"All this and Rabbit Stew"I want these cultural artefacts around so we can all collectively agree that we're really happy we aren't at that point in history any more. have you ever seen "apu" on the simpsons?
good point. and for that matter, when it comes to contemporary cartoon iconography satirizing cultural differences, the simpsons has got nothing on family guy and drawn together. we haven't changed at all since the days of sambo. we just "cleverly" disguise our contempt as "satire", which for some reason legitimizes it in the eyes of the public-at-large.
i'll admit. i laugh hysterically at family guy. and then sometimes i shake my head in self-loathing, wondering why i thought that was so funny. where has this comical association conditioning come from???
I think part of the reason we laugh at those kinds of things is because do want to be past them. Laughing, and for a minute being able to forget that we aren't past it, in some ways seems like a relief, I guess. Not that that excuses it in any way.
But I do think you're right about this facade of satire when it really isn't that at all. It's just an easy way out so we don't actually have to do any of the hard work about thinking about what's still really fucked up and racist in the world today.
yeah, i've often felt "embarrassed" by being so heartily amused at comedians who are obviously selling comedy that is based around hate or ignorance. even if their stance is one of obvious irony or sarcasm (i suppose this guilt stems back to the recognition of satire as a potential facade for bigotry). i laugh my ass off at guys like stephen colbert, laugh 'til there are tears rolling out my eyes. but i fear for the world that takes his bill o'riley-esque persona seriously!
And good point on Apu. It's true. But I think we can also say quite assuredly that while he's obviously a racist caricature, it's on a different level and a different kind of racist caricature than are, say, sambo characters.
What I find the most disturbing about those cartoons, though, are all the comments from Youtube users saying "Oh, lighten up! It's just a product of that historical era. Nothing to get up in arms about!" Which is garbage, because in the 1940s (even the 1930s) there were already plenty of folks who found this stuff plenty offensive. But yeah, there are a ton of extremely racist WWII-era anti-Japan/ese on there. Also a lot that's Hitler-related that I haven't gotten around to watching yet.
But as far as "darky" iconography goes, poking around on Youtube I also found:
I think we can also say quite assuredly that while he's obviously a racist caricature, it's on a different level and a different kind of racist caricature than are, say, sambo characters.
How is it different?
You say that the Sambo character is "offensive" but offensive to who? It wasn't offensive to the parents who read Little Black Sambo to their children. I imagine in those days Sambo was regarded very much like Apu is regarded today--a harmless stereotype.
In 20 years people will look back the Simpsons and Apu and think "Wow, how could people think that was okay?"
I'm not saying it's any better/worse or more/less offensive), I just think the way the caricature is played out takes fundamentally different forms, because I think imagery is necessarily a reflection of the era it comes from. Admittedly I also think that the eras we come from are fundamentally a reflection of imagery, which I guess is why I find these things significant.
Whereas Sambo (and sambo-type characters generally) were really tied in to the maintenance and justification of civil and political inequalities, we don't really have that going on in an obvious way any more. I agree that parents back in the day probably didn't find Sambo problematic in much the same way we might see Apu's character as "harmless", but I think the differing social context necessarily changes the way it ultimately plays out in terms of power dynamics and effects more broadly.
As an aside, I've listened to the commentary of the directors/writers on a number of Simpsons episodes and one actually bought up some of the critisizim as Apu in the commentary to the episode where Homer gets him busted for selling expired food. The director mentioned that they're aware that they've made some jokes along the lines of cultural stereotypes but want the viewer to be aware that all the smartest, most competent people in springfield are minorities (Dr. Hibbert, Lou, etc). And as much as Apu is a stereotype/exageration, he's actually a succesful guy whereas most of the typical blue collar guys are the bums.
"Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips"
"All this and Rabbit Stew"I want these cultural artefacts around so we can all collectively agree that we're really happy we aren't at that point in history any more.
have you ever seen "apu" on the simpsons?
Reply
good point. and for that matter, when it comes to contemporary cartoon iconography satirizing cultural differences, the simpsons has got nothing on family guy and drawn together. we haven't changed at all since the days of sambo. we just "cleverly" disguise our contempt as "satire", which for some reason legitimizes it in the eyes of the public-at-large.
i'll admit. i laugh hysterically at family guy. and then sometimes i shake my head in self-loathing, wondering why i thought that was so funny. where has this comical association conditioning come from???
Reply
But I do think you're right about this facade of satire when it really isn't that at all. It's just an easy way out so we don't actually have to do any of the hard work about thinking about what's still really fucked up and racist in the world today.
Reply
Reply
And good point on Apu. It's true. But I think we can also say quite assuredly that while he's obviously a racist caricature, it's on a different level and a different kind of racist caricature than are, say, sambo characters.
What I find the most disturbing about those cartoons, though, are all the comments from Youtube users saying "Oh, lighten up! It's just a product of that historical era. Nothing to get up in arms about!" Which is garbage, because in the 1940s (even the 1930s) there were already plenty of folks who found this stuff plenty offensive. But yeah, there are a ton of extremely racist WWII-era anti-Japan/ese on there. Also a lot that's Hitler-related that I haven't gotten around to watching yet.
But as far as "darky" iconography goes, poking around on Youtube I also found:
Jasper and the Watermelons
Reply
How is it different?
You say that the Sambo character is "offensive" but offensive to who? It wasn't offensive to the parents who read Little Black Sambo to their children. I imagine in those days Sambo was regarded very much like Apu is regarded today--a harmless stereotype.
In 20 years people will look back the Simpsons and Apu and think "Wow, how could people think that was okay?"
Reply
Whereas Sambo (and sambo-type characters generally) were really tied in to the maintenance and justification of civil and political inequalities, we don't really have that going on in an obvious way any more. I agree that parents back in the day probably didn't find Sambo problematic in much the same way we might see Apu's character as "harmless", but I think the differing social context necessarily changes the way it ultimately plays out in terms of power dynamics and effects more broadly.
Reply
As an aside, I've listened to the commentary of the directors/writers on a number of Simpsons episodes and one actually bought up some of the critisizim as Apu in the commentary to the episode where Homer gets him busted for selling expired food. The director mentioned that they're aware that they've made some jokes along the lines of cultural stereotypes but want the viewer to be aware that all the smartest, most competent people in springfield are minorities (Dr. Hibbert, Lou, etc). And as much as Apu is a stereotype/exageration, he's actually a succesful guy whereas most of the typical blue collar guys are the bums.
Just thought that was interesting.
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