A big grrr to Disney censorship
As I believe most people reading this already know, Disney (and Warner Brothers) have a number of old cartoons that they no longer show, or show only in an editted version. One of the most popular is the live-action/animated Disney movie Song of the South, which the Disney companies neither shows nor sells on vhs or dvd in the United States. I'm told that a vhs version is available in Canada (and I know someone who got a vhs version, presumably from there). They have entire ride -- one of their premier rides, and a newer one at that -- themed on the movie, and still won't show it. What's up with that? I have seen the movie, and the "offensive stereotypes" they're worried about in it aren't nearly as bad as I've seen in some others that are still shown.
Many cartoons from World War II are no longer shown. A lot of these are due to portrayal of Japanese characters. Some due to violence, too. However, I just learned that a Disney cartoon, Der Fuhrer's Face, is not shown anymore (and never was shown on the Disney Channel since it came into existence in 1983) because they consider it to insulting to Germans. What has the world come to? Since when can you not insult Nazis? A hat tip on this goes out to Catherine Seipp for this article. A huge list of editted Disney cartoons is available here. Warner Brothers has similarly refrained from showing several WWII cartoons focused on the European front. Cartoon Network had a special showing before, where they showed Russian Rhapsody (previously titled Gremlins from the Kremlin, which goes with the refrain the gremlins (from the Kremlin) sing -- "We're gremlins from the Kremlin" -- wasn't the best of cartoons, but I do have that refrain etched in my memory), I believe for the first time in many years.
Most of these cartoons (except the war ones) are editted to remove scenes of smoking, drunkenness, or violence. In Donald's Penguin, for instance, they edit out Donald spanking the penguin. I certainly have not seen that, and, actually, that brief description amuses me and makes me want to see the full, uneditted version. As for drunkenness, it certainly doesn't seem to me that they really glamorize it. The smoking is not always shown positively (characters getting sick trying to smoke, the bad guys smoking as opposed to the good guys). As for violence, well, there's nothing wrong with some good, healthy violence. At any rate, good (or even decent) parenting should be able to take care of any perceived vices that Disney or Warner Brothers leave in their cartoons.
Unrelated note, but I've heard of some parents not letting their kids watch Disney because Mickey and Minnie had kids and they weren't married. They were his nephews, not their kids, as I recall, much like Donald's more famous nephews.
On an even more unrealted note, whatever happened to all those McDonaldland characters? We all know Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar, Birdie, and Grimace, I'm sure, but do you remember Mayor McCheese, Sheriff Big Mac, the Professor (but nobody else from Gilligan's band of castaways), Captain Crook, McNugget buddies, Fry Kids, CosMc, and the non-McDonaldland (but still McDonald's character) Mac Tonight (basically, a guy with a quarter moon for a head)? Apparently, most of these (not Ronald, of course, or a couple of the others) were plagiarized from H.R. Pufnstuf, a cartoon series by Sid and Marty Krofft, who successfully sued McDonald's for $50,000. A history of the characters is here. Did you know that Grimace used to be evil, stealing milkshakes from kids (which might explain his size and shape)? And he had more arms, too. Pictures of old toys here.
If you have time to waste, check out some old '80's commercials here. Included are Jay Leno for Cool Ranch Doritos, Jason Alexander (George on Seinfeld) singing of his love for McDonald's McD.L.T., guys rapping about Zelda, and much more. I remember a few of these commercials (perhaps that has something to do with them being on video tapes from when my family recorded television specials). They also have movie trailers and other stuff.
Many cartoons from World War II are no longer shown. A lot of these are due to portrayal of Japanese characters. Some due to violence, too. However, I just learned that a Disney cartoon, Der Fuhrer's Face, is not shown anymore (and never was shown on the Disney Channel since it came into existence in 1983) because they consider it to insulting to Germans. What has the world come to? Since when can you not insult Nazis? A hat tip on this goes out to Catherine Seipp for this article. A huge list of editted Disney cartoons is available here. Warner Brothers has similarly refrained from showing several WWII cartoons focused on the European front. Cartoon Network had a special showing before, where they showed Russian Rhapsody (previously titled Gremlins from the Kremlin, which goes with the refrain the gremlins (from the Kremlin) sing -- "We're gremlins from the Kremlin" -- wasn't the best of cartoons, but I do have that refrain etched in my memory), I believe for the first time in many years.
Most of these cartoons (except the war ones) are editted to remove scenes of smoking, drunkenness, or violence. In Donald's Penguin, for instance, they edit out Donald spanking the penguin. I certainly have not seen that, and, actually, that brief description amuses me and makes me want to see the full, uneditted version. As for drunkenness, it certainly doesn't seem to me that they really glamorize it. The smoking is not always shown positively (characters getting sick trying to smoke, the bad guys smoking as opposed to the good guys). As for violence, well, there's nothing wrong with some good, healthy violence. At any rate, good (or even decent) parenting should be able to take care of any perceived vices that Disney or Warner Brothers leave in their cartoons.
Unrelated note, but I've heard of some parents not letting their kids watch Disney because Mickey and Minnie had kids and they weren't married. They were his nephews, not their kids, as I recall, much like Donald's more famous nephews.
On an even more unrealted note, whatever happened to all those McDonaldland characters? We all know Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar, Birdie, and Grimace, I'm sure, but do you remember Mayor McCheese, Sheriff Big Mac, the Professor (but nobody else from Gilligan's band of castaways), Captain Crook, McNugget buddies, Fry Kids, CosMc, and the non-McDonaldland (but still McDonald's character) Mac Tonight (basically, a guy with a quarter moon for a head)? Apparently, most of these (not Ronald, of course, or a couple of the others) were plagiarized from H.R. Pufnstuf, a cartoon series by Sid and Marty Krofft, who successfully sued McDonald's for $50,000. A history of the characters is here. Did you know that Grimace used to be evil, stealing milkshakes from kids (which might explain his size and shape)? And he had more arms, too. Pictures of old toys here.
If you have time to waste, check out some old '80's commercials here. Included are Jay Leno for Cool Ranch Doritos, Jason Alexander (George on Seinfeld) singing of his love for McDonald's McD.L.T., guys rapping about Zelda, and much more. I remember a few of these commercials (perhaps that has something to do with them being on video tapes from when my family recorded television specials). They also have movie trailers and other stuff.
posted by DC | 3:39 AM
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