Last Friday I got home exhausted after a long commute from work and instead of turning on the evening news because I wanted to veg out and unwind, I turned to the Cartoon Network Boomerang.
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Laying there watching theTom and Jerry Show, episode after episode between 7 and 10 minutes each, I began to realize just how silly, sexist, racist and violent this cartoon was!
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Not only was there excessive violence between Tom and Jerry, but also between the other featured dogs and cats. These cartoons also contained sexist and racist overtones, especially when horny Tom fell for the female felines or and when the maid, a headless black woman namedMammy Two Shoesran through the house.
the house.
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Gluttony, alcoholism, and mass destruction were also a major part of the Tom and Jerry Show, however, as kids, we just watched and laughed along, none the wiser. Our parents and grandparents were probably too busy dealing with real, overt racism that subtle subliminal racist cartoons were accepted. They didn’t see the need to shelter us from these images because reality was much harsher.
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Fortunately, times have changed and we have recognized how mentally destructive these cartoons actually were during the 50s and 60s. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that the images that our children and grandchildren view today whether or not they are on television in the movies or on the internet they are images of positivity and acceptance of all.
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Let’s Discuss: Which cartoons do you remember as being violent, sexist and racist and how much has changed since then?
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