"Tintin" book shelved for racism

Uh oh...can Asterix be far behind?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070712/ap_en_ot/britain/tintin

 

Some Tintin books were redrawn, at least on some pages, for having especially egregious black stereotypes. Tintin in America is a prime example. Of course, the Congo adventure would be a lot harder to do. I've never seen the Congo book in English, and i don't think Tintin's debut, the Land of the Soviets, has ever been translated.

 

Here's a working link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070713/ap_en_ot/britain_tintin_2

"Tintin au Congo" is pretty racist, unlike the Asterix books which often poke fun at some nations or cultures but are never really hostile towards them.

I think children should not read it without parents putting this into perspective.

http://www2c.ac-lille.fr/bts-lettres/sybricoracisme.htm (at the end, a page from the the original edition where Tintin treats natives like slaves)

 

The original version of The Shooting Star, in black and white, written during World War II, had an especially egregious Jewish stereotyped character. In color, the look of the character was not changed, but his name was.

From Wikipedia: Originally the villain was named Blumenstein, and was an American financier. Since Blumenstein is a Jewish name, some accused Hergé of anti-Semitism, prompting him to change it. In later editions the financier was named Bohlwinkel (a slight alteration of a term in Brussels dialect for "Sweet Shop", although the name was still, unfortunately, deemed to sound Jewish), and was based in the fictitious South American country of São Rico.

A number of other details were also removed (like two Jews rejoicing at the idea that the apocalypse would free them from repaying their creditors, the American flag of the landing party of the Peary), while a number of other, more obscure, hints remained (the names Peary and Kentucky Star for the ships of the antagonists, the "European Research Society" in the context of Nazi-occupied Europe, the seaplane used by Tintin is a World War II Nazi Germany reconnaissance aircraft Arado 196).

 

Hergé was also known for his prejudice towards women.

His ideal is male companionship (Tintin, Haddock and the Professor Tournesol, or the two Duponts), and the only woman appearing regularly is the hysterical opera singer Castafiore.

 

Tricky subject. Had this forum existed in 1931, the comments of the members would not have come close to meeting the rules for posting that exist today. We shouldn't judge our forebears too harshly lest we be judged.

That being said, my own opinion on race is the modern one. We have to accept the past the way it was 'warts and all'. Our modern sensibilities have been developed thanks to the past - let Tintin be.

 

LEAVE THE PAST ALONE-WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.

 

Pathetic. It's the same sort of thinking that scrubs all reference to radical Islam in news stories about terrorism...

 

Sometimes the rules should be broken! How can one express the gravity of such thinking if we don't judge harshly? How do we impress upon our children today that this was ignorant and wrong without casting these minds of the past (and minds of today) in a harsh light?

Ahem! Speaking as one of Tintin's targets...

We have no choice but to accept the past as it was. WE can hopefully learn from it. But, everytime I think we've moved past the thinking of yesteryear, I observe that we have moved very little, if at all.

Let Tintin survive, but take it out of the reach of children and other impressionable minds.

 

They should leave it be, i hate all this 'lets try and re-write history' because it is racist, it was not considered racist then! so leave it be! obviously if the same story was written today it maybe shouldn't be allowed! But i think banning this Tin-Tin book is an insult to the African people because it 'removes' their struggle to have equality and how in 1931 mainstream society viewed them, people need to know what society was like then! and if that particular parent was not happy he didn't have to read it! Their was a documentary on the late commedian 'Bernard Manning' the other night about how he is this so call Racist but he was just telling jokes to a particular audience who wanted that humour and they only pick up on the so call 'Black' jokes, this joke was never considered racist:

An Englishman, Irishman, Welshman and Scotsman were about to face a firing squad, they are each granted a request the Scotsman says i would like to hear a big pipe band playing flower of scotland one last time, the Welshman said i would like to hear a big full welsh choir sing bread of heaven the Irishman said i would like to see the river dance one last time..... The English man said 'Bloody hell please shoot me first'

I personally think People take Racism to seriously and use it to cause provacation, Its a book or a Joke thats all it is, its not life or death and if it is told or sold in the right environment where's the harm..

 

I disagree strongly with racism - I think most of us would - but it was written at a time where many people, including the well educated had very prejudiced views of black people.

As I understood the book was re-printed for adult collectors but was filed in the book store with children's books.

Most responsible adults would only let children, particularly younger children see such material if they saw it together and discussed the issues they raise.

The store has re-filed it in the adults section but the person who instigate the complaint wishes to take it further.

I'm wary of saying more because I don't wish to see this thread closed but the way in which more shameful areas of our past are dealt with is an important topic.

There is a need to learn from our wrongs.

 

Quite so, maidenpriest. Many try to keep the bigotry fires burning. Many expect society to continue suffering for the transgressions of their ancestors.

 

Its just getting silly? what they starting to do now is pretend the second world war and the holocost never happen!! Schools here in the UK have already taken Winston Churchill out of the teaching and want to replace learning about WW2 with drugs and climate change, in effect not having history leesons?? not sure if this is to do with the fact he had the two finger salute, smoked or what but it is just stupid! it makes the fact all those people died for nothing? Why try and pretend important Historical events never took place, you can't re-write history!! and we have to learn from past mistakes and glories!! Their are 'crazy' people making decisions on are behalf!!

 

I think you are putting too much in that decision to move the "Tintin au Congo" out of the children's section.

It is not being censored, it's just that the racist attitude shown by the hero in that book (an attitude which was "normal" in the 30's, when it was written) is no longer appropriate for a children's book. Adults will have no problem understanding the historical background.

 

Apparently not. Otherwise, the person who originally lodged the complaint wouldn't have done so.

There will always be those who want others to think and act just like them. Today we euphemistically call these folks Politically Correct.

 

I remember in grade school, in class one of the books we read was "Little Black Sambo". That one got nuked many years ago. It would be interesting to read that book now and see what I thought of it. Was it THAT BAD? Not sure, I don't remember it.

 

I remember the name? but even the title would never make it pass the censors now, probally the content is not so bad just the name, i don't know though can't remember like you!

 

Did a search and found this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_black_sambo

It is older than i thought

 

Wow! You can see and read the original book here:

http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/207-lbs.htm

 

I had a copy of that book as a child, and always considered the little boy a hero. I envied him having so many pancakes and being so brave as to outsmart the tigers.

There once was a restaurant chain in America that was named after this child hero, and featured illustrations of him on their menus etc. They made the best chili-burger I ever ate.

 

Nobody learns from the mistakes of others (the past). It's all about force and power.

Maidenpriest stated that "you can't re-write history". I wish that were true. The problem is that many people are trying to do that very thing.

 

But the saying goes, "those who choose to ignore the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them." (or something like that).

They're taking Churchill our of history classes in England; in the USA they're determined to call our founding fathers racist bigots while they change the names of schools and ban Christmas festivities just to satisfy their guilt.

 

This Tintin has now leapt into the UK Amazon chart @ NO 6 !

The power of publicity!

 

Ahem! Speaking as one of Tintin's targets...

 

I agree. It's not always easy.