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Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this classic animated series promotes togetherness and sharing. Although some skeptics believe the Smurfs' mushroom village is a spoof of communism, kids won't pick up on that possibility. They're much more likely to notice Gargamel's mean personality and relentless pursuit of the Smurfs, which may frighten some very young viewers.

Families can talk about being part of a group. How does working together help the Smurfs succeed? Should you always do what the group says, or are there times when it's better to think for yourself? How can you tell the difference? What would your name be if you were a Smurf?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Deirdre Sheppard

THE SMURFS is a now-classic cartoon series about a community of little blue gnome-like creatures who work together to keep their mushroom village running smoothly and stay out of the clutches of evil wizard Gargamel and his cat, Azrael. The hit series had a successful run on NBC's Saturday morning line-up from 1981-1990 and now airs in reruns on Boomerang.The stellar voiceover cast includes Don Messick, Paul Winchell, Lucille Bliss, Danny Goldman, Frank Welker, William Callaway, Alan Young, Hamilton Camp, Michael Bell, and June Foray, almost all of whom perform multiple characters. And despite the fact that, over the years, there's been some controversy over what The Smurfs stands for (see below), the content is absolutely kid-friendly. It even teaches some worthwhile lessons.

For example, in a Halloween episode, Brainy Smurf decides it would be fun to turn himself into a real monster instead of just wearing a costume. When the other Smurfs find this unfair, Brainy turns everyone into monsters -- much to the dismay of Papa Smurf, who wanted them all to put in the time and effort required to make a real costume. Parents can use situations like this to teach kids that cheating and taking short cuts are less rewarding in the long run.

An episode in which Tailor Smurf is asked to make new outfits for a spring fashion show features a similar scenario. The workload stresses Tailor out, so Brainy finds a magic needle to help move things along. At first Tailor is intimidated by the needle because he feels like it's replaced him -- but once the magic needle backfires and starts ripping the new clothes into shreds, Tailor saves the day and discovers that his services are needed more than ever. Parents can use this example to teach kids that hard work doesn't go unnoticed.

Lessons aside, some interesting rumors have been attached to the series over the years. The most popular is that the series' creators used the show as a way to spread Communist ideas -- the Smurfs' lack of individual identity (they all have to stick together and complete every task as a group) is one of the main arguments for this theory. Radicals have even gone as far to say that Papa Smurf is a cartoon version of Karl Marx because of his beard and red outfit and that Gargamel symbolizes capitalism because he's greedy and wants to turn the Smurfs into gold.

But kids won't care about any of that. They'll enjoy The Smurfs for the sweet, funny characters and their kind acts of sharing and teamwork. Overall, it's a very entertaining show for the younger set. Even if the rumors are true and the series' creators did have ulterior motives, their political messages are displayed in good taste and fly below the radar of all but the most eagle-eyed viewer.

Smurfs fans should also check out The Care Bears on DVD, The Snorks, or the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

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