Laughing off racism

I like when people say things like 'try and take it in the spirit it was created' or 'its just a cartoon' when talking about things like this bullshit

What that really means (although they don't always know it) is 'why can't you see non-whites as not really people, and use their treasured traditions/ culture as jokes like I do?' or 'its just a gross misrepresentation of you guys, i mean look how the 'injuns' were all unrealistic while the white kids were perfectly proportioned'

Yes, it is a catchy song. Yes, most people remember that movie from when they were kids. Yes, it is racist garbage.

I know its hard to look at things with a clear view when you have nostalgia blocking your vision. That is our biggest problem when looking at these things. We cannot look at them objectively. Bugs Bunny is funny as shit, but when I look at some of the jokes he made about Asians and Black people, 'tisn't as funny.

This is the point where stupids bring up the whole 'n' word thing. 'How come they can say it but I can't?' I say to that, "What reason do you have for calling them that anyway?"

And they can call themselves whatever they want. Just like a fat dude can call himself fat if he wants. When other people start to do it, especially people who he doesn't know, its offensive.

'But he is fat.'

So you are saying that black people are n----?

Hah.

See? There is no reason for you to be playing so close to that ledge. Nothing but bad things will happen if you go near it. Stay away.

So back to the offensive crap in Disney movies. It has no place. I don't care if it is entertainment. I has no place in a Disney movie aimed at kids. I don't even care that it is in a fairy tale about a fictional tribe etc. (that argument was brought up in some of the comments on it)

Now am I saying that we can't have fun and make jokes about race, nationalities, cultures etc? No. In fact, I joke about these topics all the damn time. What I am saying is that there was no humor here. The dudes that made this movie didn't know shhh about any Native American tribes. It wasn't in jest, or an inside joke, or a comment on common stereotypes. It was just straight out negative stereotypes without any kind of balance to it (don't even start with the 'he asks 'how' because he thirsts for knowledge' bullshit).

I make those types of jokes with my friends with knowledge of the truth. Its all a parody. I know they know. They know I know. Example time: My friend spent some time in Idaho. What is Idaho famous for? Potatos. Thus, I joke that they went there and farmed potatos. Did they really? No. In fact, they never even saw a potato farm while up there. I know this. I know that Idaho has more stuff than potatos. We both know this. It is funny because of all this combined.--Note: your mileage may vary on this lame joke.

It isn't funny when Mr. Stupid really and truly believes what he is 'joking' about. Really it is more offensive ignorance and insulting than racism. Racism is just a byproduct of the ignorance. What are they ignorant of? The fact that people who do not look similar to what they are familar with are people to be held in the same esteem as someone with whom you are similar-looking to.

The 'spirit in which it was made' was one of ignorance and stupidity. If that shit was made today it would be bashed. I realize the difficulty in looking back at things we once loved and saying that they were wrong in retrospect. For some reason we feel that if we do, we are saying something similar about ourselves. No one likes to talk shit about themselves.

So we make excuses. One after another.

Its hard to change. Its hard to think of the Washington football team as the Redskins. I don't even blink when I see the Indian dude on the helmet. All that means is that I am calloused to it. They have always been the Redskins. The Cleveland Indians have always have had Chief Wahoo. The Illini have always had Chief Illiniwek. Or so it seems.

Most of these mascots were picked back when the pickers were all of the same group. I doubt that if I started a team today that anyone would let me pick Koreans as a team name complete with an exaggerated slanty-eyed mascot. That is just what they did with the Indians, Redskins, and up there on Peter Pan. Same. Shit. We just let it go because we are afraid of change. That don't make it right.