Comments on: Offensive movie characters https://habitablezone.com/2013/06/03/offensive-movie-characters/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:56:17 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2013/06/03/offensive-movie-characters/#comment-24425 ER Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:12:54 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=33534#comment-24425 The Jim character in Twain's <em>Huckleberry Finn</em> may superficially fit every abominable stereotype in the book, but a close study of his role in the novel shows him to be brave, loyal, loving and decent. Indeed, he is a better man than most of the white characters, even Huck, who can at least be forgiven because of his youth. After all, Jim's loyalty and affection to Huck leads him to follow his young master Down the River, the last direction a slave in those days wanted to travel. You have to take the self-righteousness of the PC types with a grain of salt, its mostly well-meaning, but self-righteous, humbug. As I enjoy pointing out to those who are so outraged by the stereotypical Charlie Chan character, 1) Charlie clearly has his act together better than the inept Anglo detectives who invariably come to him for help. 2) His Westernized son is the total idiot in the family, certainly not the traditional Chinese detective. 3) Charlie not only outsmarts the white authorities, he outsmarts the white criminals he pursues. Charlie ALWAYS gets his man. The PC crowd often misses the whole point the original author was trying to get across in a very subtle way. Having said that, I make no judgement on JC Harris' work, never having read any of it. However, the Disney interpretation of it was racist. The Jim character in Twain’s Huckleberry Finn may superficially fit every abominable stereotype in the book, but a close study of his role in the novel shows him to be brave, loyal, loving and decent. Indeed, he is a better man than most of the white characters, even Huck, who can at least be forgiven because of his youth. After all, Jim’s loyalty and affection to Huck leads him to follow his young master Down the River, the last direction a slave in those days wanted to travel.

You have to take the self-righteousness of the PC types with a grain of salt, its mostly well-meaning, but self-righteous, humbug.

As I enjoy pointing out to those who are so outraged by the stereotypical Charlie Chan character,

1) Charlie clearly has his act together better than the inept Anglo detectives who invariably come to him for help.

2) His Westernized son is the total idiot in the family, certainly not the traditional Chinese detective.

3) Charlie not only outsmarts the white authorities, he outsmarts the white criminals he pursues. Charlie ALWAYS gets his man.

The PC crowd often misses the whole point the original author was trying to get across in a very subtle way.

Having said that, I make no judgement on JC Harris’ work, never having read any of it. However, the Disney interpretation of it was racist.

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2013/06/03/offensive-movie-characters/#comment-24422 TB Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:18:44 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=33534#comment-24422 <p>Joel Chandler Harris</p> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Chandler_Harris" rel="nofollow">From Wikipedia.</a> Joel Chandler Harris

From Wikipedia.

]]> By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2013/06/03/offensive-movie-characters/#comment-24420 FrankC Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:38:17 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=33534#comment-24420 However, it should be noted that after viewing the film, as a 6 year old child, my impression of Uncle Remus was nothing but loving. I had no negative feelings toward U.R. All I wanted to do was hug him and hang out with him. When I have since viewed the film as an adult, I can understand the reactions elicited in our PC culture but I still love U.R. and the image of an old man who resembled my own grand father in every way but color (and a much nicer personality), did nothing but raise my opinion of blacks. Appalling?, hardly. Compared to the roles played by "Buckwheat", Stepin Fetchit and the characters on Amos and Andy, U.R. was a black superstar. When you get down to it the hyper sensitive types should be appalled at nearly every flick produced before 1960, since the Black race was virtually none-existent or portrayed in a negative way. However, it should be noted that after viewing the film, as a 6 year old child, my impression of Uncle Remus was nothing but loving. I had no negative feelings toward U.R. All I wanted to do was hug him and hang out with him.

When I have since viewed the film as an adult, I can understand the reactions elicited in our PC culture but I still love U.R. and the image of an old man who resembled my own grand father in every way but color (and a much nicer personality), did nothing but raise my opinion of blacks. Appalling?, hardly. Compared to the roles played by “Buckwheat”, Stepin Fetchit and the characters on Amos and Andy, U.R. was a black superstar.

When you get down to it the hyper sensitive types should be appalled at nearly every flick produced before 1960, since the Black race was virtually none-existent or portrayed in a negative way.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2013/06/03/offensive-movie-characters/#comment-24419 ER Tue, 04 Jun 2013 03:19:03 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=33534#comment-24419 Mme Reclus saw Song of the South as a kid, and had loved the animation and the music. I had never seen it. So she bought the video last year and we watched it. It was absolutely apalling. They actually showed this to kids. It was<em> made</em> for kids. Mme Reclus saw Song of the South as a kid, and had loved the animation and the music. I had never seen it. So she bought the video last year and we watched it.

It was absolutely apalling. They actually showed this to kids. It was made for kids.

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