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Thursday, October 02, 2014

Amazon adds Tom & Jerry to its online streaming service – but warns users the classic cartoons are RACIST

Fans of classic Tom and Jerry cartoons have been warned that episodes of the iconic show may depict scenes of 'ethnic and racial prejudice'.

Subscribers to Amazon Prime Instant Video are now met with a caution before viewing certain episodes of the long-running cartoon.

It follows concerns that the representation of a black maid on early episodes of the cartoon show - which made its first episodes in the 1940s - was an example of the era's prejudices.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh please- I remember watching those cartoons as a kid and it never occurred to me that the black maid...she would yell "Thomas!" a lot...was anything to be made fun of. She was just there. Do I look at black people differently because I saw a cartoon lady? Hell, no. This madness has to stop.
Remember the one where Tom puts on a zoot suit and plays bass to his cat girlfriend? Did any kid see that and NOT think that was the absolute coolest thing?

Anonymous said...

@9:54

I remember watching classic cartoons growing up, and there are moments in them that I would absolutely deem racist. While it may have been culturally acceptable at the time to show such things, that does not make it any less racist.

The key difference is that these ocourences were rare, and the series were not defined by these moments. The "racist" episodes could simply have been left off the playlist, however I am glad they are not, and that the explaination about the episodes is given.

Anonymous said...

Obamas maid.?

Anonymous said...

The shoes and comics of the 20's thru 50's were some of the best, so what if they make fun of certain people, it was all done for fun and laughter. Saying it was or is "Racist", is a bunch of BS. At the time it was produced it was for entertainment, period.

Anonymous said...

...and the cartoons were watched by kids never thinking once anything was racist. You PC people are pathetic...if it offends you don't watch it. Just like I do with BET!

Anonymous said...

Remembering.... I always loved watching "George Jefferson" on TV. Thought he was an excellent comedian. Now I realize just how racist the program really is.