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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 4 of 6)
9-13-2008 @ 5:18AM
LadyCakeage said...Reply to Duh.
Eh...I was a little weird when I was a kid.
First of all, I watched a little Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Looney Toons etc., but I seriously doubt that influenced my thoughts. I did however, see a real-life (acting) movie where a woman hung herself from a shower rail. It scared the hell out of me, it looked so real, I criiiied....The guy was screaming "HANNAH!!!' (it wasn't pronounced Han-nah, it was 'HAAHN'-NUH,' in my country, so it made it scarier because that's the first language I had learned...made it more realistic to me). That probably influenced my thoughts. I watched it when I was around 4, 5. Then....I always wondered why, if people suffered so much, they didn't just kill themselves. When I was a kid. Like age 4 to pre-teens, when I finally asked my mom. I wondered why I didn't just kill myself, especially if Heaven existed. If Heaven existed, what the hell were we doing on Earth? I had a little existential thing going on (I thought about stuff like that, existance, where did God come from, is it possible to do nothing ever, does nothingness exist....). So, it's not like all kids never think about that kind of stuff, some might.
9-12-2008 @ 11:25PM
Brad said...Articles like this and the issues of banning books and censorship never fail to irritate me. In modern-day society, we always have to find a scapegoat for everything. Where were the parents at and why weren't they monitoring what that child was reading?
This goes to Pam in post #2: Who the hell are you to suggest that a book be removed because of its content? You sound like the Tipper Gore type. Then you proceed to talk about harmless books such as The Bible. Have you ever read The Bible, or did you just read the "feel good" parts? How about the rape, murder, incest, and sacrificing of children in there, did you read that?
This whole thing reminds me of 6th grade when I discovered Stephen King. A couple teachers told me that I wasn't allowed to bring those books to the school because of the content and that there was no possible way I could understand what I was reading. Well, I DID understand what I was reading and I took the situation to my parents and the school itself. Needless to say, I continued to bring the books to school and never heard a single word from the teachers again. Just because a person reads a particular book or listens to the message in a song, doesn't mean that they are going to act on that message.
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9-12-2008 @ 11:21PM
Rimmy said...Though it may be tempting to young children, this Bunny Suicide book certainly isn't meant to be read by children. I've only seen it in my campus book store (it's an art school, so it's to be expected) and the graphic novel section of book stores. Most graphic novels, of course, being unsuitable for young children.
Besides, I agree with InZanadee, this child probably had many other issues, perhaps even inherited depression, that led to the suicide. People don't JUST commit suicide, there should be many indicators beforehand.
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9-13-2008 @ 12:21PM
Just a mom said...I don't think it is a matter of whether a book actually led a child to kill him or herself. I think the point is the content that is allowed into our children's lives. One child may do fine with one thing and another may get wrecked. You just don't know how an individual will be affected by any variable. Why take a chance with your child? For example, many have smoked when they were pregnant. Some babies are affected, some not. Do you want to take a chance when you don't know what the outcome will be especially when it comes to your child. I think Rachel's point of view is simply one of a 19 year old. Hopefully it will change as she matures and has children. We do have a responsibility. Our children will see alcoholism, drug addiction, crazy behavior, and so on. Does that mean that we should introduce it and condone it? Absolutely not. How about giving them a foundation of morals, strength,and integrity first so that they can handle the other stuff as it comes naturally and in the right way. Fear does not keep a child from poor behavior. Knowledge and strength do.
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9-12-2008 @ 11:40PM
rmaguro said...Are you kidding? Are you really asking this question? Is this to see just how little people know about kids or is it to get stupid answers? Many kids have a very skewed concept of reality. Marketing or distributing this book to chidren, even adolescents, is totally irresponsible. Talk to a mother who has found her kid hanging from a noose teen suicide isn't a joke. what irresopsible a-holes
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9-12-2008 @ 11:31PM
wendy said...MAYBE THEY DONT HAVE A LEGAL RESPONSIBLITY..BUT LETS TALK ABOUT MORALS...WHO WANTS THEIR KID READING THIS CRAP...TO A CHILD...EVERY DAY IT THE ONLY DAY.THEY DON'T HAVE THE INSIGHT TO SEE THE FUTURE..THEY ONLY KNOW THE HERE AND NOW. AND IF TODAY SUCKS..TODAY IS THE DAY THEY MIGHT TAKE THEIR LIFE..NOT KNOWING THE FUTURE COULD BE GREAT FOR THEM. I REMEMBER BEING THERE..WANTING TO GIVE UP BECAUSE TODAY WAS A BAD DAY. NOT KNOWING HOW GREAT MY LIFE COULD BE..THATS DANGEROUS
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9-12-2008 @ 11:32PM
ac said...I own several of the Bunny Suicides books, and no way are they intended to be children's books. They are dark humor for ADULTS. If this bookstore had the book in the children's section, I can't imagine who chose to file it there! And truthfully, the cartoons are so exaggerated, I can't imagine they'd inspire any real-life actions.
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9-13-2008 @ 5:58PM
amy said...Its not meant for kids...duh!
It IS hilarious!!!
If they are putting it the kids section of the book store they are wrong.
If parents let their kids read it and then the kid is influenced enough by a bunny to make a spring board, pop a bowing ball up to to other side of the board to smoosh himself inside a spagetti strainer...then I agree with the other guy...let 'em thin the herd!
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9-12-2008 @ 11:37PM
Alandra said...This book was clearly intended for adults and should have been placed in the adult humor dept., perhaps a more appropriate title should have been considered to avoid being seen by the wrong pair of eyes. If an adult chooses to read or view these materials it should remain the choice of that adult, if an artist chooses to produce these materials they should be free to do so.
I am a parent and I know that I simply would not allow my child to read this, but if when she is an adult she wants to read it, who am I to say differently.
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
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9-12-2008 @ 11:41PM
PromQueen708 said...Oh, here we go again. Let's blame a BOOK for someone committing suicide. Sure, that was the kid's ONLY problem was that he saw a cartoon rabbit commit suicide so he thought it was a good idea.
Clearly, people like to point fingers at everyone else when something goes wrong. Perhaps if people spent more time with their kids and actually talked to them, they might figure out something is wrong.
This whole thing reminds me of when two kids tried to commit suicide and the parents said it was because they listened to a Judas Priest song. Absolutely ridiculous.
I am so sick of people who cannot and will not take any responsibility for their own problems. I do not think books should be banned, I do not need someone else telling me what is appropriate, that is a decision I can make for myself.
It's simple, if you don't want your child reading something or seeing something on tv, take control of the situation and tell them NO.
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9-12-2008 @ 11:42PM
wendy said...BRAD..you are an ass...guess you think you are special...you are not..you have not lost a child i see. others have..I am so sorry the children in your time or ours were not as SPECIAL as you think you were and still think you are..My youngest..loves horror movies..the stories..the books..etc..BUT that doesnt give him the right to say its OK for others his age to read or watch..and he knows it..he's only 12..and he respects parents wishes and doesnt expose his friends to it when they are here if parents wish not...wow..guess my 12 y/o has more sense than you do. wow.
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9-13-2008 @ 12:33AM
AM said...Um. Brad wasn't saying that he was special or anything. AND he mentioned that he took it to his parents. I think what he was relaying was that the teachers, veritable strangers to Brad's world and way of thinking, oughtn't have the right to tell Brad what he is or is not capable of reading at what age. His parents should. And his parents should only be telling -him-. Not the whole school.
And I agree. As an avid bookworm, I found and fell in love with a lot of books that probably weren't "appropriate" for whatever age I was. But my parents always knew what I was reading and encouraged me to read it. Because then it gave them an outlet to talk about the "bad stuff." I grew up lucky, though.
Bunny Suicides are not catagorized in any part of the children's/teens section by the Library of Congress. And that's what the bookstores/libraries generally use to file books. There were underlying issues. It's a tragedy, what happened. But it's sad when books and other media are blamed.
9-13-2008 @ 1:10AM
Arlecchino said...Sheesh, I feel sorry for your kids. Do you talk as badly as you type?
9-13-2008 @ 11:19PM
Jen Henry said...I guess I have to side with Brad on this one...
I guess then I must have lacked sense as well. It was somewhere between 6-7th grade that I too discovered Stephen King and the horror genre. I was interested in books at that point, and didn't have the means to watch horror films at home. I did sneak a few at friends houses. My mother asked me about what I was reading, asked me if it scared me but never forbid it. My teachers asked me pretty much the same set of questions but let it go. They determined that I was MATURE enough to handle the content. There's no doubt in mind that if I re-read some of those titles today I would certainly pick up on a lot more things that I had missed the first time. Honestly I don't think I HAD to understand the ins and outs of every little thing that happened in the book and if I happened to totally miss a sexual reference or two that's fine. I enjoyed the thrill of reading the stories and the rush I had from knowing I was reading adult novels and not the silly little teen-angst filled horror novels that graced the library shelves at school.
I think if someone had forbid me from reading those books at that age that I wouldn't have read at all. That seems far worse in my mind.....
9-12-2008 @ 11:51PM
lisa said...I can hardly believe anyone is up in arms over this book. I am not minimizing a child's suicide, but IMO, if a child that age commits suicide for whatever reason, chances are he could do it for a different reason. My point being, that he was disturbed to begin with. I am surrounded by 13 yr olds every day--my son and all of his friends--and they are no more likely to murder someone after playing a video game, than they are to kill themselves over a book, of all things. I'm so sick of people blaming anything and everything on whatever they can, as long as the mirror of blame is not pointed at themselves. This whole book thing is a cop-out to avoid being accountable for a)not knowing your child well enough to know he was suicidal and b)for not instilling in that child a clear sense of what is reality and what isn't. Spend more time with your children--better yet, actually *raise* them--and you wouldn't have situations like this to begin with.
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9-13-2008 @ 1:10AM
Arlecchino said...All these yuppie parents are total fools. I'm 20 years old, female, I play war games, zombie shooters, and GTA. I watch Family Guy, Drawn Together, I think Jackass is hilarious, and I HAVE SINCE I WAS LIKE 12. I'm pretty normal. I go to college, get good grade, have a decent job, clean my room, do my own laundry, all because my mom taught me how to discern fact from reality.
To all you parents who think this is a dangerous book for your kids, you're obviously a poor parent. Teach your kids about right and wrong, give 'em some morals and stop dumping them in day cares to go about your yuppie lives.
Just because I steal cars in the virtual world doesn't mean I do in the real world, and just because I read about flying an X-Wing to fight the Galactic Empire doesn't mean I think Jedi is a real religion. Good grief.
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9-13-2008 @ 12:27AM
Tina said...I do not see this book as funny at all! This book needs to be reported. As a parent of 2 children, I have had problems with childrens books before. I have picked up books my children were reading only to find disturbing stories and situations that were not suitable for children. As parents we try to protect our kids from books, movies ect., only to find it is everywhere around them. Its terrible and this should not be allowed. Anyone that wants to take action against these terrible happenings, I will gladly help you. Where do we start? These things should not be taken mildly. We raise our children to be respectable, honest, loving kids only to find things like this to happen over and over.
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9-13-2008 @ 12:16AM
Mike said...THE BLAME SHOULD BE PUT ON THE PARENT/GUARDIAN(S)!! Why do I say that? Well, I was about 7 or 8 when my mother & Grandmother when to the video store to rent "FELIX the Cat" for me afterschool. Somehow they ended up with "FRITZ the Cat" instead. Thankfully they viewed it before I got the chance to. IF anyone has seen that then you KNOW what I'm getting at. They soon returned it & explained that it's not meant for kids & got an exchange. Upon return of "Felix" they noticed & saw that "Fritz" was back in the CHILDREN's section of videos. They took it up to the counter & explained to the clerk that it was in the wrong section. They said they would take care of it. Well, the next return trip it was back in the KIDS section AGAIN!!! So appreantly someone just ASSUMED it was for kids just because it was a CARTOON!!! I finally saw "FRITZ" in 10th grade from a friend, and I'm glad my mother & grandmother took responsibility & didn't just let me watch that at 7 years of age, because I'd be REALLY messed up for life.
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9-13-2008 @ 12:29AM
Larry said...Humanity greatest gift is in being able to laugh at ourselves including life's greatest tragedies. The kid was twelve which is certainly old enough to be exposed to Bunny Suicides. Hell by twelve I had to the technical knowhow to make a functional A-bomb (and the sense not to try nor the money). I'd worry more about the hateful propaganda from the right and commercial ads kids are targeted. Pediatricians would like to see Ann Coulter-geist exiled to late night TV so young children are spared the nightmares she causes them with her hate speech.
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9-13-2008 @ 12:30AM
Sid said...I own all the Bunny Suicide books. They are hilarious. If you are a well-adjusted, emotionally-stable individual who can deal with adult themes, you will also find these books entertaining to some degree. If you are the type too self-righteous and/or politically correct (as many people who have posted here seem to be), might I suggest some more appropriate literature for you. "The Three Little Pigs" is a good one. "Little Red Riding Hood" is also good although there IS that one X-rated section where the wolf actually eats the grandmother, but you can easily skip those pages to further shelter your children.
Those crazy bunnies! All they want to do is kill themselves! Leave them alone!
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