slowpoke
Ugh. I have so many things I want to talk about, and so many posts I want to comment on, but not enough emotional energy to to it. I did have to do one thing, though: replace one of my old icons.
For many years, I had an icon of Slowpoke Rodriguez, Speedy Gonzales's cousin. As a kid, I loved Slowpoke, because I identified with him. He was a slowpoke, and everyone underestimated him because of it, but he was smart, so he was able to take care of himself. Like me. Also, I saw him as an underdog, since everyone loved Speedy (who was so fast) and made fun of Slowpoke (for being the slowest), and I've always had a soft spot for underdogs. When I made the icon, it was 2004, pre-YouTube. I hadn't seen the cartoons in years. I made the icon from the only image of him I could find: a crappy screencap I found via Google.
However, it recently dawned on me that I hadn't seen the actual cartoons since my childhood, and that they might be racist. Anyway, I did some Googling, looking for the perspectives of Chicana/Chicano journalists, bloggers, commenters etc. Opinions on Speedy and Slowpoke appeared to be mixed, some finding them offensive stereotypes, others appreciating them despite their flaws because they bested enemies like Sylvester (who is presumably white). (I accidentally ended up on a disturbing white supremacist page using the latter argument as an argument against letting the cartoons on the air, actually.)
Anyway, given that: (a) the Speedy Gonzales cartoons do contain a lot of offensive stereotypes (I managed to track down a few clips, and was disturbed to realize how much of my false ideas about Mexico probably originated from them), (b) people have projected negative stereotypes onto Slowpoke that don't accurately reflect the character (many people remember him as being stupid and lazy, which he was not), and (c) I am not Chicana, I've decided it's best for me not to use Slowpoke Rodriguez as an icon.
Instead, I present you with this adorable image of a snail hitching a ride on a baby turtle. :)
For many years, I had an icon of Slowpoke Rodriguez, Speedy Gonzales's cousin. As a kid, I loved Slowpoke, because I identified with him. He was a slowpoke, and everyone underestimated him because of it, but he was smart, so he was able to take care of himself. Like me. Also, I saw him as an underdog, since everyone loved Speedy (who was so fast) and made fun of Slowpoke (for being the slowest), and I've always had a soft spot for underdogs. When I made the icon, it was 2004, pre-YouTube. I hadn't seen the cartoons in years. I made the icon from the only image of him I could find: a crappy screencap I found via Google.
However, it recently dawned on me that I hadn't seen the actual cartoons since my childhood, and that they might be racist. Anyway, I did some Googling, looking for the perspectives of Chicana/Chicano journalists, bloggers, commenters etc. Opinions on Speedy and Slowpoke appeared to be mixed, some finding them offensive stereotypes, others appreciating them despite their flaws because they bested enemies like Sylvester (who is presumably white). (I accidentally ended up on a disturbing white supremacist page using the latter argument as an argument against letting the cartoons on the air, actually.)
Anyway, given that: (a) the Speedy Gonzales cartoons do contain a lot of offensive stereotypes (I managed to track down a few clips, and was disturbed to realize how much of my false ideas about Mexico probably originated from them), (b) people have projected negative stereotypes onto Slowpoke that don't accurately reflect the character (many people remember him as being stupid and lazy, which he was not), and (c) I am not Chicana, I've decided it's best for me not to use Slowpoke Rodriguez as an icon.
Instead, I present you with this adorable image of a snail hitching a ride on a baby turtle. :)