
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 9, 1993                   TAG: 9310090130
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MORAINE, OHIO                                LENGTH: Short

MTV CARTOON BLAMED IN FIRE THAT KILLED GIRL

The mother of a 5-year-old who started a fire that killed his younger sister blames the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" for promoting burning as fun, a fire official said Friday.

"The mother is attributing the fact that he was fascinated with fire to the `Beavis and Butt-head' segment where they are setting things on fire," Fire Chief Harold Sigler said.

"When you take a child in the formative years, and you get these cartoon characters saying it's fun to play with fire . . . this is going to stick in that kid's mind, and it's going to be with him for a long time," Sigler said.

The show features two teen-agers who comment on rock videos and spend time burning and destroying things.

Austin Messner watched one show that had the cartoon characters saying fire is fun, Sigler said.

"From that point on, he's been playing with fire," Sigler said.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB