"Beany and Cecil" appeared during an era in which child psychologists were predicting devastating results from the effects of television violence. This popular cocktail-party subject was made light of in at least two episodes. In "Beany Meets the Boo Birds", after whacking Cecil on the head with a hammerhead shark, one Boo Bird turns to the camera and nonchalantly asks, "Do you think there's too much violence on TV?" And, in "Invasion Of Earth by Robots", mechanical alien housewife Venus the Meanest - who's actually visiting Earth for a picnic with her rambunctious toddler, Venice - comments to a friend, "When it comes to violence, Venice doesn't need TV to give him any ideas!"