Dad hears a "racial slur" on Fraggle Rock

[frogtownhollow]

This is beyond belief. The parents are familiar with the show, obviously, so they know A.) The character's name is Gobo, B.) Wembley's speech pattern - he talks like that all the time, C.) The message of peace and love that Fraggle Rock gives on every single episode. Unless they never spend time with their child and this was the first time they ever heard it. But even then, common sense tells you that the character is not saying "jigaboo". Geesh.

 

[CensoredAlso]

This is beyond belief. The parents are familiar with the show, obviously, so they know A.) The character's name is Gobo, B.) Wembley's speech pattern - he talks like that all the time, C.) The message of peace and love that Fraggle Rock gives on every single episode. Unless they never spend time with their child and this was the first time they ever heard it.

I didn't get the impression the father was familiar with the show; just that he knew his daughter watched it all the time. I mean to be fair he's probably working during the day.

But even then, common sense tells you that the character is not saying "jigaboo". Geesh.

Very true, the context doesn't make any sense and if he listened to it over and over that should have been obvious. But he was probably angry and heard what he wanted to hear.

 

[beaker]

I think they should rerun those ultra racist Looney Tunes cartoons on tv, just for the lulz. People have gotten so ultra PC in this society we're now just turning into idiots.

 

[Drtooth]

I think they should rerun those ultra racist Looney Tunes cartoons on tv, just for the lulz. People have gotten so ultra PC in this society we're now just turning into idiots.

I think the fact that so many people can get away with UN-PC stuff ironically (South Park, Family Guy...etc) shows how goofy PC (or as I refer to it analretentively correct) can be. The Asian community goes apenuts when someone does so much as a respectful accent. And I saw the Liki Liki episode of European cartoon Lucky Luke, and even the Canadian dub of it was highly offensive... and it was made only 10 years ago. Every country besides the US doesn't give a crap about PC. They still draw black people in Japanese cartoons with red baboon lips and no one complains.

Still, I am glad we're out of the era of those bad old Black face cartoons form the 40's. They do have lulz, definitely, but I never feel comfortable watching them. I never got through the entire Coal Black an de Sebben Dwarves.

Still, hearing what you want to hear and calling it offensive. Bugs the crap out of me. Like those mothers who buy Elmo toys with bad fuzzy recordings and try to make them sound violent. "Kell James" and "Who wants to Die-o." Your kid DIDN'T hear it... you did.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

They still draw black people in Japanese cartoons with red baboon lips and no one complains.

That could be because the percentage of black people in Japan is pretty small. I would be surprised if that is shown in anime in the US and no censorship of some sort is done.

 

[Drtooth]

You never heard of Mr. Popo of Dragon Ball Z, have you?

This is how he's supposed to look like

This is what he currently looks like on network broadcast TV...

While there wasn't too much of a problem when the show first popped up in the 90's, there was a complaint...

On May 4, 2000, an article written by children's book author Carole Boston Weatherford claimed that Mr. Popo, along with the Pokémon #124, Jynx, were derogatory stereotypes because of the black skin, big lips, and for Mr. Popo, the lack of teeth.

There was also a character on Shaman King, Chocolove McDonnell ... his named was changed to Jocco (still sounds kinda racist) in the broadcast anime version, only his name was changed... for the Viz manga editions, Viz re-edited his lips.

Again, these countries have very small populations of various different races... therefore, no groups complain about them and they tend to do whatever they want. Japan, Europe... it doesn't matter. We're the PC ones.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Still, I am glad we're out of the era of those bad old Black face cartoons form the 40's. They do have lulz, definitely, but I never feel comfortable watching them. I never got through the entire Coal Black an de Sebben Dwarves.

I know you feel dirty after seeing those, lol. It is incomprehensible to me why anyone ever thought that was funny. And even leaving aside the racist element, they're still not funny!

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Again, these countries have very small populations of various different races... therefore, no groups complain about them and they tend to do whatever they want. Japan, Europe... it doesn't matter. We're the PC ones.

Yeah- that's what I was saying... I generally don't like political correctness, but it depends on what we're talking about. I don't know that anime creators in Japan were purposefully trying to denigrate blacks with this character's depiction in Dragonball Z.... but I wouldn't know much on that- I don't really watch much anime. I do know that in Herge's Tintin comics, you run into a similar issue, but I have to admit I never really thought about it when reading those comics as a kid. Even today, I can see the stark caricatures but still enjoy the comics in any case. (By the way- go see the Tintin movie on December 21st! I'm excited to see that.)

 

[Drtooth]

I know you feel dirty after seeing those, lol. It is incomprehensible to me why anyone ever thought that was funny. And even leaving aside the racist element, they're still not funny!

From what I read, that was more of a case of not realizing how bad it was... the writers and animators thought it was a tribute. The thing that always gets lost is the fact it was a WW2 propaganda cartoon too. That was the message they were trying to spread at the time, but it got lumped in with the rest of the censored eleven

Yeah- that's what I was saying... I generally don't like political correctness, but it depends on what we're talking about. I don't know that anime creators in Japan were purposefully trying to denigrate blacks with this character's depiction in Dragonball Z.... but I wouldn't know much on that- I don't really watch much anime. I do know that in Herge's Tintin comics, you run into a similar issue, but I have to admit I never really thought about it when reading those comics as a kid.

The difference between Dragon Ball and Tin Tin is 50 years. Like most themes in Japanese cartoons, they basically took it from older stuff we did. Now, other than some obscure WW2 propaganda film (the Japanese did them too), they didn't draw them that way to be nasty, but rather as an homage to something we stopped doing in the 40's. of course, it should be known that in Japanese cartoons, baboon lips aren't exactly exclusive only to black charicature, but rather are imployed as a goofy looking character device... best example...

And that's just one. Of course, conversely, not every black character in anime has baboon lips, just a few for a short period of time. Of course, I think Mr. Popo was supposed to be either Indian or Middle Eastern, not really black... another character called Mr. Black had sort of those kinds of lips, but was redesigned in the 90's to look more Hispanic.

I should also point out, and don't ask my why I know this, it was a short lived early 80's fad to do black faced soul musicians. But nothing any worse than what Lilly Tomlin did... I know she did that too a long long time ago.

As for Europe... well, I know the Asterix people tried to make strides... there's a pirate character in a crow's nest that has baboon lips and a bone through his hair... in 1980's Asterix movies, they changed it to a normal black guy, but kept the lips.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Of course, I think Mr. Popo was supposed to be either Indian or Middle Eastern, not really black... another character called Mr. Black had sort of those kinds of lips, but was redesigned in the 90's to look more Hispanic.

When I first saw Mr. Popo I actually didn't initially think he looked exactly African-American anyway...Middle Eastern/Indian sounds closer.

I can't remember too much of this stuff in Asterix offhand, but I love that comic series too! Uderzo did a great job with delivering a consistently hilarious book.