The Danger Of Torture On The Clone Wars

As The Clone Wars gets darker and darker, some have begun to find the show less and less deserving of its PG rating. Over at True/Slant, writer Michael Roston questions whether The Clone Wars is still a kids’ show, citing as evidence the scene from “Brain Invaders” where Anakin tortures Poggle the Lesser.

From the article:

There’s no moral ambiguity in the scene. [...] Anakin Skywalker is faced with a threat to two people he cares about, and he does whatever it takes to stop it. Poggle is not a character any child would sympathize with or feel sorry for, and the actions taken based on the intelligence he provides go off without a hitch. The message to kids watching the show, at least to me, is that torture works.

In the article, Roston compares The Clone Wars to Fox’s 24 in terms of pro- or anti-torture messages. No matter where you stand on the issue of children watching The Clone Wars, this is an interesting read and a thought-provoking piece as more and more younger fans tune into the series.

Check it out here!