Kind of amused at Tom & Jerry having racism warnings on Amazon. When I was a kid a thought the black lady owned the house. Who has maids?
— Ian (or whatever) (@ian_fryer) October 1, 2014
The online retailer Amazon has decided to issue ‘racial prejudice’ warnings to customers streaming Tom & Jerry cartoons.
The animation, once commonly seen on Irish televisions screens, has been accused of racial stereotyping over its depiction of ‘Mammy Two Shoes’, the black maid who serves in the same home the cat and mouse live in.
Now Amazon Prime Instant Video, Amazon’s online streaming library, will warn viewers that the 70-year-old cartoon contains scenes of the prejudice once “commonplace” in American society.
The cartoons are included in the website’s comedy section, and the Tom & Jerry: The Complete Second Volume comes with the following disclaimer:
"Tom and Jerry shorts may depict some ethnic and racial prejudices that were once commonplace in American society. Such depictions were wrong then and are wrong today."
The reaction on Twitter to the news was mostly negative, with tweets accusing Amazon of cowtowing to demands for political correctness.
Old Tom and Jerry cartoons to carry warnings of 'racial prejudice'. Give me strength. I am a foreigner in a culture I no longer understand.
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) October 1, 2014
Racism alerts warnings on Tom & Jerry cartoons?! Whatever next. Why can't people understand the concept of historical context?
— HodgeHeg ;; (@Heggie31) October 1, 2014
Just seen a thing that says Tom & Jerry cartoons will carry warnings about containing racial prejudice. *looks for saner planet to live on*
— alan champion (@AlanChampion) October 1, 2014
Though some people welcomed the warning in place of whitewashing the material altogether:
I'd rather Tom and Jerry cartoon on Amazon carry racism warnings than the offending material being edited out. http://t.co/gwpAapjwqb
— Adam Lowes (@adlow76) October 1, 2014
I respect Amazon and Apple for issuing warnings about 'Tom & Jerry' cartoons. Yes, the subject matter at times were racially insensitive.
— Mia (@miajamespotter) October 3, 2014
Speaking to the BBC, sociology professor Frank Furedi of the University of Kent described Amazon’s decision as “empty-headed”, an example of a wave of sanctimonious censorship which “seems to be sweeping cultural life.”
Tom & Jerry debuted in 1940, created by the animation pioneers William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.
The depictions of African-American stereotypes and other ethnic insensitivity have dogged the cat and mouse series since the 1960s, when scenes were edited out of show to suit a wider broadcasting audience.
Warner Bros., which has the rights to the DVD version of the franchise, has previously addressed the show’s racially suspect past. In 2005, the release of the second volume of the ‘Spotlight Collection’ included a short introduction by the actress Whoopi Goldberg, who explained why the scenes had been left in that edition:
(H/T: BBC and Huffington Post)
