THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: Eschaton on October 02, 2014, 10:45:38 AM

Title: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Eschaton on October 02, 2014, 10:45:38 AM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/amazon-tom-and-jerry_n_5914422.html

In a screenshot above, "Tom and Jerry: The Complete Second Volume" is given the following warning:

"Tom & Jerry" shorts may depict some ethnic and racial prejudices that were once commonplace in American society. Such depictions were wrong then and are wrong today.
The decision to include the warning definitely ruffled some feathers, with fans on Twitter lamenting the political correctness of the situation. One fan called it "Political correctness gone mad." Another added, "So, Tom is basically a racist, sexist, chain-smoking cat. COME ON."

The cartoon has come under fire in the past for depictions of blackface and appearances by the maid, Mammy Two Shoes.

"Tom and Jerry" has addressed this racial controversy before, even adding an intro by Whoopi Goldberg on "Tom And Jerry Spotlight Collection: Volume 2." In it, Goldberg explains why the cartoons contained the humor that they do and why some material that could be considered offensive was left in:

(http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2121116/thumbs/o-AMAZON-RACIST-570.jpg?5)

(https://i.imgur.com/U8UZyVI.jpg)
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 02, 2014, 10:49:53 AM
And yet when I buy Gone with the Wind they suggest I also buy The Birth of a Nation
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 10:51:04 AM
(http://www.lifelounge.com.au/resources/imgdetail/250511114335_0racistcartoons-detail.jpg)
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: StealthFan on October 02, 2014, 10:58:07 AM
lmao those fukken beaner mice
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: ToxicAdam on October 02, 2014, 11:02:02 AM
I don't blame Amazon. Some people are unable to put things into context.  So, you have to spell it out for them.

Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Beezy on October 02, 2014, 11:02:45 AM
Tom & Jerry is on Prime Video?!
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: jakefromstatefarm on October 02, 2014, 11:04:42 AM
not like you'd be missing much if you skipped t & j honestly :yeshrug
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Steve Contra on October 02, 2014, 11:07:10 AM
It's weird that this is getting traction since the Tom and Jerry dvds had the warning for a long time, and even had Whoopi Goldberg talking about the racism in them without a peep from anyone.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
I worked on a Tom and Jerry videogame and I've seen every single episode of the show :'(]I worked on a Tom and Jerry videogame and I've seen every single episode of the show :'(
[close]
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 11:09:44 AM
(http://static.messynessychic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/donaldnazi.jpg)

Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Mr. Nobody on October 02, 2014, 11:16:48 AM
not like you'd be missing much if you skipped t & j honestly :yeshrug

 :gurl
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 11:17:35 AM
not like you'd be missing much if you skipped t & j honestly :yeshrug

 :gurl

You do NOT ignore Nazi duck. Off to the showers with you.

:hitler
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 11:26:21 AM
(http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DerFuehrersFace_5380.jpg)
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Joe Molotov on October 02, 2014, 11:31:39 AM
WB has been putting these warnings on all their classic cartoon collections (Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Popeye) since forever.

BBC & HuffPo acting like this is some new thing they just discovered because they read some tweets. (http://i.imgur.com/D2YIXC1.png)
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 11:33:30 AM
WB has been putting these warnings on all their classic cartoon collections (Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Popeye) since forever.

BBC & HuffPo acting like this is some new thing they just discovered because they read some tweets. (http://i.imgur.com/D2YIXC1.png)

I remember seeing the warning like end of the 90's I believe. Concurred.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Yeti on October 02, 2014, 12:25:40 PM
Speedy Gonzales has me split. On one hand he's a clear caricature, but I remember loving and watching him a lot as a kid

:fbm

That episode where Speedy Gonzalez raced the Road Runner. :lawd  Better than the Flash racing Superman
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 12:35:46 PM
Speedy Gonzales has me split. On one hand he's a clear caricature, but I remember loving and watching him a lot as a kid

:fbm

That episode where Speedy Gonzalez raced the Road Runner. :lawd  Better than the Flash racing Superman

Hell Yeah.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Himu on October 02, 2014, 12:42:50 PM
The thing about speedy is that Mexicans apparently love him. I know it's a caricature but goddamit I love speedy.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 12:44:50 PM
The thing about speedy is that Mexicans apparently love him. I know it's a caricature but goddamit I love speedy.

What about his cousin, Slowpoke Rodiguez? He pack a gun....

(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wYi_hq2p1Ac/hqdefault.jpg)
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Eel O'Brian on October 02, 2014, 12:44:54 PM
They don't ever show The Little Rascals on TV because of stuff like this, even though it was the first mainstream theatrical shorts series to show black and white kids playing together and treating each other as equals (a lot of times even living together). Same thing for Amos 'n' Andy radio shows (although that's way more understandable because the dudes doing the voicework were white, and sometimes performed in blackface in films and such).  But there were black doctors, lawyers, businessmen, etc. in the show, and all of those characters were played very straight. It was only the main characters who were portrayed as idiots - but not because they were black.  Having listened to a bunch of the shows, I've only heard their race mentioned in any way at all maybe a handful of times. If you went into it blind and listened to a random episode without knowing any of the history, you might think they were just a couple of dumb Southerners. Context, intent, etc. 
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 12:54:48 PM
They don't ever show The Little Rascals on TV because of stuff like this, even though it was the first mainstream theatrical shorts series to show black and white kids playing together and treating each other as equals (a lot of times even living together). Same thing for Amos 'n' Andy radio shows (although that's way more understandable because the dudes doing the voicework were white, and sometimes performed in blackface in films and such).  But there were black doctors, lawyers, businessmen, etc. in the show, and all of those characters were played very straight. It was only the main characters who were portrayed as idiots - but not because they were black.  Having listened to a bunch of the shows, I've only heard their race mentioned in any way at all maybe a handful of times. If you went into it blind and listened to a random episode without knowing any of the history, you might think they were just a couple of dumb Southerners. Context, intent, etc.

(http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/12/124813/2376479-implied_facepalm.jpg)
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Eel O'Brian on October 02, 2014, 12:58:02 PM
They don't ever show The Little Rascals on TV because of stuff like this, even though it was the first mainstream theatrical shorts series to show black and white kids playing together and treating each other as equals (a lot of times even living together). Same thing for Amos 'n' Andy radio shows (although that's way more understandable because the dudes doing the voicework were white, and sometimes performed in blackface in films and such).  But there were black doctors, lawyers, businessmen, etc. in the show, and all of those characters were played very straight. It was only the main characters who were portrayed as idiots - but not because they were black.  Having listened to a bunch of the shows, I've only heard their race mentioned in any way at all maybe a handful of times. If you went into it blind and listened to a random episode without knowing any of the history, you might think they were just a couple of dumb Southerners. Context, intent, etc.

(http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/12/124813/2376479-implied_facepalm.jpg)

 :yeshrug
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: nudemacusers on October 02, 2014, 01:40:48 PM
(http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DerFuehrersFace_5380.jpg)
haha maybe 5 months ago I was chillin with my son* and popped on some 3 hour youtube classic cartoon collection and lo this episode was one of them. now the particulars of the axis/allied conflict were lost on my son, so when donald-hitler did his sieg heil my son bolted up and did the same.  :-\

Thus was the conclusion of our watching of 3 hour youtube classic cartoon collection  :lol




*my blonde, blue-eyed son
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 01:42:17 PM
(http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DerFuehrersFace_5380.jpg)
haha maybe 5 months ago I was chillin with my son* and popped on some 3 hour youtube classic cartoon collection and lo this episode was one of them. now the particulars of the axis/allied conflict were lost on my son, so when donald-hitler did his sieg heil my son bolted up and did the same.  :-\

Thus was the conclusion of our watching of 3 hour youtube classic cartoon collection  :lol




*my blonde, blue-eyed son

Way to reinvigorate the aryan race, breh.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Great Rumbler on October 02, 2014, 01:54:38 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/KBT4E7k.jpg)
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: nudemacusers on October 02, 2014, 01:56:35 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/KBT4E7k.jpg)
a little work in photoshop and we have our new :rejoice
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 01:58:01 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/KBT4E7k.jpg)
a little work in photoshop and we have our new :rejoice

:PD should be what it's called, just my humble suggestion.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: nudemacusers on October 02, 2014, 01:59:14 PM
we should really just replace all of our coli emotes with old racist cartoon faces.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 02:02:09 PM
we should really just replace all of our coli emotes with old racist cartoon faces.

(http://img.youtube.com/vi/Q7cvsh2iIwQ/hqdefault.jpg)


:nicca
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Momo on October 02, 2014, 02:06:34 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/KBT4E7k.jpg)
was waiting for this
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Phoenix Dark on October 02, 2014, 02:08:18 PM
My mom said she used to watch The Little Rascals as a kid and the only thing that confused her was the fact that black and white kids were playing together. She said she asked my grandma "how come he [Buckwheat] doesn't have any friends to play with." My grandma said "but he does have friends, you see all those white kids?" and my mom said "but those aren't real friends." :fbm

spoiler (click to show/hide)
reverse racism :violin
[close]
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: nudemacusers on October 02, 2014, 02:12:18 PM
Well it's true. We aren't your friends :ufup
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 02:13:18 PM
Well it's true. We aren't your friends :ufup


Damn white devils.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Joe Molotov on October 02, 2014, 02:53:29 PM
A lot of these old cartoons got trimmed or "deleted" back in the 80's and 90's, WB's current policy is to present them as-is with a trigger warning so you can decide for yourself. I prefer the latter.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Great Rumbler on October 02, 2014, 02:57:22 PM
And then there's this WWII-era Popeye cartoon:

(http://i.imgur.com/Zpe6wAy.jpg])
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: jakefromstatefarm on October 02, 2014, 02:59:29 PM
A lot of these old cartoons got trimmed or "deleted" back in the 80's and 90's, WB's current policy is to present them as-is with a trigger warning so you can decide for yourself. I prefer the latter.
Areopagitica and What is Enlightenment validated :miltonumad: :kantumad:
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on October 02, 2014, 03:01:59 PM
And then there's this WWII-era Popeye cartoon:

(http://i.imgur.com/Zpe6wAy.jpg])



Popeye gonna punch then nips in their fartboxes yo.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: benjipwns on October 02, 2014, 03:52:21 PM
Yeah, I was wondering why this was "everywhere" recently. I remember conservative sites throwing an anti-PC fit over this like eight years ago or something.

I thought everybody had accepted the "compromise" as the best solution since it kept the cartoons intact instead of chopping them up as it had been done previously. (As Joe said.)

I assume they recently got added to Amazon or something and people noticed?
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: benjipwns on October 02, 2014, 04:13:04 PM
You have to remember that back then racism was fine, you're trying to destroy our honored heritage and traditions, what's next hero peace officers can't gun down darkies in the street?
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: benjipwns on October 02, 2014, 04:19:45 PM
I guess the former hubbub was more about the episodes being censored:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5271470.stm
Quote
Children's TV channel Boomerang is to edit scenes from Tom and Jerry cartoons where characters are shown smoking.
The move follows an investigation by media watchdog Ofcom into a viewer's complaint that the vintage animations were not appropriate for young viewers.

The watchdog recognised the "historic" cartoons were made at a time "when smoking was more generally accepted".

However, Boomerang will only edit those cartoons where smoking appears to be "condoned, acceptable or glamorised".

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/cartoon-censorship-blamed-politically-correct-white-mentality
Quote
"If we are going to start censoring jokes because people are offended, like the whole Mr. Magoo controversy where blind people were offended, name me a cartoon character that doesn't offend someone," Beck said.

"Bugs Bunny will be attacked because he is from Brooklyn. The Brooklyn people don't like him making fun of their accent," he said. "The NRA will be against Elmer Fudd because he is a bad hunter," he added.

Beck noted that Fudd's depiction, as a redneck hunter with a speech impediment has not been censored, despite being possibly offensive to some. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's okay to make fun of white guys. You can do anything you want to white guys," he said.

This is better:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/381270/weft-should-wove-wooney-tunes-james-lileks
Quote
Half a century before Facebook’s 57 genders, Warner Brothers was laying the groundwork.

It’s not an isolated example of progressive themes in Looney Tunes. “Hillbilly Hare” contains a wealth of sociological insight. The main characters are two rural archetypes mired in poverty, wandering the backwoods shoeless, engaged in a pointless blood feud. You could almost call it “What’s the Matter with the Ozarks,” for instead of concentrating their enmity against the 1 percent that has exploited their labor and resources, they are pitted against each other in a pointless struggle.

Into this world comes Bugs, who draws their attention by dressing up as a seductive female rabbit — a transgressive statement that manages to lampoon heteronormative behavior (transgender Bugs feigns interest in the males) and reinforces the worst sort of cross-dressing stereotypes, as female-identified Bugs is all lipstick and hip-cocking sashay exaggeration. But for the time it was groundbreaking. To a youth who sat in the theater in 1948 it may have said, Yes, it is possible to break the confines of biological gender, and to do so with such confidence and style that people who would otherwise fricassee you for supper would follow your every suggestion.

And what a suggestion! In a hilarious set piece, Bugs calls a square-dance tune whose instructions aren’t the usual do-si-do, bow-to-your-left, but consist entirely of commands to inflict escalating levels of retributive violence. The men, socially and culturally conditioned to follow any command the square-dance caller makes, are not only helpless to assert their own will, they end up dancing with each other. This redefines the courtship ritual of the dance — a means of channeling and controlling sexual energy — into a fiercely homoerotic ballet. Watch:

“Hit ’im again, the critter ain’t dead.” It’s safe to assume Bugs is talking about the stifling hand of religious intolerance and centuries of marriage inequality. With a tidy couplet he brushes away the pope’s objections: Promenade like a bride and groom, he calls, and that they do.
Quote
The cartoons are full of political messages — Speedy Gonzales the Undocumented Mouse, the endangered Road Runner escaping the depredations of industrialized warfare. It is unfair to regard their messages as macabre, when the underlying lessons of Warner Brothers cartoons contain remarkably progressive insights into human sexuality and economic interactions. Sometimes the messages are subtle, as with Tweety Bird; it lived in a gilded cage, pursued by a hungry, homeless cat who lacked the class consciousness to realize that Tweety’s owner — a symbol of inherited wealth who did not work but lived off the accumulation of capital — was the real enemy. But there are impermissible elements. The regrettable adventures of Pepé Le Pew combine male privilege with miscegenation panic — the female skunk is actually a cat, zut alors — and xenophobic attitudes toward Gallic hygiene. These should be banned, or at least preceded by a trigger warning.

As long as we’re at it, people who have been mauled by large feral cats might want a Tigger Warning before viewing some Winnie the Pooh cartoons. Piglet is also offensive to some cultures. Eeyore does tend to minimize the ravages of depression. When you think about it, Christopher Robin probably grew up to be a property developer, subdividing the Hundred Acre Wood for cul-de-sac housing, forgetting entirely the lessons Pooh taught him about the heedless pursuit of honey.
:rofl
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Reb on October 02, 2014, 04:22:15 PM
It's like the zwarte piet discussion in holland.
People never thought it was wrong and they really hate changing their mind now that it turns out a lot of people take offense. Although here it seams the majority is pro sticking your head in the sand.
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Kara on October 02, 2014, 05:01:09 PM
(http://static.messynessychic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/donaldnazi.jpg)

"'Hitler is a stinker?,' that's no military secret!"
Title: Re: amazon racism warning on tom and jerry
Post by: Phoenix Dark on October 02, 2014, 05:04:04 PM
How can you even be 'anti-PC' mad about this? These are pretty much 100% racial caricatures intended to mock colored people?

:dead

Talking about it is worse than the imagery, Esch. Just stop bringing up racism or else it'll never die.
 :oreilly