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[Afro Thunder]

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- The Mexican government has issued a postage stamp depicting an exaggerated black cartoon character known as Memin Pinguin, just weeks after remarks by President Vicente Fox angered U.S. blacks.

More: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/06/29/mexico.stamp.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

 

[Companion Cube]

Maybe... MAYBE... it's a really dark Mexican character?

 

[Lil' Dice]

Let's get a mod in here and ban the Mexicans.....

 

[Ecrofirt]

U.S STAMP CALLED OFFENSIVE TO WHITE-FACED PEDOPHILE CLOWNS

 

[Jeffahn]

$6.50 for a stamp?

...

 

[Ryck]

Have any of you ever been to mexico? PC dosen't exist....and its funny because the only people getting bothered are people HERE...Lenny Bruce was right......

 

[OpinionatedCyborg]

HAHAHA.

That reminds me of an old old, hardcore racist Looney Toons episode that was originally released in the 50s (or earlier) entitled "Little Black Samba". As the title implies, the lead character is Samba, an African boy with exagerrated features and a penchant for idiocy. At the beginning of the episode, his fat, big lipped, black mother is giving little Samba a wash...on a washboard...and as she washes him, the bubbles get blacker and blacker, and he gets slightly lighter. After he's had his skin shredded off him, she turns to him sternly and says, "Now, Samba, you go out and play...but watch out for that big, mean lion!"

Those cartoons, which were racist to practically every group besides WASPs, are fucking hilarious are so many levels.

Just did a google image search, and apparently the movie was called "Little Black SambO":

I'm like an old man with my derails.

 

[Companion Cube]

There was a movie!? :lol

 

[StoOgE]

Little Black Sambo is older than movies, dude has been around forever.. one of the complaints about that kid that yelled Dynomite all the time was that he was more or less a modern day Sambo charachter that detracted from a show that otherwise was a good depiction of blacks.

<- I payed to take a race relations in the media course, its only valuable every once and a while, so Im going to comment when it is.

 

[Excess Poo Flakes]

My family has some classic editions of little black sambo. Supposedly they sell for lots of $$ to collectors.

 

[Talas]

That's not "Little Black Sambo", he's "Memín Pingüin", a classic comic book about the adventures of a little kid and his poor family in Mexico City. It was created in the 50s if I recall correctly, and he and his family are mexicans, he just happens to be black.

I can't believe some people are gettin mad about this.

It's a classic.

$6.50 for a stamp?

$6.50 pesos = $0.59 dollars

 

[Ecrofirt]

$6.50 pesos = $0.59 dollars

So you're telling me I could wipe my ass with $10 pesos, and I'd only be wasting a dollar?

AWESOME.

 

[Kobun Heat]

Publisher Manelick De la Parra told the government news agency Notimex that the character would be sort of a goodwill ambassador on Mexican letters and postcards. "It seems nice if Memin can travel all over the world, spreading good news," de la Parra said, calling him "so charming, so affectionate, so wonderful, generous and friendly."

"And he's got really big lips," added de la Parra. "Aren't black people just hilarious?"

 

[Talas]

So you're telling me I could wipe my ass with $10 pesos, and I'd only be wasting a dollar?

AWESOME.

If you want to wipe your ass with a coin, sure.

 

[karasu]

Ok that's definitely playing up Black Stereotypes. That's aunt jemima aka mammy!

"At this point in time, it was probably pretty insensitive" to issue the stamps, said Elisa Velazquez, an anthropologist who studies Mexico's black communities for the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

"This character is a classic, but it's from another era," Velazquez said. "It's a stereotype and you don't want to encourage ignorance or prejudices."

The 6.50-peso (60 cent) stamps - depicting the character in five poses - was issued with the domestic market in mind, but Caballero noted they could be used in international postage as well. A total of 750,000 of the stamps will be issued.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Well it looks like Mexico found one job that even the mexicans won't take.

 

[beto]

Well it looks like Mexico found one job that even the mexicans won't take.

Not really looks like some guy named Miguel Angel Sanz will be playing him in a movie. I wonder if they'll stay true to the comic.

Negrito simpático de edad indefinida, mediocre estudiante de tercero de primaria. Tiene una sinceridad conmovedora y un alma sin dobleces, pero también es malicioso y hasta tramposo. Su don: una terrible facilidad para provocar enredos a los que arrastra a sus tres amigos más cercanos: Ernestillo, Carlangas y Ricardo.

Memín llama a su mamá, Eufrosina, "mi cachote del alma", "mi gordis", "chulita", "pedacito de mis entrañas", "corazón" y otras lindezas por el estilo. Aunque ella es gorda y vieja, él asegura que es "divina", "garbosa" y "guapetona".

¿Nadie dice yo?
Sigue en pie la propuesta para hacer una película de Memín. El actor que podría encarnar al simpático negrito sería Miguel Angel Sanz.

"He encontrado un parecido increíble entre el actor y Memín", nos dice el señor Jorge Luis Velarde Pebes.

These images are pretty bad.

More here
http://foros.kaliman.com.mx/discus/messages/41/4029.html?1111975752

 

[OpinionatedCyborg]

That's not "Little Black Sambo", he's "Memín Pingüin",

No one's calling Sambo "Memín Pingüin" guvnor, but thanks for the info. Looks as though the two of them might be lost twins, though...I wonder which one's the evil.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Not really looks like some guy named Miguel Angel Sanz will be playing him in a movie. I wonder if they'll stay true to the comic.

Damn now they are cutting in to the hollywood scene. Foxx was looking to play that part for months. Is there nothing we blacks can do?

These images are pretty bad.

Wow, dog jizz to the face. When is comes to offense the Mexicans go for the gusto.

 

[Talas]

No one's calling Sambo "Memín Pingüin" guvnor, but thanks for the info. Looks as though the two of them might be lost twins, though...I wonder which one's the evil.

Oops, I didn't read your post, I apologize.

 

[Bebpo]

On kind of a tangent, they just re-released Sambo in Japan with new revised and more racist drawings!

 

[Particle Physicist]

$6.50 for a stamp?

...

pesos.

 

[3rdman]

Has anyone seen the anti-Japanese cartoon "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nip"? Obviously done during the second World War and somewhat forgiveable because of it...anyways, it was only ever released on Laserdisc.

 

[Drexon]

Make what you wish of it. It's been around in Finland, arch enemy of Sweden for ages and sells tonbucks, it's good too.

 

[DDayton]

Hmm...

Imagine this were a major American cartoon character... the company would attempt to design the character (perhaps) to keep it around.

I'm trying to figure out how one could redesign this guy to make him unoffensive. I'm having a hard time doing it.

 

[Banjo Tango]

Has anyone seen the anti-Japanese cartoon "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nip"? Obviously done during the second World War and somewhat forgiveable because of it...anyways, it was only ever released on Laserdisc.

There was also a Popeye cartoon called "You're a sap, Mr. Jap." Info on both over at the Encyclopedia Obscura.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

On kind of a tangent, they just re-released Sambo in Japan with new revised and more racist drawings!

Hey, I believe he also had an appearance in those crappy Jet Set Radio games. :lol

 

[MIMIC]

But back to the subject...

Personally, I DO find that stamp offensive. You'd think Mexico would have learned by now after Fox's stupid comments last May.

 

[Ash Housewares]

On kind of a tangent, they just re-released Sambo in Japan with new revised and more racist drawings!

looks like us unlucky folks in the west are forced to import our racism once again

 

[Afro Thunder]

Update: Friday, July 1, 2005

Fox: Mexican stamps not racist

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- President Vicente Fox said Friday that U.S. activists who have called a new Mexican postage stamp racist don't understand the issue and should read the comic book.

More:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/07/01/fox.stamp.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

 

[pestul]

Update: Friday, July 1, 2005

Fox: Mexican stamps not racist


More:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/07/01/fox.stamp.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

Pretty soon..

Fox News: Information uncovered that proves stamps are not racist

 

[masud]

I can't believe some people are gettin mad about this.

Are you fucking kidding me? People have every right to be upset about this. I could personally care less about the stamp but this new "get over it" sentiment about anything dealing with race is disgusting and quite frankly scary. Gain some damn historical perspective.

 

[The Faceless Master]

you mean that's a kid? i thought he was a monkey...

OH SNAP

 

[Rorschach]

That sure is offensive. Even more offensive after what Vicente Fox said about Mexicans getting jobs even Blacks wouldn't take.

Wouldn't that make Mexicans lowlier than african americans?

 

[The Faceless Master]

Wouldn't that make Mexicans lowlier than african americans?

and blacks lower than everyone else that comes before "even blacks"

 

[MIMIC]

That sure is offensive. Even more offensive after what Vicente Fox said about Mexicans getting jobs even Blacks wouldn't take.

Hope that's sarcasm.

 

[beto]

Maybe I'm a little desensitized because I used to read these as a kid, i don't see a big deal. I just see the mischevous little character that would always find a way to get into trouble. Actually in a lot of the comics he dealt with racism and overcame it. I guess if you'd never read it the comic might come off as really bad.

Maybe Al Sharpton is right and I hate black people. I'm going to have to break the news to my friends. =(

 

[Talas]

Maybe I'm a little desensitized because I used to read these as a kid, i don't see a big deal. I just see the mischevous little character that would always fins a way to get into trouble. Actually in a lot of the comics he dealt with racism and overcame it. I guess if you'd never read it the comic might come off as really bad.

Maybe Al Sharpton is right and I hate black people. I'm going ot have to break the news to my friends. =(

I was going to post exactly the same thing. I guess most mexicans think the same about this issue.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

does he have to LOOK that way to be a BLACK character that overcomes racism and always gets into trouble? Was that the ONLY fucking way to depict a black person. Might as well call em Curious George.

 

[GaimeGuy]

MY EYES

 

[MetalAlien]

Are you fucking kidding me? People have every right to be upset about this. I could personally care less about the stamp but this new "get over it" sentiment about anything dealing with race is disgusting and quite frankly scary. Gain some damn historical perspective.

How about this? Black people can get mad at mexico as soon as black comedians find another subject for their act other than what's wrong with white people.

 

[The Faceless Master]

does he have to LOOK that way to be a BLACK character that overcomes racism and always gets into trouble? Was that the ONLY fucking way to depict a black person. Might as well call em Curious George.

all he needs is longer arms to be curious george...

oh, and the man in he yellow hat...

How about this? Black people can get mad at mexico as soon as black comedians find another subject for their act other than what's wrong with white people.

because black comedians = mexico

 

[Phoenix]

I tried to avert my gaze from this thread to no avail. Fox you ass, just because its in a comic book doesn't mean its not racist. Did you think, perhaps, that the depiction is just racist to begin with?

Man, I should just sell my house - buy the country and be done with it.

 

[Lil' Dice]

Have any of you ever watched Mexican television programming? It's crude, and tacky, i'm not at all surprised by this.