Nick Leshi

Nick Leshi
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Bronx, New York, United States of America
Birthday
December 13
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Writer, actor, media professional, fan of entertainment, pop culture, and speculative fiction. Contact nickleshi@aol.com for more info.

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FEBRUARY 28, 2010 10:17PM

Do Some Cartoons Offend You?

Rate: 9 Flag
Slice of SciFi reported that New Line Cinema will be making a feature-length Speedy Gonzalez movie.  You remember Speedy Gonzalez from the classic Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoons?  The fastest mouse in all of Mexico?  Some folks thought his cartoons were insensitive to Mexicans, offensive racial stereotypes (especially Speedy's lazy cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez).

The new film will star comedian George Lopez as the voice of the hyper rodent, and he has promised to celebrate the positive aspects of the beloved character and avoid any of the controversial depictions that sparked some people to protest the original cartoons.  According to George's wife, Ann Lopez, who is one of the producers of the film adaptation, the participation of George Lopez brings a "Latino seal of approval" to the production.  (Make of that what you will.)

Old cartoons have sparked protests many times over the years.  Many of those protests are legitimate reactions to what are now obviously ignorant (and sometimes hateful) depictions of characters in blackface and worse. Others have generated debate over whether speech impediments like stutters or lisps are valid targets for humor or just cheap shots at real challenges that some people face.  Are Porky Pig and Daffy Duck funny or offensive? 

Some think the protests are Political Correctness Overkill.  Will the French protest the smelly skunk Pepe LePew?  Will Tazmania find reason to boycott the Tazmanian Devil? If life is discovered on Mars, will they sign petitions to ban Marvin the Martian?

I don't mean to make light of any real offense that Mexicans might feel when they see old Speedy Gonzalez cartoons.  All I know is that I enjoyed his stories as a kid and viewed Speedy as one of the cooler fictional mice around, better than Mighty Mouse, better even than the iconic Mickey. 

What I find truly offensive is that they will make this adaptation a blend of live-action and computer generated animation.  What's wrong with traditional, two-dimensional cartoons?  If Speedy Gonzalez ends up being more like the recent versions of Garfield, Scooby-Doo, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the rest, then all the original fans of Looney Tunes should be protesting. I hope the new movie doesn't end up being a bland, annoying, cheesy mess, in which case all moviegoers, Mexicans and other, would have even more reason to disapprove.

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george lopez, looney tunes, film, movies, cartoons, speedy gonzalez

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Hmmm..Looks like my response got lost in the ether? If this is a repeat feel free to delete.

I was just saying that, instead of a CGI version, maybe we should convince cartoonists to go the way of Japanese Anime and do a re-imagining that way instead of near 3D the way recent movies have
Placebostudman
February 28, 2010 10:38 PM
My philosophy is always: if you think it's going to offend you, don't watch. Of course, I've seen some of the old cartoons from the 1930s and cringe.
Cranky Cuss
February 28, 2010 10:38 PM
Placebo - I fear the days of traditional 2D animation are numbered.

Cus - What about the folks who go to a movie hoping to be entertained but end up being offended? But I hope people do SEE a movie or show or READ a book before protesting it.
Nick Leshi
February 28, 2010 10:51 PM
If you go back to the 40's, you can find plenty of instances of what today would be labeled racism or offensive portrayals of ethnic groups in cartoons. But, that was the tenor of the day. It's interesting to see the cartoon as a reflection of society and the evolution of images.
Walter Blevins
February 28, 2010 10:55 PM
People who protest against Speedy Gonzales, forgot certain aspects of this rodent: He's outsmarted his opponents. Like Roadrunner, he's almost never caught. The difference between him and the roadrunner is that bird was too lucky. So if the movie people wanna rewrite Speedy, well, good luck. I'd rather stick with the original loony toons than the blandishments being done on others like Scooby Doo. But hey, that's just me. :)
Schopenhorror
March 01, 2010 02:25 AM
You're not alone, Schopenhorror. When they remake these cartoons with "modern sensibilities" it seems they lose a lot of their edge and personality. Remember the lame Tom and Jerry remakes?
Nick Leshi
March 01, 2010 09:37 AM
I'd feel better about this if (a) Ann Lopez said more about why a re-make of Speedy with the "Latino seal of approval" will revitalize the character and knock our socks off; (b) it wasn't going to be the mix of live-action and CGI you note, Nick. You can reclaim any character, if the writing and concept is good--but this doesn't sound good.

As a mom who's watched a lot of those original very un-p.c. Looney Tunes cartoons recently, I have to say their writing and humor still mostly holds up--and will be hard to trump.
Martha Nichols
March 01, 2010 09:53 AM
What Walter Blevins said. It's not just cartoons--it's also things such as television shows and commercials, radio shows and commercials, books, and so on. They do tend to be a reflection of how different groups of people are viewed in a given era.

I wonder, 50 years from now, will there be things from today that will make people cringe at the stereotypes or insensitivities?
Ranjit Souri
March 01, 2010 10:09 AM
It is a tough balance to strike between "offensiveness" and the sharp wit and bite of the cartoons of old. There has to be worse than Speedy out there - who was that ant from the old Pink Panther cartoons? I might poll my Mex-Am friends on this.

I may just do a blog post of my own on the very disturbing, crazed, "canibalistic" Woody Woodpecker of old. Brrrr!
ChillerPop
March 01, 2010 11:39 AM
I'm with you all the way, here. Speedy was one cool mouse! And frankly, Micky was completely over-rated. He just got in on the ground floor and gnawed his way up. If any Mexican or hispanic descended folks are offended, then let's take a look at Mexican cartoons and see how Gringo's are portrayed. Shucks. Gringo itself was supposed to be derogatory. Not saying I know---I don't. But if any possible protests of Speedy are like protests of making English the official language, well, in Mexico Spanish its the official language. And I'm guessing likewise in most if not all the rest of the Hispanic speaking nations of the world as well.
HenryR
March 01, 2010 12:04 PM
Unfortunately, it is doomed to be an unwatchable over PC'd bland piece of crap. Humor by necessity, must be at the expense of something or someone. There must be a butt for every joke. When things like this are sanitized there is often an attempt to whitewash history. Speedy was funny for the reasons that he wasn't PC. Without Slowpoke as a foil a lot of the jokes in the cartoons had no counterpoint. Most stereotypes have a root in reality. I am not saying that they are accurate representations of an entire culture, just that there are a lot of lazy people in every culture,in reference to this one. Look at how the Irish are portrayed, violent drunks and magically empowered leprechauns, often they are played as stupid and dirty as well. I don't see them being addressed when cultural stereotypes are being slammed. Lucky Charms are still advertised and sold in almost every grocery store in the nation. The product could potentially offend millions of people of Irish heritage around the world. The Irish, however seem to understand that it is not just an attempt to make sport of their culture. I suppose my point is that if a stereotype has been embraced by a culture then it has been effectively neutralized of it's offensive nature. I do not believe that Speedy Gonzales was ever meant to be an indictment of the Hispanic /Mexican culture or its people, so why is it in need of sanitizing? Why is this even a topic for discussion? How many of those who are potentially offended by Speedy had Lucky Charms for breakfast? and why didn't that bother them too?
bobbot
March 01, 2010 12:19 PM
***
[What I find truly offensive is that they will make this adaptation a blend of live-action and computer generated animation. What's wrong with traditional, two-dimensional cartoons?]

Interesting. I started some research about the Dora Makover a while ago because my college-age coworkers were outraged. I will post on that within the next week or so, I suppose.

I appreciate your perspective. I didn't like most cartoons. I am not sure why. I think I have a sense of humor. hmmm.

What is your opinion about the Dora Makover? I would like to quote you. Here is a link in case you haven't been following it. If you want to pm me, that's great. Or I will check back here.

http://thecount.com/wp-content/uploads/dora.jpg

***
PattyJane
March 01, 2010 01:52 PM
Patty: I don't watch Dora the Explorer, but my nieces and nephews do. I would imagine that such a drastic change ("makeover" implies that the original needed to be "fixed") might be a bit traumatic for some kids, but then again kids are more resilient and accept change better than we adults expect.

I look forward to reading your blog post. Sounds like a fascinating topic to explore (no pun intended.)
Nick Leshi
March 01, 2010 03:48 PM
Andale! Andale! Arriba! Arriba! Speedy was my fave! I grew up watching all those old cartoons and I did not grow up to be prejudiced against anyone. It is a pity they don't make them two-dimensional anymore. Different times, different children...
Pavanne Veltman
March 01, 2010 05:04 PM