PC Cartoons

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Cartoon Censorship Blamed on 'Politically Correct White Mentality'
By Marc Morano
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
September 27, 2002

(CNSNews.com) - Classic cartoons originally produced between the 1930s and 1950s and a television staple for the baby boomer generation, are being edited for offensive material today "because of a politically correct white mentality," according to a cartoon historian. The sanitized cartoons feature Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry and a host of Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies characters.

According to cartoon expert Jon Cooke's Censored Cartoons website, many classic cartoons deemed offensive are being chopped up, re-dubbed and completely shelved because "Ted Turner refused to allow any of them to be transmitted on television or released on home videotape."

Turner Entertainment owns the Cartoon Network, the networks TNT and TBS, and entire libraries of classic cartoons, including the complete Bugs Bunny collection. In 2001, AOL Time Warner merged Turner Entertainment with the WB broadcast network.

The decision to sanitize the cartoons is not sitting well with some.

"It's the politically correct white mentality that is really afraid of anything that could be offensive that is just quickly judged a stereotype and offending," Jerry Beck, a cartoon historian, told CNSNews.com.

Beck, co-author with Henry Holt of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Guide to Warner Bros. Cartoons, said the recent Cartoon Network cuts have been especially "ridiculous."

"People can explain to their kids that's the way the world used to be, but we can't do that anymore. It's whitewashed, it's definitely whitewashed now," Beck said.

Beck sees the cartoon edits as achieving the opposite of their intention. "As much as the world wants us to embrace diversity and celebrate our cultures, they also want us to remove those things from all these films. They want us to take out things that make us different so that we are all homogenized and of one," Beck said.

Some of the cartoons were initially edited in the late 1960s, following the civil rights movement, when they were packaged for television reruns, but some of the more sweeping edits have occurred in the last 3 years under Turner Entertainment's Cartoon Network, according to Beck.

The Censored Cartoons web site details how animator Tex Avery's cartoon titled "Little Tinker" from 1948 originally featured a skunk disguised as Frank Sinatra singing to a crowd of bunnies who are popping out of the ground shouting "Frankie!" In 2001, the Cartoon Network cut out a scene where "a black female bunny" said, "Love dat man!" (sic) Broadcasts prior to 2001 had left in this split second clip.

A 1938 cartoon titled "Jungle Jitters," described as featuring "a dopey traveling salesman [who] knocks on the door of a hut belonging to a group of cannibal African natives, who would love to have him for dinner" has been completely banned from television.

A 1941 Bugs Bunny cartoon titled "All This and Rabbit Stew" has joined the banned list as well. The "Censored Looney Tunes" web site describes the cartoon as "Bugs is being hunted by a slow-witted black hunter with a weakness for gambling."

"Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips" is another banned television cartoon. The wartime propaganda short, made in 1944, is described in an essay on the cultural watchdog website FictionFunHouse.com, as Bugs "defeats myopic, buck-toothed Japanese soldiers by dispensing grenade-filled ice cream bars accompanied by racist quips." Another cartoon featuring Bugs in black face imitating the Al Jolson caricature has also been banned from television.

Some of the film edits are minute. A 1952 Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry cartoon titled "Little Runaway" is now airing on the Cartoon Network minus a fraction of a scene which features a trash can cover hitting Tom's facing causing him to momentarily appear to be Chinese.

Cartoon Network edited out a brief scene from another Tom and Jerry short where Tom emerges from the laundry looking like an Indian chief.

TBS and TNT networks, both affiliates of Turner Entertainment, deleted a scene from another Tom and Jerry short where an exploding oven leaves Jerry with a momentary black face.

'Politically Correct Thing'


By the year 2000, according to Beck, "The politically correct thing had gone all the way to native Americans so all cartoons that had Indian gags are cut out. There is an Eskimo in one of Bugs Bunny's so they cut that out, there is an Aborigine character that they cut out."

Beck also cautions that fans of Popeye should not expect to see too much of the pipe smoking sailor man on television reruns. "They don't like Popeye anymore for a lot of reasons ... he smokes, he gets into fights, he beats everybody up ... he's not Sponge Bob," Beck said, referring to the inoffensive contemporary children's cartoon Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Beck also said any behavior considered sexually aggressive in old cartoons has also been deleted. In an Avery's Red Riding Hood parody cartoon, a wolf character's "eyeballs pop out of his head when he sees the sexy Red Riding Hood. Well, that's sexist right now, you can't show that anymore," Beck lamented.

A Cartoon Network spokesperson, speaking on background, told CNSNews.com that the network did not have a specific policy regarding the editing of offensive material from cartoons. "We have a standards and practices group and we try
to do things that are non-offensive," the spokesperson said.

'Enlightened Times'

Gabriel Shanks, a movie reviewer and film expert who wrote a review called "Th-Th-That's All, Folks: It's History for Some Classic Looney Toons," believes the editing of classic cartoons is not censorship.

"Is this censorship? My feeling: not on your life ... these cartoons are the property of a private company," Shanks wrote.

Shanks believes the objectionable cartoons should be made available only to adults.

"I can see no legitimate reason for these cartoons to be shown to children today," Shanks said. "As funny as they may be, the racial attitudes in some of those cartoons are pretty frightening in these more enlightened times," Shanks wrote.

Beck agrees that "kids probably shouldn't be raised on [classic cartoons]" because "we have moved on, those cartoons are from another era." But he believes the particularly objectionable cartoons should be made available to adults on late night television or [video.]

'Time Capsules'

Beck noted that even though he was a baby boomer raised on 1960s reruns of 3 Stooges comedies, violent Bugs Bunny cartoons and such Popeye propaganda cartoons from World War Two as "You're a Sap Mr. Jap," the programs did not adversely effect him.


"It didn't shape my world view, in fact it informed me about how the world lived. As I grew older, I began to appreciate these things even more as time capsules," Beck explained.

Speedy Gonzales was nearly taken off the Cartoon Network last year because the hard drinking rodent was deemed an offensive stereotype to Hispanics. However, a coalition of Hispanic groups led by the League of Latin American Citizens successfully fought to have Speedy return to the airwaves, under the slogan "Viva Speedy."

'Okay to Make Fun of White Guys'

"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.

"The future can be told in cartoons. It's going to look like Sponge Bob Square Pants. Let's make it about something that can't be offensive," Beck predicted.

"You got to say 'shut up!' to the people who are doing this. If you don't get it, go away, turn the channel, put on another [video]," Beck said.

[Reply #1 on:]

And the award for the Longest Post Ever goes to. . .

Cartoons are some of the most important primary historical sources of how people thought at the time. When I studied history, we are always taught about how cartoonists depicted situations, and one of the best books I have on Irish social history is a collection of newspaper cartoons.

If we try to airbrush racism from history, we can't learn from mistakes of the past. We teach kids about the world wars, the Holocaust, imperialism, so they can understand why these things happened and prevent them. I only came to understand and oppose racism when I read a story about it when I was eight. Awareness is important.

[Reply #2 on:]

I hope the original aren't destroyed, that way when sanity returns they can be viewed as made, perhaps not for children's entertainment but for adults or for education to see how views have changed over the years.

[Reply #3 on:]

Its interesting, sometimes on Cartoon Network they show some of the cartoons unedited late at night. I remember one where Porky was fighting a ghost, the end has the ghost getting hit by a smoke cloud and is in black face. This was cut out during the day but was shown at night (I think it wasn't colorized as well) Also I have been noticing many more edits in the shows, like the Maid in Tom and Jerry got redubed, problem is the new actress isn't that good and puts no emotion at all into the lines so they stick out like a sore thumb.

The WW2 probaganda cartoons shouldn't be in the rotation but they should be shown, CN has had a couple of Toon Heads specials where they show unedited and historicly significant cartoons.

I am surprised that Pepe le Pew is still being shown, (although they still cut out the ending where the cat shoots herself)

[Reply #4 on:]

I say about Bloody Time.

[Reply #5 on:]

 

Holly J. Fry posted this:
And the award for the Longest Post Ever goes to. . .

I think I've seen longer....
 

[Reply #6 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nurdbot:
I say about Bloody Time.

You want censorship? 

[Reply #7 on:]

It's about time we got rid of all forms of PC.

[Reply #8 on:]

What about PEEL?

[Reply #9 on:]

This board is seldom PC, that's why I like it here.

[Reply #10 on:]

But this is Racist and should be edited Out.It's Embarising enough with all the Slave Trades in History.We don't need Racist Cartoons in History as well.What they should Censor are things Extremely Offensive not like Futurama.

[Reply #11 on:]

Some people might find Futurama very offensive though, not that long ago the idea of such strong references to sex in a cartoon would have been unthinkable.

[Reply #12 on:]

Pfffft-They had a Heart Attack if they saw Cartoons today

[Professor/]Wheee-I'll got get my Organ Box[Professor]

[Reply #13 on:]

Turner is one fucked-up dude.

[Reply #14 on:]

Racism is bad. Censorship is worse.

I'm just pissed off 'cause they won't even show characters blowing their brains out anymore.

[Reply #15 on:]

well spank my ass and call me chalie PC correctness has sunk to a new low, what next? are they going to censor bugs bunny in drag for confusing the fragile little minds of our youth.
Anyone who thinks cartoons are too violent need to get a belt of a crowbar to the head

[Reply #16 on:]

I loved Bugs Bunny and other classics cartoons. They were fun. I guess whn you get older you learn the things that you didn't understand.

[Reply #17 on:]

I 'd sure like to see those Private Snafu cartoons again.

[Reply #18 on:]

 

Originally posted by MuscaDomestica:
I am surprised that Pepe le Pew is still being shown, (although they still cut out the ending where the cat shoots herself)

Wait...what? I know I haven't watched the old Warner Brothers cartoons in a while, but what is this referring to?

Oh, and while I do oppose censorship of most kinds, it does pain me to see these cartoons censored. On one side, we really don't need children watching Bugs Bunny going against black-faced, big red-lipped, gambling, watermelon-eating, slow-witted black hunters with speech and intelligence impediments. That is racist, and I don't think anyone can defend those.

They are artifacts of their time, true, and I do think that we can learn quite a bit of the culture of that time that produced cartoons like that, but I really don't think we should be broadcasting stuff like that each day at 4 pm in the afternoon. In a perfect world, people would have enough tact to not show them, in so much self-censoring and knowing that not everything is worth putting back on TV.

Personally, I'd like to see what any minority PEELers think about this, because it's pretty foolish for a bunch of white folks to talk about how cartoons effect the races.

[Reply #19 on:]

Elmer Fudd is black?  Since when?

[Reply #20 on:]

No, there have been occasions where Bugs is chased by people *besides* Elmer Fudd or Yosemite Sam. It's in the above article.

[Reply #21 on:]

The edits are just silly.

[Reply #22 on:]

Surprisingly I agree with evan, I think the cartoons in the daytime block should be edited (ie real offencive jokes taken out not stuff like Speedy Gonzolez) But at night when they have the ACME hour and toonheads we should be able to see all of the toons in their glory. Also I really want to see the Snafu cartoons.

[Reply #23 on:]

Ok, so we made stupid racist mistakes in the past. I still think they should be shown, maybe not in the day time, but I think that the cartoons (especially the Hitler ones) are important historically and should be analysed as a social reaction to the war/ propaganda.
I bought dodgy $2 films from a supermarket with 1950's little lu lu, felix, betty boop etc. They have quite a few african / racist cartoons in them (seeing as they are dodgy copies).

[Reply #24 on:]

I don't have a problem with some cartoons being pulled from broadcast or being restricted to late night shows like "Adult Swim".  Some children might not understand "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips" (not to mention some older children who slept through history class when World War II was discussed).  Certainly, with teen-age suicide rates at an all-time high, I might have to reconsider Bob Clampett's "now I've seen everything" gag (character then pulls out revolver and shoots himself in the head). 

However, all of these cartoons (especially "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs" ) should be available on DVD in their original format; uncut and uncensored.  Put a warning label on them if you must.  I'd buy the entire Warner Brothers and MGM collections (almost 1500 cartoons) if they were available.

[Reply #25 on:]

I'm not saying that we shouldn't ban the sale of 'censored' cartoons on video or DVD. I only thought of showing them on, say, Cartoon Network during children's prime viewing hours. As long as those who watch them know that what they're seeing is "of historical value," then I don't mind them seeing it.

[Helen Lovejoy] "But won't somebody please think of the children!?!" [/Helen Lovejoy]

[Reply #26 on:]

 

Originally posted by evan:
I'm not saying that we shouldn't ban the sale of 'censored' cartoons on video or DVD. I only thought of showing them on, say, Cartoon Network during children's prime viewing hours. As long as those who watch them know that what they're seeing is "of historical value," then I don't mind them seeing it.

I wasn't reacting to anything you said.  I'm just mad at AOL Time Warner for not releasing its cartoon collection on DVD. 

Jerry Beck has put together collections of Warner wartime cartoons for broadcast on Cartoon Network.  These programs do provide the historical context for the cartoons, such as why all Japanese are short, wear thick glasses and have buck teeth.

[Reply #27 on:]

Screw Politics.

[Reply #28 on:]

We have that black woman in Tom and Jerry. Now days black woman don't act like her.

[Reply #29 on:]

Yep, Juliet, she was completly redubbed and given a normal voice, but it sticks out like a sore thumb, the levels are off and there isn't that much emotion in the lines.

[Reply #30 on:]

Yeah, Mammy Two-Shoes (that's her real name) has been redubbed, but that's nothing compared to what they did to her when the cartoons aired on TNT in the early 90s... they left her voice the same, but recolored her to make her WHITE!! If you ask me, that's even stupider.

[Reply #31 on:]

The Mammy character (she was never named on screen; the animators called her Mammy Two-Shoes) in Tom and Jerry was first reanimated in the late 60's or early 70's.  She was changed to white, and I believe June Foray was brought in to re-record the dialogue with an Irish accent.

[Reply #32 on:]

Irish,God damn them..First Racism and now Celtists.Bah-As for a DVD....

*Leers at a Dragon Pink DVD*

[Reply #33 on:]

I remember the Droopy cartoon where Droopy kept switching songs on a record and the bulldog switched to all these sterotypes while Mexican music played, then Chinese, then Hawaiian... But then I like the Bugs Bunny WWII cartoons where Daffy was pestering Hitler. Nowadays, you would need more 'adult' cartoons like Family Guy and South Park to make fun of famous figures.

I'm hispanic, and watching Speedy Gonzalez doesn't bother me, but it may offend my dad. I'm just amazed at how much the peso inflated since the 50's.

[Reply #34 on:]

Meanwhile, last night, CN aired an episode of Scooby-Doo where Shaggy and Scooby dress up as outrageous Chinese stereotypes, but I guess THAT'S just FINE, right?

[Reply #35 on:]

Well...of course it's okay. Shaggy and Scooby are potheads, and unable to tell the difference between right and wrong.

By the way, was the ghost in that episode dressed completely in white robes and wear a white hood? "The Ghostly Grand Dragon?" Maybe Shaggy and Scooby were just trying to lure him out into the open so the others could catch him....

[Reply #36 on:]

...Yeah, and come to think of it, the Harlem Globetrotters look kind of weird o.O ...

[Reply #37 on:]

I just recently saw two old Donald Duck cartoons in which Disney makes fun of the Axis Powers, especially Japanese soldiers. "Donald Duck Nazi Verarsche" and "Commando Duck". I thought both were funny, but I did think, "Commando Duck" hit the borderline of going to far.  I was also able to watch the infamous Bugs Bunny cartoon where he lands on an island with Jap soliders.  I've even seen the cartoon with the stereotypical southern black man hunting for Bugs.

In some ways, I think it is a shame that these cartoons were made, but I don't think they should be cut or never seen again.  They should be placed in archive status and be allowed to be view for the purpose of education, rather than just sell them on DVD.  I wish cartoons today where just as funny with the War cartoons.  South Park did that with Cartman beating the hell out of Osama.  I wish more cartoons today had more guts.

[Reply #38 on:]

I hate this type stuff. 40 years ago, edits were made to please racists, I.E., the kiss between Kirk and Uhura being from the back on Star Trek. At this rate, we'll always be making edits, until the end of time.