Tom & Jerry are now racist or so says Amazon!

[CagleMtnVol]

Amazon Warns About 'Racial Prejudices' In 'Tom And Jerry'

Amazon Warns About 'Racial Prejudices' In 'Tom And Jerry'

Cartoons today aren't like they used to be, and maybe that's a good thing.

BBC reports that Amazon Prime is accompanying "Tom and Jerry" with a cautionary statement about depictions of racism.

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:

The "Tom and Jerry" franchise has been around for more than 70 years, won several Academy Awards for its short films and has been remade and relaunched numerous times on TV since it first debuted.

 

[CagleMtnVol]

This is why I will never support streaming media!

If physical media (i.e. Blu-ray/DVD) dies then what you can & can't see will be at the discretion of the studios. If something is deemed to controversial or might offend someone etc.. then they could block/pull it from being streamed/downloaded.

That little round disc is still the way to go. If things keep going then you could see films like Gone with the Wind deemed to controversial. The Dukes of Hazzard (series) remember the flap before the horrible film remake if it would have the battle flag on top and.or the dixie horn?

 

[n_huffhines]

This is why I will never support streaming media!

If physical media (i.e. Blu-ray/DVD) dies then what you can & can't see will be at the discretion of the studios. If something is deemed to controversial or might offend someone etc.. then they could block/pull it from being streamed/downloaded.

That little round disc is still the way to go. If things keep going then you could see films like Gone with the Wind deemed to controversial. The Dukes of Hazzard (series) remember the flap before the horrible film remake if it would have the battle flag on top and.or the dixie horn?

Ever heard of electronic copies?

 

[n_huffhines]

BTW, you are the one saying "racist". Amazon said it might contain prejudice. I have no problem with the warning. Some people are offended by black face, and I'm sure Tom and Jerry did that joke.

 

[Spartacavolus]

I miss the days where you can watch The White Shadow in peace. They made the Italian guy suck at basketball. That's as racist as it gets. Or the Jefferson's where George was funny while calling his neighbor a honky and other Uncle Tom.
Today's folk couldn't take Archie Bunker if it came out new today.

 

[n_huffhines]

I miss the days where you can watch The White Shadow in peace. They made the Italian guy suck at basketball. That's as racist as it gets. Or the Jefferson's where George was funny while calling his neighbor a honky and other Uncle Tom.
Today's folk couldn't take Archie Bunker if it came out new today.

So the good news is, this review actually explains that Tom and Jerry would be appealing to you because of the funny prejudices it might contain.

 

[hndog609]

Hell, I still remember when Uncle Remus/Song of the South was essentially blacklisted. (wait, can I say "blacklisted"?)

 

[Spartacavolus]

So the good news is, this review actually explains that Tom and Jerry would be appealing to you because of the funny prejudices it might contain.

actually never was into Tom and Jerry. More of an Amos and Andy fan.


That was a joke. What's Happenin' was my speed. I tried to dance like rerun and workout so I could look like Dwayne in his tight 70's attire. And Raj was a smartass so I really liked him.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I miss the days where you can watch The White Shadow in peace. They made the Italian guy suck at basketball. That's as racist as it gets. Or the Jefferson's where George was funny while calling his neighbor a honky and other Uncle Tom.
Today's folk couldn't take Archie Bunker if it came out new today.

Fun fact, Sherman Hemsley didn't like the writers having George call Tom "honky" because he didn't think someone would use a racist term to a friend and after about 2 seasons complained to the writers. They refused to remove the word so Hemsley would mumble it every time he was supposed to say it and eventually they gave in and stopped writing it.

 

[CagleMtnVol]

Hell, I still remember when Uncle Remus/Song of the South was essentially blacklisted. (wait, can I say "blacklisted"?)

I was actually going to mention that in my original post about studios blocking films from being seen.

Disney has never released Song of the South on home video (VHS/DVD/Blu-ray etc..) in the United States. Yet they have in Europe etc..

Despite that "SOS" was the first Disney film to feature live actors and it also won the Academy Award for best song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" that more or less became Disney theme song.

 

[n_huffhines]

I don't blame Disney. It's sad that they are afraid of public reaction to the point that they need to hide content that would be useful as a historical time capsule (in addition to the entertainment value). It helps us understand race relations and attitudes from days past. When we try to erase this stuff from memory, we get a perspective skewed by what's remaining.

 

[LittleCat]

Today's folk couldn't take Archie Bunker if it came out new today.

A professor showed our writing class an episode of that and everyone went ape****. I was in the back of the room just shaking my head.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

I don't blame Disney. It's sad that they are afraid of public reaction to the point that they need to hide content that would be useful as a historical time capsule (in addition to the entertainment value). It helps us understand race relations and attitudes from days past. When we try to erase this stuff from memory, we get a perspective skewed by what's remaining.

There is absolutely nothing in Song of the South that's any more offensive than Gone With The Wind or Breakfast At Tiffany's. Yet it seems to be OK to make those films available.

 

[TrueOrange]

I was actually going to mention that in my original post about studios blocking films from being seen.

Disney has never released Song of the South on home video (VHS/DVD/Blu-ray etc..) in the United States. Yet they have in Europe etc..

Despite that "SOS" was the first Disney film to feature live actors and it also won the Academy Award for best song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" that more or less became Disney theme song.

Not to mention the characters are still involved in the Splash Mountain ride, are they not?

 

[BadJerry20]

Lol

 

[volinbham]

There is absolutely nothing in Song of the South that's any more offensive than Gone With The Wind or Breakfast At Tiffany's. Yet it seems to be OK to make those films available.

This is the problem with PC. It is selective and at the mercy of what the user deems to be uncool.

Hundreds of thousands of books, movies, shows have material that could be deemed inappropriate now but was okay at the time. Either put the disclaimer across the board (dumb idea) or let the viewer decide.

Nannyism at it's worst.

 

[salutethehill]

Just watched Song of the South with my kids not too long ago on VHS.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Just watched Song of the South with my kids not too long ago on VHS.

I have a pretty good DVD copy that was mastered from the laserdisk release. It's not great. It's certainly not blu ray quality. But unless Disney pulls their heads out of their asses, it's probably the best copy I'll ever have of this movie.

 

[BenGrimm]

Meh.... Nothing wrong with a disclaimer at least acknowledging it.

Cagle, there will always be copies of "banned" material floating around the Internet. You just have to know where to look.

 

[vols 30]

I let my kids watch Django unchained to learn about racial issues.

 

[BenGrimm]

There is absolutely nothing in Song of the South that's any more offensive than Gone With The Wind or Breakfast At Tiffany's. Yet it seems to be OK to make those films available.

I guess the difference would be that Song is aimed at kids while those others you mentioned are aimed at adults.

I haven't seen Song since I was a little kid. I do remember the Tar baby which was pretty derogatory when you think about it. In the end is Disney's choice which is fine. The government didn't force them to pull it. Eventually it will be in the public domain).

And again, if you really want to see it I'm sure there is a copy floating around out there on the internet.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

I guess the difference would be that Song is aimed at kids while those others you mentioned are aimed at adults.

I haven't seen Song since I was a little kid. I do remember the Tar baby which was pretty derogatory when you think about it

Not when you consider that the "Tar Baby" is taken directly from the original Uncle Remus stories that he told and Joel Chandler Harris later documented. Tar Baby isn't a term that slave owners or white supremacists came up with. It was a term that originated from African folk tales, told BY Africans. But I guess it's much more convenient for those with an agenda to ignore that and just inaccurately use it as a means to keep movies like Song of the South out of the public eye.It's this kind of information that the public needs to be aware of. Much of the perceived racial insensitivity from the movie originates directly from the original source, which was folk telling Africans.

Also, another interesting fact is that none of the African Americans who were in that film felt that way about it. They were all damn proud of the work they did in that film and none of them ever felt like it racially insensitive. Now personally, I respect their viewpoint about the film more than any other, since they were the ones who poured their time and talent into making it.

In the end is Disney's choice which is fine. The government didn't force them to pull it. Eventually it will be in the public domain).

And again, if you really want to see it I'm sure there is a copy floating around out there on the internet.

My issue with this whole thing isn't the lack of acknowledgement that a film like Song of the South has racially sensitive content. I'm ALL FOR including disclaimers and trying inform audiences that films like Song of the South were made in a different era and that certain images or stereotypes are no longer considered acceptable. My issue with Disney is this attempt by them to sort of ignore or erase their own legacy instead of embracing it.

 

[BenGrimm]

Not when you consider that the "Tar Baby" is taken directly from the original Uncle Remus stories that he told and Joel Chandler Harris later documented. Tar Baby isn't a term that slave owners or white supremacists came up with. It was a term that originated from African folk tales, told BY Africans. But I guess it's much more convenient for those with an agenda to ignore that and just inaccurately use it as a means to keep movies like Song of the South out of the public eye.It's this kind of information that the public needs to be aware of. Much of the perceived racial insensitivity from the movie originates directly from the original source, which was folk telling Africans.

The original intent loses meaning if it gets stigmatized later on. The Swastika was a good luck symbol in Western Europe for centuries before Hitler reappropriated it. Now it has a new meaning that will more than likekylast for centuries.

Also, another interesting fact is that none of the African Americans who were in that film felt that way about it. They were all damn proud of the work they did in that film and none of them ever felt like it racially insensitive. Now personally, I respect their viewpoint about the film more than any other, since they were the ones who poured their time and talent into making it.

My issue with this whole thing isn't the lack of acknowledgement that a film like Song of the South has racially sensitive content. I'm ALL FOR including disclaimers and trying inform audiences that films like Song of the South were made in a different era and that certain images or stereotypes are no longer considered acceptable. My issue with Disney is this attempt by them to sort of ignore or erase their own legacy instead of embracing it.

I don't necessarily disagree with you on this. I respect the way Tom and Jerry handled it. But Disney hasn't tried to completely sweep it under the rug. They still feature the characters at the parks and such. But it they feel the movie is insensitive to today's ideals and do not wish to continue profiting off of it then that is their right as a private company.

 

[firestorm]

Not when you consider that the "Tar Baby" is taken directly from the original Uncle Remus stories that he told and Joel Chandler Harris later documented. Tar Baby isn't a term that slave owners or white supremacists came up with. It was a term that originated from African folk tales, told BY Africans. But I guess it's much more convenient for those with an agenda to ignore that and just inaccurately use it as a means to keep movies like Song of the South out of the public eye.It's this kind of information that the public needs to be aware of. Much of the perceived racial insensitivity from the movie originates directly from the original source, which was folk telling Africans.

Also, another interesting fact is that none of the African Americans who were in that film felt that way about it. They were all damn proud of the work they did in that film and none of them ever felt like it racially insensitive. Now personally, I respect their viewpoint about the film more than any other, since they were the ones who poured their time and talent into making it.



My issue with this whole thing isn't the lack of acknowledgement that a film like Song of the South has racially sensitive content. I'm ALL FOR including disclaimers and trying inform audiences that films like Song of the South were made in a different era and that certain images or stereotypes are no longer considered acceptable. My issue with Disney is this attempt by them to sort of ignore or erase their own legacy instead of embracing it.

So really its a form of history rewrite.