OK, I’m not going to get into a huge thing about this. I thought I’d point out something that may not have been known generally, again, because it’s a hundred year old reference. Bugs was saying maroon as an insult intentionally. The writers were using a characterization of that time of black people as being inferior intellectually. It was, in fact, a widely accepted stereotype at that time. The writers were not having their characters mispronouncing moron.
I have used that word too in the past out of ignorance. One day I looked up the etymology of maroon out of curiosity. What I found is what I’m now passing along so that others (people whom I am certain are NOT racist) won’t use it while unaware of its racist origins.
“Gyped” was a very common term for me growing up and I was educated on this 30 years ago by folks who remain dear friends and also happen to be of Armenian heritage.
I have also used phrases such as “coon’s age” out of ignorance in the past. I thought it was meant to refer to a raccoon. Should I be embarrassed, or is it better to acquire the knowledge and adjust my conduct.?
Next time we get together, I’m pretty sure someone will think I’m a moron…
But seriously, I think a lot of things have changed over the years. I respect Chad’s point of view and don’t feel slighted in anyway
I think we’re all better people when we’re sensitive to other people’s feelings and also embracing better behavior through self-reflection and mutual empathy.
Growing up in Boston 60 years ago was astoundingly challenging for undeserved communities, women, LGBQT etc…
I have a soft stop in my heart for Daffy Duck cartoons; when I was young in early/mid 60’s, my father would occasionally sit me on his lap and watch cartoons with me if he had a few minutes, (and if the cartoons were Warner Brothers). I think he enjoyed the other characters, but I distinctly recall that he laughed all the way through the Daffy Duck pieces - I have a fond and distinct memory of that laughter
LOL! The thing that is really funny about this, is that my father identified personally and first hand with Daffy’s (and Donald’s) rage. For him, I think it was probably some sort of personal vindication.
As a kid I sometImes laughed until I cried at what regularly happened to poor Daffy’s beak. My own son and I laughed together when he was little. Good times.
There are a couple of interesting things going on in this thread that have little to do with the original topic (this is NOT a complaint):
The racist attitudes, obvious from today’s perspective in watching these old cartoons, (and how they may or may not have been perceived as such by children as naïve as me; why they were written that way, etc),
The shear delight of the memory of a simpler time in which the slapstick happenings in a 2 minute cartoon were worth their weight in gold.
The character who cracked me up was Sylvester the Puddy Cat. He just couldn’t quite succeed in catching Tweety or that “giant mouthse.” “Thuffering Thuccitath!”
I’ll be with you in spirit, while I watch the game out here in Missouri. But if I were ever in town on an away week, I would definitely join in. I think this is a great idea.
