Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Happy Feet? More like racist feet.


How did this get past me? How did I never hear about this? Yesterday we put in Happy Feet for The Phi to watch. She was not interested and we left it playing. I was not really watching until a voice that sounded very much like Scarface started talking. I immediately recognized Robin Williams as this voice. The more I watched the more my jaw dropped on the floor. They had incorporated every racist stereo-type of Latino into this character and the characters that lived in the, what i can only describe, as the "ghetto" part of the Arctic. There was bad accents throwing around words like "Mami" and " homies". They were passionate Latin lovers. I wish I could tell you more, but I stopped watching. Tell me that I missed the uproar in the Latino community that this movie made. Or was it simply ignored because it was a cartoon. I think that its a cartoon makes it worse. This is what we are teaching little kids.

22 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:22 PM

    I haven't seen it but now that I know I won't! ~pap

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:12 PM

    I noticed it too.

    Isabella had a Pochanta movie (cartoon) that was such a fabrication that I threw it away.

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  3. In general, latinoies are not as uptight about negative imagery unless its a blatant attack. But I heartily agree and was very annoyed by this.

    This movie is INCREDIBLY RACIST! And you know there's a double standard for racism because had this movie featured Monkeys from Africa speaking in Jive, EVERYONE would have an uproar and this is the exact situation here. These are Penguins and from Argentina. It's unecessary to expose kids to not only this stereotype but to train them in a generalizational manner that ALL people of Spanish territories act this way.

    Terrible. This movie is going to be banned in 50 years, watch. It'll be seen as "insensitive" and its a shame that in a time when people who remotely say anything unflattering about black people, situations like "Happy Feet" are acceptable.

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  4. Even WORSE than the Latino penguins (wich had too many stereotypes and all, but at least were funny)... the whole message of the movie is really wierd. At the end it's like 'ok, so let's respect this penguins because they can actually dance and that entretains us humans'.
    Doesn't this situation remind you of how black or latins in movies seem to be considered 'great... because they can dance'??
    Even if you don't think that's the idea... it's a bad message. Does it mean you shouldn't protect species that can't dance? They obviously were too busy with creating dances and forgot about the plot and message and EVERYTHING!

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  5. Anonymous5:37 PM

    i really think you people are being dumb about this not every little thing has to be about racism i really think people are to sensitive i really like this movie and my favorite penguins in this movie are the little "latino" ones and no it is NOT the "ghetto" part of the aritc okay i mean for goodness sake its a frozen waistland the whole place not just tht one part and you cnt say its a ghetto cuss they dnt have white accents its just a little kid movie about singing penguins..nothing more you people are to worried about what other people think and which race is better now im not some hippie..tree huggin world peace kinda person but omg give it a rest
    you are all thinking way into a kid movie i can garrentee tht nobody is trying to poison the minds of your kids all you kids will be thinking about when they watch this is..."oh look at the funny dancing penguins" get over yourselves and your stupid racist somments..i mean if this had been an all "white" cast you people would have just complaind tht it doesnt have any lantios or blacks or you would just freak cuss it all about the white people...you are alll stupid and just need to grow up and frankly it doesnt matter what this movie is about i can promise you someone somwhere will think theres something racist about and this just shows what our world is coming too....hell

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:30 AM

      You know... back in English class, we learned about something called "punctuation". You should review that chapter, so we can follow what it is you're trying to say. Because really, with the lack of this thing called a "period", I can't make heads nor tails of your comment. As for the movie, sure there are some racial stereotypes. But that is only one of many things that render "Happy Feet" hard to watch. Mostly, it is a poorly written movie that drags on for nearly 2 hours too long...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:28 PM

      A comma belongs inside a quotation mark Also, using "can't" and "nor" in that way results in a double negative. Just saying! :P

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:10 AM

      Ad hominem rebuttals do not a valid argument make. Refute an opinion with facts and cogent arguments. We should all be able to discuss without bringing up petty things like grammar.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous7:13 PM

    I for one liked the movie.

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  7. Anonymous9:18 AM

    I think you are upset because it hit's too close to home. You can't admit that anytime you hang around more than three latinos at one time, they really do sound like that. I know, I hang around with them all the time and guess what?They really sound like that. Sorry if the truth hurts.

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  8. Anonymous8:12 PM

    sounds like musicbeing is a racist himself.

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  9. Anonymous9:36 PM

    ya all can suck ma dick...

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  10. I was just exposed to this film while visiting a friend. I was horrified by the "latino" and "black" sterotypes Musicbeing. I am myself an educated latina who doesn't appreciate the negative and faux-positive stereotyping one bit. Seems to be a subversive way to continue this trend that I've lived with all my life. My friend and his young child watched this and thought it was funny - but they belong to the mainstream dominant race - so that was truly upsetting too - It does send a racist message to children. It breeds a new generation of racists and keeps Latinos and Blacks in "their place." I'd like to let those involved with the film understand this better, but maybe you and I should create a film that showcases how wrong this is. And we can use animated characters too.
    Thank you for your support.

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  11. Anonymous5:43 PM

    bump?
    Yeah, musicbeing, I found Happy Feet incredibly racist as well. And I totally agree about the double standard.

    However, my take was the blatant ANTI-WHITE message & anti-white stereotypes. Thank heavens the hip ethnic penguins were there to save the world from the nasty old white peng-men, who of course are so clueless and evil and care about nothing but their little empire. Because we know that's just how white people - especially those white men - are. Plus they can't dance.

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  12. Anonymous5:50 PM

    ...also...JMZ, seriously?
    "Put Latinos and Blacks in their place"?

    In this movie they are the heroes that overthrow the out of touch white authority.

    wtf movie did you people watch?

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  13. Personally, i think you are going overboard and should just enjoy the movie for what it is. Freaky mexican.

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  14. Anonymous10:14 AM

    are you kidding me you people need to settle the fuck down, people like you are whats wrong with the world, always nit picking through everything just to find the negatives! Find something positive to bitch about once!

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  15. Why would people bitch about something positive?

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  16. Why would people bitch about something positive?

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  17. Anonymous10:33 AM

    This post is the first thing that came up when I Googled "Racist Happy Feet." I too was shocked at all the racist stereotypes in the movie (not just Latino, either) and was wondering why I hadn't heard any uproar about this. It's just shocking, glad to see I wasn't the only one who is upset.

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  18. remember, its a film about penguins. some sing, some dance and some get killed by men who overfish and pollute their habitat. I think you need look at the real issues in this film...

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  19. Anonymous6:27 PM

    great movie stop bitching

    ReplyDelete

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