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Tom and Jerry: Should old cartoons carry racism warnings?

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Reply 20

StormfronterSS

That's funny shows like South Park and Family Guy are far more offensive but nobody minds.

Reply 21

Truths

Well let's not pretend that kids being exposed to constant imagery of blacks being portrayed as maids, hobos and criminals isn't at all damaging...

Reply 22

Truths

Original post by StormfronterSS

That's funny shows like South Park and Family Guy are far more offensive but nobody minds.

I didn't know South Park was on Cartoon Network :smile:

Reply 23

Truths

Original post by Clip

Black people are exceptionally well represented on TV - in many cases completely over-represented and in an unusually positive manner.

Idk what planet you're on.

Reply 24

SirMasterKey

Original post by Truths

I never even saw that woman as a maid. I thought she was the owner of the house. I wasn't even sure if she was black. They never showed her face, I just assumed they were stockings.

This. I always thought she was Tom's owner and never thought anything else about it. I never thought anything about the racism it depicted or anything like that. It was always light hearted comedy. Nothing more, nothing less.

Reply 25

StormfronterSS

Clip must watch a lot of Cops that show has lots of black ppl in it.

Reply 26

EllieC130

My view is people don't and generally haven't watched it for the racial prejudices; the idea is not "Let's watch Tom and Jerry and laugh at some (insert race here) people" so I really don't see why people have a problem. All fans care about is the humorous violence. And that's how I see it.

Reply 27

Clip

Original post by Truths

Idk what planet you're on.

So you don't think black people are over represented on TV, and you don't think they are portrayed in an overwhelmingly positive manner?

Reply 28

tazarooni89

What on earth was racist about Tom and Jerry?
Is it just because it contains a large black woman, whose face we never see for some reason? :s-smilie:

Reply 29

Ggmu!

Just pc loonies

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 30

Truths

Firstly to all you ignorants that howled "PC". It only took a second of research to discover that Mammy Two Shoes was a racist archetype used in minstrel show shows. The young audience may not even detect this but I am glad people are choosing not to endorse this out of principle.

Original post by Clip

So you don't think black people are over represented on TV, and you don't think they are portrayed in an overwhelmingly positive manner?

lol no. I just finished watching Drake and Josh Christmas movie and the only black person in the entire cast was a violent, uneducated criminal... In prison. That seems to be a common trope. I mean look at how Universal Studios, one of the most influential film studio in Hollywood, were exposed for their racist casting scandal.

After that, the listing becomes much more specific; the casting directors' hierarchy of models seems directly linked the skin color:
B GIRLS: These are fine girls, long natural hair, really nice bodies," the casting call reads. "Small waists, nice hips. You should be light-skinned. Beyoncé is a prototype here.
C GIRLS: These are African American girls, medium to light skinned with a weave.
D GIRLS: These are African American girls. Poor, not in good shape. Medium to dark skin tone.
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/18/nwa-biopic-film-makers-apologise-following-accusations-of-racist-casting-call

It's all there and it is always totally intentional. You just have to open your eyes to it.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 31

datpiff

Original post by StormfronterSS

That's funny shows like South Park and Family Guy are far more offensive but nobody minds.

South Park and Family Guy are satires. You are meant to be laughing at them and not with them. That's the difference between them and old Looney Tunes cartoons.

South Park mocks racist people, the media and American society. Characters like Eric Cartman are characters you laugh at because they're so racist, ignorant and so vile. They always get whats coming to them towards the end.

Co'mon... they even have a black character called 'Token Black'. I find that hilarious.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 32

datpiff

Original post by Truths

Yep. Black and White Minstrel shows were well popular over here. I see records in charity shops all the time.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 33

Truths

Original post by datpiff

Yep. Black and White Minstrel shows were well popular over here. I see records in charity shops all the time.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Well I don't know about that. There is restaurant in my area that was formerly a casino and before that a theater. There are still blackface patterns on the ceiling. And golliwogs were pretty popular in the UK. But whether or not minstrel shows were popular in this country is besides the point. Context is key. Tom and Jerry is an American show, and Mammy Two Shoes is a racist character in it's very nature. Nice chat.

Reply 34

sdotd

why should more black and ethnics be on tv?
whites are the majority in this country

im an ethnic myself

Reply 35

Viva Emptiness

Judging a kids show from an adult's perspective is useless. Obviously nowadays you probably wouldn't want to make new shows like that, but there basically is nothing wrong with showing children the T&J from yesteryear.

I watched all that **** as a child, I never even took any notice of any of that kind of stuff. Kids just don't.

In fact, all kids tv shows were filthy when I was younger:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/jokes-you-never-got-as-a-kid#4khnt22

Reply 36