Yesterday in class, we were discussing the “uncensored” and “censored” versions of Steamboat Willie. There was general agreement among the class that the scenes depicting tobacco use were inappropriate for children. In addition to the use of tobacco, the amount of animal abuse (with the cat, goose, and pig) was something not usually seen in modern children’s programming.

Later on, I thought of the year this cartoon was released. Animation in the 1920s was still a relatively new form of entertainment. Perhaps the studio needed to include things that would not only entertain children, but also jokes for adults that a child would not understand. A great example of this is the Betty Boop clip we saw in which the Walrus Ghost danced and sang about drugs. Additionally, in the 1920s, tobacco’s harmful effects were not fully understood. Tobacco use was seen more as a pastime versus an unhealthy habit. Therefore, censors perhaps found it unnecessary to cut that scene from the animation.

Read more . . .

In class yesterday I was reminded of my roommates Itunes, and it's proud political incorrectness. They're called the Second Carolina String Band, and their music id based around recreating Civil War era tunes, and keeping them as accurate to the original as possible. I have to admit that I was surprised when I heard my roommate listening to music tlaking about "Darkies" but I have to appreciate how that was in fact the language of the times. It sometimes was racist, but in other times it was just the term used for people of a dark complexion. We have to respect however that while we are different we can't ignore the fact that that was the terms and music that created our culture.

Read more . . .