New efforts!

[Paragon Avenger]

Just the other day I discovered that Rite Aid still sells VHS tapes ($18 for a 3-pack, seriously?!), so I think this technology will stick around for a good long time.

VHS is the poor man's DVR, which is the 20th Century man's internet streaming.

[Arcana]

To me the Loony Toons were that generations equivalent to the Simpsons. 
When they first started way back when, they really weren't geared towards kids, and they had some celebrity appearances on the toons also.  Then during WW2 they did some propaganda episodes, such as Daffy Duck dealing with the Axis.   Then as time went on, despite some caricatures of some types of people being shown as dumb (native Americans, hillbillies) the shows did get a bit more oriented to kids and then we got the episodes that many of us know and love. 

I believe the original run of Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoons were never explicitly targeted at children but were "family entertainment" for their time.  Keep in mind that they were originally designed to be screened in movie theaters as animated short films that opened the feature films.  They were always targeted towards both adults and children, but it would be more proper to say they were adult animated that was created to be suitable for viewing by children.

The notion of making "cartoons" targeted directly and explicitly towards children (in the US) I think is really an idea that comes from the 1970s, after those animated films were repackaged as television shows.

Digression: way, way, way back in my early days on the internet I was discussing some topic or other regarding animated films when out of the blue I got an email from someone who wanted to compliment me on something I said and also correct me on something else I said, and it turned out to be an immediate family member of the Chuck Jones family**.  I no longer remember the specifics of the discussion (it was thirty years ago) but at the time I thought it was the coolest thing that ever happened to me, and gosh this internet thing is awesome.



** I presume.  Its not like I had any way to prove her assertion one way or another back then, but she seemed legit.

[Tubbius]

Someone corrected Arcana?

Whoa.  :o

[Azrael]

Quote from: Sinistar on Yesterday at 12:36:54 AM
To me the Loony Toons were that generations equivalent to the Simpsons. 
When they first started way back when, they really weren't geared towards kids, and they had some celebrity appearances on the toons also.  Then during WW2 they did some propaganda episodes, such as Daffy Duck dealing with the Axis.   Then as time went on, despite some caricatures of some types of people being shown as dumb (native Americans, hillbillies) the shows did get a bit more oriented to kids and then we got the episodes that many of us know and love.

*nods.

Daffy Duck.  He was my favourite.

Azrael.

[Keldian]

Speedy Gonzales - which I don't know why he was banned, he always got the best of the gringos.

Most Hispanics were pretty ok with Speedy.  Sure he was racist, but at least he existed.  The number of hispanic heroes in media is pretty short.  You have Zorro and then..... not a lot.  And even Zorro is usually Spanish instead of Mexican.

It's like all of the Avengers have their own "cool black friend with super powers" to help them out.  And then Antman has the hispanic friend, who has what?  A van.  And waffles.

[Fireheart]

Someone corrected Arcana?

After all, Arcana is a lovely human being and not a vast cybernetic intelligence.

Also, she said this was 30 years ago.  I'll freely admit that, 30 years ago, I was a bit of an idiot.

Be Well!
Fireheart

[LadyVamp]

VHS is the poor man's DVR, which is the 20th Century man's internet streaming.

It will be around for a long time to come.  Like records and cassettes, too many people have huge libraries.  Others claim digital is inferior to analog and won't change.

[LadyVamp]

Someone corrected Arcana?

Whoa.  :o

Arcana corrected?  Somebody call Guinness World Records and get that Hollywood movie deal signed.  Quick!  :)

[Remaugen]

After all, Arcana is a lovely human being and not a vast cybernetic intelligence.

Blasphemer!

[Vee]

After all, Arcana is a lovely human being and a vast cybernetic intelligence.

Fixt

[Arcana]

It will be around for a long time to come.  Like records and cassettes, too many people have huge libraries.  Others claim digital is inferior to analog and won't change.

A fundamental difference is that vinyl records are still theoretically playable fifty or a hundred years later if cared for.  VHS tapes, not so much.  An heirloom collection of VHS tapes is comparable to an heirloom collection of stadium hotdogs.

[eabrace]

And then Antman has the hispanic friend, who has what?  A van.  And waffles.

Waffles are the greatest super power of them all!

[Sinistar]

Most Hispanics were pretty ok with Speedy.  Sure he was racist, but at least he existed.  The number of hispanic heroes in media is pretty short.  You have Zorro and then..... not a lot.  And even Zorro is usually Spanish instead of Mexican.

It's like all of the Avengers have their own "cool black friend with super powers" to help them out.  And then Antman has the hispanic friend, who has what?  A van.  And waffles.

I really don't see Speedy as racist.  He was Mexican, spoke like a Mexican and was a fast mouse.

Sure he'd use the word Gringo at times,  but so what?  he's just a fast mouse that loves being fast.

Foghorn Leghorn,  an over exaggeration of a Southern Gentleman that was based on another exaggeration of a Southern Gentleman from the old Fred Allen Show.   All full of bluster and catch phrases, but I wouldn't label him as a racist.     An animal abuser maybe....

Pepe Le Pew an exaggerated French stereo type.......the main problem with him is that he essentially could be called a sex offender as he doesn't take no for an answer and is stalking a cat with intent.

[LadyVamp]

A fundamental difference is that vinyl records are still theoretically playable fifty or a hundred years later if cared for.  VHS tapes, not so much.  An heirloom collection of VHS tapes is comparable to an heirloom collection of stadium hotdogs.

Indeed but we both know no one takes care of their recording media like they should.  Doesn't stop people from trying to play a 20 year old vhs tape in a vcr.

[LadyVamp]

I really don't see Speedy as racist.  He was Mexican, spoke like a Mexican and was a fast mouse.

Sure he'd use the word Gringo at times,  but so what?  he's just a fast mouse that loves being fast.

Foghorn Leghorn,  an over exaggeration of a Southern Gentleman that was based on another exaggeration of a Southern Gentleman from the old Fred Allen Show.   All full of bluster and catch phrases, but I wouldn't label him as a racist.     An animal abuser maybe....

Pepe Le Pew an exaggerated French stereo type.......the main problem with him is that he essentially could be called a sex offender as he doesn't take no for an answer and is stalking a cat with intent.

I never found any of it as offensive/racists/whatever.  I found it all in good humor.   But then my generation was told to suck it up when we didn't like something. 

Oh and there was an episode where the cat turned the tails on Pepe and started chasing him with love on her mind.

[Tubbius]

Indeed but we both know no one takes care of their recording media like they should.  Doesn't stop people from trying to play a 20 year old vhs tape in a vcr.

I have a VHS tape of Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future episodes that we recorded in 1987.  The tape still works fine; granted, I very rarely play it.

The funniest thing about said tape is that it includes commercials for calling a 1-900 number to talk to Santa Claus.

[Thunder Glove]

I never found any of it as offensive/racists/whatever.  I found it all in good humor.   But then my generation was told to suck it up when we didn't like something.

I've read that Hispanics really liked and continue to like Speedy.  In some ways he was a Mexican stereotype, but in others he was deliberately the opposite (i.e., the stereotype at the time he was created was that Mexicans were slow and lazy, so they made him fast-talking, fast-thinking, and fast-moving), and his adversaries were usually Americans (Daffy Duck, Sylvester, or one-shot characters like George and Benny).

It's possible he was intended to be racist, or it's possible that he was simply intended to be another seemingly-harmless animal trickster in the vein of Bugs Bunny (only instead of having a funny New York accent, he had a funny Mexican accent).  Or even a combination of the two.

Oh and there was an episode where the cat turned the tails on Pepe and started chasing him with love on her mind.

The implication often seems to be that the cat (or whoever Pepe had focused on in this particular episode) wouldn't really mind so much if Pepe didn't smell so bad.  I don't know if that's meant to be a "French people smell bad" joke.

[LateNights]

I think we've just crossed into territory that few dare tread - what is insensitivity vs. racism?

Bonus points for racist stereotype...

Grand Theft Auto has always always always tread that line - and not once been taken to task for it -

(As far as I'm aware...).

So, I wonder - can the "theory" Arcana raised in regards to iD4 also be considered racist?

Because "Aliens"??

Discuss...

[Sinistar]

I think we've just crossed into territory that few dare tread - what is insensitivity vs actual racism?

Bonus points for - racist stereotype...

Grand Theft Auto has always always always tread that line - and not once been taken to task for it -
(As far as I'm aware...).

And actually, while I raise the point - can the "theory" Arcana raised in regards to iD4 be considered racist?

Because "Aliens"??

Does the question itself imply racism?

Discuss...

We are all alien/different from one another.

As to Grand Theft Auto never being called out for is content, look up disgraced lawyer Jack Thompson.  Now that guy was a nut.

[LateNights]

We are all alien/different from one another.

As to Grand Theft Auto never being called out for is content, look up disgraced lawyer Jack Thompson.  Now that guy was a nut.

Cute...

He never called out GTA for racism specifically - in spite of the obvious stereotypes that Rockstar played on throughout the series.

All of which were taken in jest (by fans of the series)...

...Black, White & in Between...