Smurf Village Bombed by UNICEF

In an effort to raise funds and traumatize children the world over, UNICEF, the United Nation's Children's Fund, has created a cartoon showing the bombing of the Smurf village. Yes, the little blue guys are flying everywhere (h/t The Corner):

The people of Belgium have been left reeling by the first adult-only episode of the Smurfs, in which the blue-skinned cartoon characters' village is annihilated by warplanes.

The short but chilling film is the work of Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, and is to be broadcast on national television next week as a campaign advertisement.

The Unicef advert, which shows the Smurfs' village being bombed
The animation was approved by the family of the Smurfs' late creator, "Peyo".

Belgian television viewers were given a preview of the 25-second film earlier this week, when it was shown on the main evening news. The reactions ranged from approval to shock and, in the case of small children who saw the episode by accident, wailing terror.

If you thought the Coyote and Roadrunner were violent cartoons, take a look at this:

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.

Tiny 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."

And if that wasn't enough:

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

Isn't it nice to know that the UN is making such good use of our tax money.