"archetype of totalitarian society imbued with Stalinism and Nazism".
And he sets out in his book to prove that. He looks at old views on blacks, Jews, dictatorships and the like and tries to tie it all together to prove that the Smurfs are deeply racist. The Smurfs are likened to white colonists, Gargamel is a money grubbing Jew, Papa Smurf is Stalin. He does make some interesting points but a whole book on it? Meh.
In an interview he does claim that his work was serious but also tongue in cheek. Bueno asserts that those who have problems with his book have no sense of humour. Which doesn't really jibe with the description of his work as a
" ... critical and political analysis" that ruthlessly deconstructs the world of Smurfs, known as Schtroumpfs in French.
It sounds like someone is taking it uber-seriously and without any humour. Someone who isn't a detractor.
Bueno also claimed that he wasn't accusing Peyo, the creator, of being a racist. Feel free to correct me but if you say someone created something that perpetuates racism aren't you implying the creator is a racist?
He does have a point though, societal prejudices do show up in our shows, be they cartoons or with real people. Whether it is by design or subconsciously. But to write a whole book about the evil undertones of the Smurfs? Smurf please!
And then you have the detractors who say things like;
"What a disgrace to soil the legends of our childhood," writes Bibouille on the "Schtroumpfmania" website.
Not my childhood. I hated the Smurfs. Now if he stared dissing Battle of the Planets or Starblazers I would have some problems.
"It's not hard to find anti-Semitism in Shakespeare or Balzac."
So two wrongs make a write? Actually, this statement helps Mr. Bueno's argument that the cutural norms and prejudices of the times appear in shows. If only he had used examples like that to bolster hsi argument instead of just focusing on the Smurfs.
"The author's arguments spring from his own obsessions ... the hooked nose of a wizard is neither Jewish nor Goy, it's traditional for wizards."
Really? I think you mean witches.
As a kid I hated the Smurfs because they were too happy and perky. The song always annoyed the piss out of me. Why did no one kill Jokey? Just how many smurf berries did it cost for a romp with Smurfette? Then again, maybe that was my subconscious rebelling against the Nazi/Communist influence? ;)
I don't know who is stupider Bueno for the book or some of the detractors for what they say? Oh smurf me, they are all a bit 'tardish.
I was too old to be bothered by the Smurfs. It was one of those I became aware of and then ignored, like New Kids or Britney or (fill in the blank).
ReplyDeleteI always liked The Batman.
Still do.
But I get pissed off when people start pointing at The Batman and Robin and make snide comments about them being gay.
Bruce Wayne is like Dick Grayson's father, and to suggest they have a homosexual relationship is just sick.
If you have an axe to grind, fine, but try to base your theories or suppositions or whatever on reality, eh?
Now it makes sense! A Smurf movie was coming out so some dipshit decided to try and ride the smurftails and make some money selling his book.
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