then some imperial force bombing the poor Smurfs (or other society).
Yes, war
sucks. Sometimes it is necessary, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes (often) there are atrocities - some intentional, some unfortunate side effects. But come on. I mean look at the poor Smurf crushed by the rock on the bottom right. Also, isn't it interesting they are not shooting back or shown as soldiers. Good way to brainwash children that any force bombing is obviously just attacking poor innocent people. If Unicef is using this as a parody of war, then kids are going to replace the image of Smurfs with themselves and it will have a similar effect to showing the real thing - nice - more trauma...
In this photo of a poster provided by Unicef on Tuesday Oct. 11, 2005, the cartoon Smurfs and their village are seen being bombed by airplanes. The recent advertising campaign by Unicef, both in print and on television, is intended to teach schoolchildren about the horrors of war. The title in French at left bottom reads 'Don't let war destroy the world of children'. (AP Photo/Unicef/IMPS/Peyo)
