Tintin guilty of racism? Let the Congolese decide
Image posted on Le Pélicastre jouisseur blog.
A Brussels court will decide on 31 May whether to ban a comic from the Tintin series because it is racist. The case is being brought against the book's publishers by a Congolese man who says that "it makes people think that blacks have not evolved".
Children from around the world have grown up reading The Adventures of Tintin since Belgian cartoonist Hergé began illustrating him in the 1920s. The daring journalist and his faithful pooch are ruffling feathers in their home country however, where Belgium resident Bienvenu Mbutu has brought a hearing against publisher BD Casterman which could see one of the comics banned from sale or sold with a warning. Mbutu says the book in question, Tintin in the Congo, contains negative stereotyping of black people.
Hergé had already redesigned parts of the story when the comic was reprinted in colour in 1946. In the original comic from 1931 Tintin was shown teaching a group of half-naked children about their motherland: Belgium. The updated version saw the subject changed to maths.
It‘s not the first time Tintin in the Congo has come under scrutiny. For three years now British bookshops have been obliged to sell the comic with a warning after the Commission for Racial Equality categorised its content as offensive. In the Brooklyn Public Library the book is available only by appointment. And in Sweden animal rights groups have targeted another scene, where Tintin hunts a rhinoceros using dynamite.
Above, the section Hergé changed before reprinting in 1946. The first part reads "Today I'm going to tell you about your motherland.... Belgium!" The revised edition reads "We're going to start with some simple maths. Who can tell me what two plus two equals?" Image posted on Flickr by "uni.dijo".
“Hergé wasn't racist: he simply reflected the image the Western world had of the Congo and of Africa”
Roger Bongos is a Congolese journalist living in Paris.
You cannot deny however that the book is very discriminatory of black people. Hergé wasn't a racist person himself: he simply reflected the image the Western world had of the Congo and of Africa during those years, as well as the colonial aspirations of Belgians. In this sense, the book is kind of Proust's ‘madeleine episode' for us: it helps us remember our colonial history.
Personally I don't support the book being banned, because I think it is important for children to read it and find out how black people were treated in that colonial vision of the world. Many of the Congolese people who support the lawsuit are not necessarily trying to get Tintin banned: they see it as a good opportunity to raise awareness of the whole issue and ask for an official recognition from Belgium of the atrocities that took place during colonial times. A recognition of this history is very important to us, even 50 years after independence, just like the recognition of the genocide is important to Armenians."
"White man good! Great magic man! He cure my husband!" Snowy: "We are heroes aren't we." Image posted here.
1. Tintin: "Get to work! Aren't you ashamed of letting the dog do all the work?" Snowy: "Come on you bloody skivers!" 2. Tintin: "Are you ever going to do any work?" Congolese: "But I'll get dirty". 3. Tintin: "There we go, all aboard." Congolese: "White man very clever". 4. Congolese: Mister, the machine broke don't work no more". Tintin: "Be patient, we'll get it sorted out". Image posted here.
“People should be taught how to read the books critically”
Sebastián Rodríguez, a Tintin fan from Colombia, has studied the representation of foreign countries in the comics.
But Africa is not the only place that Tintin visited. Latin America is shown as a jungle inhabited by cannibal tribes or as a banana republic where dictators and guerrillas take turns ousting each other and governing with the same inefficiency. Even the US is an exotic place full of cowboys, Indians and gangsters.
Censoring the books is not the answer. Taking it away will not help people become critical of these stereotypes. Instead people should be taught how to read them critically and enjoy what there is to be enjoyed in them."
Posted on Flickr by “mercedes_alonso_vendrell”.
Mixed feelings for Tintin in Africa
Posted on Flickr (author prefers to remain anonymous).
A mural in Kinshasa. Posted by Paul Ashton/ focalplane on Flickr.
Tintin's car from the Congo made of
oranges. Posted by Carole Rannou on Flickr.
Wooden Tintin in the Congo, complete with Belgian missionary, Benin. Posted by Jean-Pierre Herveg on Flickr.
South African newspapers accusing Tintin of racism. Posted by Chris Bloom on Flickr.
Comments
Tin Tin
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 20/05/2010 - 15:36.I find that when things potray black people negatively, lots of people say no no look at it critically. Don't be sensitive. Imagine if this was a comic written in the times of the Nazis portraying Jews in a certain manner. Would we look at it and say no no thats how the Nazis saw Jews at the time. Read it critically. Come on people! We know that this kind of portrayal first dehumanises a group of people so that another group can exploit them or treat them like sub-humans without feeling guilty. That Tin Tin is racist should not even be debatable. The point is that some people are fighting to perpertuate a book that potrays a racist attitude. How can you expect children to 'read critically'.
trust kids
Submitted by chrisVIII (not verified) on Wed, 19/05/2010 - 06:08.ahahahah !!!!
honestly this "controversy" makes me laugh... it's purely ridiculous. I read Tintin as a child and I never felt superior because of it. We are in societies where people of different origins live together ( happily or not ).
The point is, we are no longer in the 1920's, every kid is aware that there are different skin-colors, they all met or saw a " black or indie or arab type" person and they can make the difference between those persons and the drawings in the cartoon. Don't take kids for being more stupid than they are and if you want to complain about something, then complain about the too numerous parents who do not do their job anymore, ie who do not take time to explain things, to discuss with the child. If they see their kid repeating those stereotypes or not understanding the story, then, take time to sit with him and explain it !
I have good memories of reading with my parents and listening to the information they would add, trying to understand the "big picture" that is the world. They taught me early that what is in books is no truth and one has to think on his own instead of letting other thinking for him.
In free societies all ideas
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 13/05/2010 - 09:18.In free societies all ideas must be free , even stupid ones , if someone feels offended he is free not to read the comic .
If we start banning elements of our culture because they make some people feel bad soon there wouldn't be any culture to speak about .
Be carefull with the word freedom
Submitted by Lude (not verified) on Thu, 13/05/2010 - 12:08.We cannot allow every idea to be expressed freely like racist ideas, like theories that white are above black or so on.
About Tintin, the problem is that all the kids identify themself to the main caracter.
In my example i thought that i was curse because i was black, i wanted to be like Tintin or Tarzan.
Now i understood that what ever i am, the most important is to be proud of it, and don't let those complexes invade my mind.
It's true that in this comic there are some stereotypes and caricature and sometimes a kid is not able to catch the nuances.
Tintin shouldn't be forbidden but explain. It was made in a time when European considered themself as the most civilised people on the earth, they try conquier every other nation and people, forcing them to change religion and so on.
Now we know that we have lost a lot of knowledge by killing the ones who wanted to be different.
Our differences should be our richness, when mankind will understand this there will be less evil things on this earth.
africa
Submitted by Unregistered userjoseph walker (not verified) on Thu, 13/05/2010 - 09:41.My favourite cartoon was Tom and Jerry,then these retards and morons in western society at the top, decided it was to voilent,and removed it.But sex drugs , voilence ,and the loss of dignity of Human life is acceptable for society,Conclusion,take a long look at the morons who advocate what is right,you will come to the Conclusion as I have,that the crap is at the top in western society,aided and abetted by its moronic messengers in the media,and broadcasting.
The incredible intellect of Joseph walker is once more rampant
Submitted by shutterbug on Wed, 26/05/2010 - 15:08.Yet another unintelligible tirade from the ubiquitous Joseph Walker. For heavens sake, if you really hate the west so much, why on earth don't you move. Soon. Please.
David
Africa
Submitted by Unregistered userjoseph walker (not verified) on Wed, 12/05/2010 - 17:11.The planet is full of morons unfortantely, they in broadcasting and western media.
Africa is a racist country,it slaughters millions because of different tribes.and allegiances.Time they got educated ,and our crap in the west also.
Cant remember much of the exploits of rin tin tin,as a child differences is not noticeable,it is our western garbage that pollutes its own children minds.Conclusion children are innoccent ,it minds get polluted with our western crap in society.
Joseph's at it again
Submitted by shutterbug on Wed, 26/05/2010 - 15:07.And yet more garbage from Joey baby. Give it a break. You complain incessantly about people's lack of education, yet every time you post a blog, you show just how ill-educated you yourself are. If you hate the place so much, emigrate. Perhaps we will be spared your stupid ramblings.
David
I knew tintin was a evil and racist since I was a child!
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 13/05/2010 - 06:44.I believe that tintin is definitely a racist character, created to portray and preach the image and idea of the white superiority over other races. Tintin is a sick character, designed to implement and legitimate colonialism and imperialism.
I have discovered this ever since I was a child. So I hated it and simply didn't like to watch or read it! It was not only because of it's evil objectives: I simply found it not interesting, dull and pretentious...I liked other cartoons that were much more intelligent! by the way, the author of tintin, Herge, was a member of the extremist right wing, and a colonial military.
Mixed feeling
Submitted by Jackm (not verified) on Thu, 13/05/2010 - 15:16.Its giving a positive stereotypes about White people, suggesting that they are more superior and smarter than any other race, and in this case smarter than Black people, but gives a rather negative stereotypes about Blacks. As adult we can understand that and can read it with critical mind, and can find it either offensive or just normal, but take an average young kid who reads that, what he or she will see is that White people are the best, they are superior, they are smart, and Black people on the other hand are just a bunch of half-naked people with big lips still living as savages as portrayed in Tintin.
Whether it should be banned or not is a very difficult question to answer in the sense that, some argue that they should keep it because it shows how westerners think of Congo and Africa in general, I on the other hand think it is just stupid to keep it around.