Naked Thundercats: How'd it get past network censors?

Though they don't display any genitalia, Cheetara's nipple-less breasts are on full display in addition to the other Thundercats (with the exception of Jaga somehow) are all stark naked throughout the first half of Exodus. I find it amusingly interesting granted this was a children's television show which went through a rigorous process from script to screen. 1) Who's idea was it anyway? 2) How did it get past the network censors? and 3) Doesn't the idea of them being naked directly conflict with later episodes that flashback to their time on Thundera; in which everyone is wearing clothes?

I'm sure the nudity might have something to do with the scene where Jaga ceremoniously bestows their official Thundercats gear upon them, but still, this remains one of the more fascinating & funny parts of the original series. Primarily because, as a child, I didn't even think twice or really notice/care as I was so engrossed in where the story & these characters were going

..but if anyone has definitive answers to my questions, I'd sure like to hear them!

Point 3 of your post has been costantly adressed in the forums with multiple theories arising throught the years (as so has been point 2, but we can't find an explanation to that LOL).

What I find most disturbing now that I see it with grown-up eyes, is that they showed three underage naked (the kittens and child Lion-O)... wouldn't it classify as child pornography?

That also makes me wonder why when Lion-O grew up, his belly (which was shown throught the whole in his shirt) was the same color as the rest of his body and not a lighter tone as when he was a kid. Panthro kept that concept, and even Tygra had a "cream" part of his chest seen in some episodes just above his TC badge. Lion-O's stomach should definitely have been lighter.

Lighter belly as a kid:
[ATTACH=full]2109[/ATTACH]

Darker belly as a grown-up:

Exactly!@the naked thunderkittens & Lion-O. :laugh Disturbing indeed. Maybe they were so pressed for time Rankin/Bass didn't have the time or money to go back and redo it? We can't forget this is in the days of cel animation and they sent these projects off for months at a time overseas--but even so, someone was making a conscious statement with their nudity because it's not even done in a sneaky way. They all have a considerable amount of time infront of the camera in their birthday suits.

..And didn't they have a child psychologist that the scripts went through before being greenlit for production? lol.

All this makes me think of the monster penis & testicles that made it into an episode of The Real Ghostbusters. Animators were probably trying to see what they could get away with due to the strict standards & practices rules.

Having watched the "Exodus" pilot over and over again on VHS, I've been aware that the ThunderCats (sans Jaga) didn't have any clothes on in the first few minutes.

I think we all were aware of that fact sionce we watched it for the first time.

Another thing I never got from that is why on hell did Jaga took the original boots from the TCs and changed them for new ones. And even more, why giving Tygra and Kit open boots rather than leaving their original closed ones. Didn't he say the clothes are meant to protect them in that new environment? How did he know it wasn't an ice-surface planet or a hot one or a rocky one and they could get cold or burn their soles or get hurt?

They’re not human. They’re humanoid cats, so on they’re home planet they hung out without the need for protective clothing. They only needed it when going to a new uncivilised planet

"Tygra_Rules, post: 124394, member: 9228" said:

I think we all were aware of that fact sionce we watched it for the first time.

Another thing I never got from that is why on hell did Jaga took the original boots from the TCs and changed them for new ones. And even more, why giving Tygra and Kit open boots rather than leaving their original closed ones. Didn't he say the clothes are meant to protect them in that new environment? How did he know it wasn't an ice-surface planet or a hot one or a rocky one and they could get cold or burn their soles or get hurt?

My guess is that Jaga sorta had to make things up as he went along.

"Captain Shiner, post: 124395, member: 25266" said:

They’re not human. They’re humanoid cats, so on they’re home planet they hung out without the need for protective clothing. They only needed it when going to a new uncivilised planet

..But again, this contradicts later episodes where they flashback to Thundercats' time on Thundera and they're fully-clothed.

Which episodes?

Return to Thundera, we only saw the guards and Claud-us...but yeah... fair point I guess. Maybe they didn’t get it through the censor a second time

"Captain Shiner, post: 124401, member: 25266" said:

Which episodes?

Return to Thundera, we only saw the guards and Claud-us...but yeah... fair point I guess. Maybe they didn’t get it through the censor a second time

Yeah, and I think Mumm-Ra Lives Part 1 where we see Lynx-O, Bengali, and Pumyra escaping

In "Return to Thundera" not only the guards, but also Claudus is wearing clothes.

Also, as BoK (BloodofKings) say, in Bengali, Pumyra and Lynx-O are wearing clothes in Thundera (although it's in "ThunderCats Ho!" part 1 and not in "Mumm-Ra Lives" part 1 :cool:)

Then, we get to see Grune wearing clothesw as well, evn when Jaga tell Lion-O about their time in Thundera.

Even more, Jaga himself wore clothes in Thudnera and in the Royal Flagship.

And finally, something I always found awkward is that the Thundera refugees and other Thunderians we meet in season 4 (Torr, Leah and all the othes) are also wearing clothes. If they didn't wear them in Thundera and the TCs got them from Jaga, where did all these characters got them from?

I think Bengali's pre-Thundercat design was attempting give-off that same vibe as the Thundercats in "Exodus", but no doubt the designers were under more pressure to avoid a straight-up nekkid look. I think it is important to remember Jaga's exact words - "On our own planet, we needed no protective clothing or special weaponry...". I think we can assumed that Thundera is a clothing-optional planet :laugh.

"ButterflyBoy, post: 124406, member: 16168" said:

I think Bengali's pre-Thundercat design was attempting give-off that same vibe as the Thundercats in "Exodus", but no doubt the designers were under more pressure to avoid a straight-up nekkid look. I think it is important to remember Jaga's exact words - "On our own planet, we needed no protective clothing or special weaponry...". I think we can assumed that Thundera is a clothing-optional planet :laugh.

Certainly we can. :)

"Daremonger, post: 124393, member: 25241" said:

Having watched the "Exodus" pilot over and over again on VHS, I've been aware that the ThunderCats (sans Jaga) didn't have any clothes on in the first few minutes.

Back me up if you have any memory or evidence of this, but I think some affiliate stations or networks may have blurred out the nudity or had special edited cuts where the camera either pans or slowly zooms out from the characters' faces; particularly with Cheetara's scenes. I recorded the original rebroadcast of Exodus on Toonami in 1997. Although I no longer have it, I believe they attempted to give the nude scenes an "extra hazy" appearance. If it wasn't during that initial broadcast, it may have been in subsequent reairings.

..or perhaps it's my memory that's hazy. lol

"Tygra_Rules, post: 124388, member: 9228" said:

Point 3 of your post has been costantly adressed in the forums with multiple theories arising throught the years (as so has been point 2, but we can't find an explanation to that LOL).

What I find most disturbing now that I see it with grown-up eyes, is that they showed three underage naked (the kittens and child Lion-O)... wouldn't it classify as child pornography?

That also makes me wonder why when Lion-O grew up, his belly (which was shown throught the whole in his shirt) was the same color as the rest of his body and not a lighter tone as when he was a kid. Panthro kept that concept, and even Tygra had a "cream" part of his chest seen in some episodes just above his TC badge. Lion-O's stomach should definitely have been lighter.

Lighter belly as a kid:
[ATTACH=full]2109[/ATTACH]

Darker belly as a grown-up:

The animators could've just kept his belly cream-colored, seeing as how he's of the lion clan.