Paris (AFP) – A French court on Wednesday rejected claims that the subversive US cartoon “Sausage Party” aimed to corrupt children with scenes of frolicking fruit and vegetables and sex-crazed cereal packets.
After poring over the film, which follows the adventures of a bunch of foul-mouthed foodstuffs, the judge dismissed a bid by two Christian groups to have the 12-rated feature classified as an adult comedy.
“The film does not send a message of violence and the scenes of a sexual nature do not aim to corrupt minors,” said the judge, who found the film “humorous”.
The Promouvoir and Action for Human Dignity groups argued that the cartoon was designed to trick children into seeing things that were not suitable for them.
The case raised a “question of civilisation”, a lawyer for Promouvoir argued Tuesday in a Paris court, calling for it to be pulled from cinemas and then given a 16 rating.
In the US, the film which features the voices of Seth Rogen, James Franco, Salma Hayek and Jonah Hill received an ‘R’ rating, making it off-limits to unaccompanied children under 17.
Promouvoir’s lawyer Andre Bonnet argued that France should follow suit.
He was particularly critical of “a staggering orgy” at the end of the film featuring a sausage, hot dog bun, pear and other comestibles performing sex acts.
In one shot, a pack of cornflakes can be seen making “brutal back-and-forth motions” and heard exclaiming “You like that, slut?”, the lawyer protested.
A representative for the culture ministry objected, saying the cartoon was intended as a humorous indictment of consumer society and that no one was forced to watch it.
Sausage Party opened in France on November 30 to rave reviews.
Promouvoir has cited public morals in taking other films to court in the past, including French lesbian love story “Blue is the Warmest Colour” and controversial Danish director Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist”.
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