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Cartoon bunny attempts suicide, real-life children follow suit
Filed under: In The News
A 12-year-old from Shanghai tragically committed suicide this week -- but one bookstore isn't blaming bad parents, exam pressure, or playgrounds bullies. Instead they're pointing the finger at a children's literature.
"Bunny Suicides," a cartoon book meant to be "darkly humorous," depicts the trials and tribulations of a quadruped with a death wish -- a cute little bunny that tries to end his life using a guillotine, a jet engine, a toaster, and a myriad of other offbeat mechanisms for offing himself.
Sure it's gruesome, but is it really inciting suicide? The city has seen a rash of attempts by young people this past week, and while some local stores claim the book is clearly a joke (albeit a morbid one), Bookuu Book City yanked it from their shelves -- worried that it might give kids ideas they could try at home. Bookuu's owners have replaced the darkly comedic comic with self-help books aimed at teens with depression and other mental problems.
Seems like kids pushed to suicide by a hand-drawn rabbit might have deeper issues worth addressing, but that doesn't make the subject matter any easier to swallow. Is "Bunny Suicides" over the line?
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 6)
9-12-2008 @ 9:14PM
Pam in Maryland said...There is no possible way for anything connected with suicide to be available to children. Children and teenagers feel themselves invincible. This is the reason so many teens are killed in car accidents. This cognitive behavior is normal. Many children don't understand that death is permanent. Television doesn't help this at all. We have all seen from a very early age the antics of cartoons like Tom & Jerry, the Roadrunner and other characters who suffer all sorts of accidents and injuries only to become a funny shape and then just pop up and go on. Far too often this is how children intrepret death, and at their age, it's OK. Let them have their time in life where they are innocent and not facing the burden of death and it's finality. After a family death years ago my young nephew mentioned to my mother that "Aunt Maudie's been in heaven long enough now, it's time she came home."
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9-12-2008 @ 9:19PM
CHRISTY said...MY FAVORITE BOOK AS A KID AND IT WAS MY SONS FAVORITE TOO WAS "FIVE CHINESE BROTHERS",REMEMBER THAT ONE?
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9-12-2008 @ 9:24PM
SummerK said...Honestly, at this age, kids think they are immortal.
I mean, they don't actually think, "Hey, I can't die!" they just don't think it will ever happen to them.
The article doesn't say which method of suicide he chose, but I would bet that his death was accidental (unless of course, he had previous issues with depression).
There are certain forms of suicide that can "look" totally harmless; you might think, "Oh, I could stop that in time, or I could get out of that," but that's usually not the case.
Rather than put ALL the responsibility on the book editors or the library or the parent, how about a combined effort from ALL of them?
Book editors should market books age-appropriately, libraries should do a better job of monitoring their inventory, and parents should know what their kids are looking at (as much as humanly possible).
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9-12-2008 @ 9:34PM
Joe Dougherty said...first of all everybody thinks they are immortal in youth which is the point of being a kid is that you do stupid stuff so that you learn that it is ignorant to jump off a one story building {guilty, with back pain}
Second if the parent is angry because her child killed himself it is not the book's fault that he killed himself and the parents should have noticed a difference in the kids behavior patterns unless he was like emo because the book looks like something an emo kid would take seriuosly
9-12-2008 @ 9:26PM
HIGHLY EDUCATED EDUCATOR said...What parent in their RIGHT Mind would allow thier child to READ this book?
SomeONE should call CPS.
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9-12-2008 @ 9:47PM
Dar said...Forget children - - why would an ADULT want to read a book that sends such a sad message and tries to make it funny? I have been around people who have had someone close to them commit suicide and there's nothing funny about it -- especially not for the ones left behind. There's more tasteful comedy to choose from if you want to laugh.
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9-29-2008 @ 2:24AM
MikesSis said...Dar, you are so right! My older brother committed suicide at age 44. He was VERY troubled. He was the father of an 8 year old daughter. He actually thought that if he died, it might make things all better. It absolutely broke my mother's heart! My dad found him, so it wasn't joke. How in the world someone would think the subject was humorous, is beyond comprehension! My brother was NOT a joke! Suicide is FOREVER!
9-12-2008 @ 9:43PM
InZanadee said...Wow. Just wow. I am shocked at the responses to this article. It is my belief that, if this kid took the steps to kill himself, there were MANY, MANY underlying issues long before he read this book. Geez people!!! It's ludicrous to think that a book was the sole inspiration for his desperate act.
I feel for him and for his parents, but I stand firm that this is just a book. A book with questionable humor, but a book none the less.
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9-12-2008 @ 11:15PM
Corrinne said...When I was 12 I may have not realized how precious and delicate life can really be, but I was certainly intelligent enough not to jump off a bridge or light myself on fire with gasoline and not expect to really die! I'm not saying this child was stupid. I am saying this child probably had many more issues that the parents should have caught and took responsibility for.
Just like when they blamed Marilyn Manson and Eminem for violence in schools. It's completely RIDICULOUS. That was invented by inadequate parents making excuses for their inability to be responsible for their children. No one, not even a child, goes out and kills others or themselves just because of a book or an album. There's many more issues beneath the surface.
9-15-2008 @ 7:05AM
Elizabeth said...Geeez, PackRat...
What is your problem. Why is it amusing to you that a young life ended? The kid had other problems I am sure...But to say Thin out the Herd! Yeah, maybe we should "thin out the herd", starting with YOU! We don't need any more haters in this life so do us all a favore: Keep Your Big Mouth Shut. Remember we are talking about a kid. What if it were your child, would you still feel like that? Please, DO NOT PROCREATE !! WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE HATE IN THIS LIFE TIME.
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9-16-2008 @ 8:05PM
FrcShadow said...This is why there are so many unwanted children in the society today. People think everyone else should be responsible to cater this entire world to their children.
If your child reads a book, and commits suicide, you can't blame the book. Why was your child reading it? How did you miss the signs that something was wrong with your child? Sure, it's easy to lose sight of your responsibility, you think schools should teach your kids values, and everyone else should limit what they say, and what they write, or sing about, or portray in video games.
Clearly, if your child is troubled, and you don't notice that, maybe it's because you've been spending your time with things you deem more important than raising your own child. And, if you're worried about your child reading a book, and committing suicide afterwards, maybe you'd be better off talking with your kid, than trying to get every book that you deem inappropriate banned.
If you can't take responsibility for teaching your kids what you think is right and wrong, and for guiding your child, by taking time out of your hectic lifestyle to actually spend time with your child, maybe you shouldn't have had any to begin with. Just a thought.
9-12-2008 @ 9:46PM
Summer said...Also, did anyone consider that the book actually belongs to his PARENTS and he snuck it and read it??
Highly likely.
I have a friend who loves Southpark but would be horrified if his kid watched it.
I figure the kid's gonna do what he sees his dad do...
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9-12-2008 @ 10:05PM
Bette said...No matter how you look at it, suicide is not funny, and kids may not understand that. I remember being devestated when Bambi's mom got shot in the forest.Death is just not funny , and parents need to educate their children regarding it.
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9-12-2008 @ 10:02PM
Amanda said...If a child will fall for committing suicide because of a bunny suicide cartoon book, they need to go.
How weak minded are people and children these days?
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9-12-2008 @ 10:52PM
celticwolfsrage said...By "they need to go" do you mean that the child (or person) needs to die? If so, that's a horrible thing to say and a cold hearted thing to think. The only ones that "need to go" in this world are those that hurt the innocent, especially kids.
If that's not what you mean, please restate your comment as it is a bit confusing in its brevity.
9-12-2008 @ 10:52PM
celticwolfsrage said...BTW, EVERYONE has a vulnerability and kids are impressionable. While I won't argue that some adults are very weak minded, kids can't be held up to the same standard. Think about it. When did YOU get your inner strength (if you have it)? I'll bet you didn't have much as a kid. Few kids do. If you have it now, then great, but not all are as lucky and it would be a compassionate thing to do to realize that.
9-12-2008 @ 10:07PM
JA said..."Banned Books Week" is fast approaching. To see the types of books that have been banned or challenged over the years is ridiculous especially the reasons given. My thing is this; if you don't like a particular author or a particular subject matter then don't read it but don't infringe upon the rights of others to access knowledge or information and that is what banning does - infringe upon the rights of the individuals because some other person (or group of people) believe they know better than the rest of society.
There was a time when non-whites weren't allowed to learn to read and we see how well that mess ultimately went over; not so good.
I do agree that young people are immature and believe themselves to be immortal. So it is the responsibility of parents to not only know what their kids are doing or who they are with but also what they are reading or listening to. Parents should not neglect this responsibility.
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9-12-2008 @ 10:16PM
Bob said...These are the Years of Child learning ! They take in and are learning the stuff that we take for Granted and to teach them suicide at that age is disgraceful . I have no kids but like them just the same .. THIS IS WRONG PERIOD !!!
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9-12-2008 @ 10:18PM
Tyson said...Deeply disturbing. If you know of a person who committed suicide you would understand how misguided anyone that would the release of this material really is.
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9-12-2008 @ 10:21PM
Linda said...soem people shouldn't be allowed to use a pencil , pen , a typewriter, or a computer.. PSYCHOS!
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