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Tintin in the Congo
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Is Tintin in the Congo a racist book, libel to incite racial hatred or is it political correctness gone mad yet again?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=467757&in_page_i d=1770
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=467757&in_page_i d=1770
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even when it was translated into english in the 1940's stuff was being removed by the creator because of its racist views - you have got to admit that drawing black people like monkeys and then portraying them as stupid (they can't work out what 2+2 is and then crown snowy the dog as their king) isn't really suitable for a child audience... though having said that i'm not calling for the book to be banned as i don't think censorship is a very useful tool, but i don't think its appropriate for children and should come with an introduction setting the scene of its creation in a historical sense.
Close to the edge but not racist. PC gone mad again as you have said.
It has to be put in context. It is like saying Henry VIII was a mysoginist all because he beheaded a few of his wives or the Duke of Cumberland was a tad evil all because he took the eyes of many a scotch man. Hogwash.
One has to remember when these books were written many an African was an uncivilised person, and many are today. The Empire had little effect in these tribal colonies and today many still practice witchcraft, cannabilism and walk around without shoes. Spears and grunts were the norm for these tribal folk. The natives, as often called by colonialists, were a fearsom bunch who refused to accept anything "modern" or right. I am not saying they should have totally lost their way of life, but when they often shrink heads for fun and wear those tight braclets around their necks, we had to interveen. Also, I understand, female circumcision was and is still the norm in Nigeria and parts of London. And that is wrong-diddly-wrong.
It is wrong to assume all black people look like monkeys, but considerring we ALL descend from apes and black people are darker skinned than whites of course they look like monkeys. If there was an albino monkey, which I am sure exist, then it will look like a white man. And people like Pete Sampras, Will Young and Mark Walhberg, who are all white, still look like monkeys.
The 1940's was too preoccupied with war and Hitler to worry about minor aestethics.
It has to be put in context. It is like saying Henry VIII was a mysoginist all because he beheaded a few of his wives or the Duke of Cumberland was a tad evil all because he took the eyes of many a scotch man. Hogwash.
One has to remember when these books were written many an African was an uncivilised person, and many are today. The Empire had little effect in these tribal colonies and today many still practice witchcraft, cannabilism and walk around without shoes. Spears and grunts were the norm for these tribal folk. The natives, as often called by colonialists, were a fearsom bunch who refused to accept anything "modern" or right. I am not saying they should have totally lost their way of life, but when they often shrink heads for fun and wear those tight braclets around their necks, we had to interveen. Also, I understand, female circumcision was and is still the norm in Nigeria and parts of London. And that is wrong-diddly-wrong.
It is wrong to assume all black people look like monkeys, but considerring we ALL descend from apes and black people are darker skinned than whites of course they look like monkeys. If there was an albino monkey, which I am sure exist, then it will look like a white man. And people like Pete Sampras, Will Young and Mark Walhberg, who are all white, still look like monkeys.
The 1940's was too preoccupied with war and Hitler to worry about minor aestethics.
it's definitely racist and doesn't belong in children's sections of bookshops. Even the author acknowledged this in some embarrassment and later redrew it. Adults with a bit of historical perspective should be able to cope with it, however.
sp1814, I'm not a huge fan of Tintin, that wretched opera singer drives me potty, but The Blue Lotus is magnificently written and drawn. Herge later moved much further to the left politically.
sp1814, I'm not a huge fan of Tintin, that wretched opera singer drives me potty, but The Blue Lotus is magnificently written and drawn. Herge later moved much further to the left politically.
I don't know whether it is racist or not because I've never it - or any other Tin Tin for that matter..................but Mr Enright who was quoted in the article seriosly needs to get a life, I mean, c'mon, "Aghast", "white supremacist ideas" and my favourite "inciting racial hatred".
Inciting racial hatred? - big bloody tit.
Bloody hell, he even wrote to two policy forces.
He has been bedwettingly pathetic.
Inciting racial hatred? - big bloody tit.
Bloody hell, he even wrote to two policy forces.
He has been bedwettingly pathetic.
it might be worth adding, in order to enlighten 'Nathan', that primitive people don't communicate in grunts; their languages are far more complex than those of more advanced societies. Which means stupid white men can't understand them. Languages tend to get simpler (eg no genders in English) as they become more widely used.
OK, fair enough: I had no idea about the supremacy thing, as I say, I've never read it - but he has been pathetic: if he's going to get upset surely he should get upset over overt racism that may well incite racial hatred - not over some book that was written in the earlier part of the last century and which most people, white or black, have probably never heard of - I certainly hadn't until he chose to make such a bruhaha (love that word) over an out of date book!
I know the type.
I know the type.
http://www.lomag-man.org/actu%20news/tintinCon go_big.jpg
For some reason I could only find French ones. These black chaps look no more like monkeys than I do. More like a black Homer Simpson if you ask me.
What a load of weey pants.
For some reason I could only find French ones. These black chaps look no more like monkeys than I do. More like a black Homer Simpson if you ask me.
What a load of weey pants.
sp1814 Why do you constantly post untrue statements? ie no one reads Tintin books anymore, we don't pray to God anymore, to name a couple of untruths you have recently posted. Just because you personally may hold these views you must learn not to speak for everyone else.
Regarding drawing Black people like monkeys, I don't think that illustration of the Black boy looks anything like a monkey. but it is a genetic fact that the Black persons skull is closer in evolutional terms to the apes, than can be said for a white persons.
Regarding treating black people as stupid, one as got to put this into context. For example no IggyB, the vast ammount of Africans at that time could not work out 2+2 since they were largely uneducated, so this is a fact.
Regarding the term white supremist this is also a fact, since before the white man colonised, most of Africa was
uncivilised and therefore uneducated, so in this context the white man was superior. But I would not be as racist as jno appears to be by calling them ' stupid black men ' as he called us ' stupid white men '
Regarding drawing Black people like monkeys, I don't think that illustration of the Black boy looks anything like a monkey. but it is a genetic fact that the Black persons skull is closer in evolutional terms to the apes, than can be said for a white persons.
Regarding treating black people as stupid, one as got to put this into context. For example no IggyB, the vast ammount of Africans at that time could not work out 2+2 since they were largely uneducated, so this is a fact.
Regarding the term white supremist this is also a fact, since before the white man colonised, most of Africa was
uncivilised and therefore uneducated, so in this context the white man was superior. But I would not be as racist as jno appears to be by calling them ' stupid black men ' as he called us ' stupid white men '
AOG
Whilst your last question is addressed to sp1814, you have raised some points that I would wish you to clarify.
The genetic fact about skulls. Where is that information from, my own brief research does not support that. My understanding was that from the skeleton it is quite difficult to determine what is the racial origin. But, I am no scientist.
Stupidity versus education. My understanding is that stupid to clever is how to classify intelligence. Only people of enormous intellect would work out without education the mathematical concept of 2 + 2, the rest of us have to be taught.
As for uncivilised - broadly civilised is understood as a society where there is education, industry, a concern for others and a refinement of behaviour. True in the 1930's when this book was written African countries did not have the same level of industry as Europe. But, there was education even if it was not as formalised as the system in Europe, and what do you know of the levels of concern for others and refinement of behaviour that would have been observed in the various countries 1930 ish.
Whilst your last question is addressed to sp1814, you have raised some points that I would wish you to clarify.
The genetic fact about skulls. Where is that information from, my own brief research does not support that. My understanding was that from the skeleton it is quite difficult to determine what is the racial origin. But, I am no scientist.
Stupidity versus education. My understanding is that stupid to clever is how to classify intelligence. Only people of enormous intellect would work out without education the mathematical concept of 2 + 2, the rest of us have to be taught.
As for uncivilised - broadly civilised is understood as a society where there is education, industry, a concern for others and a refinement of behaviour. True in the 1930's when this book was written African countries did not have the same level of industry as Europe. But, there was education even if it was not as formalised as the system in Europe, and what do you know of the levels of concern for others and refinement of behaviour that would have been observed in the various countries 1930 ish.
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