Comments on: From the archives: African-American Crows

By: ISAIAH 58 HOUSE

ISAIAH 58 HOUSE — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:03:13 +0000

ISAIAH 58 HOUSE…

[...]From the archives: African-American Crows « The Journal of Cartoon Overanalyzations[...]…

By: Sandra Dee

Sandra Dee — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:59:26 +0000

The crows in this movie are CRAZY offensive. For comedic value or not, I’m glad that as a black kid growing up in the 1960s, my parent’s didn’t allow me to see any of these films. Aside from the obvious racism, the fact that ALL of the mothers in Disney films are dead or missing for some horrible reason says a lot about Walt’s mother/women issues. As an adult, I can appreciate the beauty of the animation, but as a child I surely might have internalized some of those negative stereotypes. I’m forever grateful to my Mom and Dad for shielding me from racist propaganda disguised as entertainment for as long as they possibly could.

By: Kristem

Kristem — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:37:06 +0000

i wish that you would use a real name, and have and automatic citer so i could use this in my research paper

By: Nikii

Nikii — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:30:17 +0000

You can’t wiiin, chile. I think of those crows every time I watch “The Wiz”. Of course, the entire cast of The Wiz is black, so no comments on the crows there. But I can’t help but notice the similarity in their personalities when compared to the crows in Dumbo.

By: Mag

Mag — Sun, 09 May 2010 17:43:00 +0000

Regardless of whether or not the crows were displayed as “malicious” characters, it’s still a pretty offensive move typical of the early Disney films. Though the crows in Dumbo were not seeking to harm the elephant, they were portrayed as uneducated blacks who did little else besides sing, dance, and poke fun at animals with big ears. Earlier in the movie, during the “Song of the Roustabouts,” we see a greater group of black people working to build the circus tent. In the final verse of the song, their singing is interjected by an obviously white voice saying, “Grab that rope, you hairy ape!” So, according to Disney, that’s what black people do: work for no pay, and sing.

Yeah, not malicious at all.

I would say the crows in Fritz the Cat at least give a more dynamic portrayal of “malicious” blacks. Though it is a cheap lay in the middle of a dumpster and they’re all smoking reefer or drinking or being incited to riot, I’d rather see that than the “Happy Nigger” picture. I would also like to address the double-standard offered in Fritz the Cat. While Fritz, seemingly white, is a sexual deviant with an obvious drug problem who can’t seem to stay the hell out of trouble, he is judged out of his racial context. The crows are not so lucky.

By: GrowlyGus

GrowlyGus — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:43:44 +0000

Wow, touchy touchy. Never seen people get so offended by the word ‘cheap’ and the insinuation that public schooling is of a lower quality. This generation sure is breeding thin skin…

By: Rosko

Rosko — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:40:34 +0000

“For those of you that were educated by the public school system, “Jim Crow” is the nickname given to segregationist laws ratified in the Southern states after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction.)”

Fuck off, I went to a public school and know full well what Jim Crow laws are. Perhaps Disney’s not the bigot here…

By: Bill Benzon

Bill Benzon — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:32:54 +0000

Of course the crows in “Dumbo” are black. And everyone recognized it at the time. The lead crow was voiced by the same man who recorded “When You Wish Upon a Star” for “Pinocchio.” He was white. But the other crows were voiced by black men, members of a vocal group. For more:

http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/Dumbo/Dumbo.htm

By: robcat2075

robcat2075 — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:52:47 +0000

I’ll just take issue with the notion that the crows in Dumbo are a “cheap” gag. Nothing in Disney full-animation was “cheap”. It was all strenuously and time-consumingly thought out, planned, second guessed, pencil tested and executed at great cost.

Insensitive? Possibly. Ethnically trite? Perhaps. But “cheap” just didn’t enter into it.