Unicef bombs the Smurfs!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I disagree with all y'all. They wanted a striking image to represent the suffering of children during wartime. They achieved that.

The Smurfs have been around for nearly 50 years and the images are supposed to affect adults that grew up with the innocent comics and TV show.

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. "It's controversial," he said. "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."

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

I'd agree.