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« NOTEWORTHY | Main | THE PRICE OF HIS TICKET »

July 16, 2007

TINTIN AND RACISM

In England, The Commission for Racial Equality has labelled Tintin in the Congo racist and demanded Borders pull the book from its shelves.

A CRE spokeswoman said: "This book contains imagery and words of hideous racial prejudice, where the 'savage natives' look like monkeys and talk like imbeciles.

"How and why do Borders think that it's okay to peddle such racist material?

"Yes, it was written a long time ago, but this certainly does not make it acceptable. This is potentially highly offensive to a great number of people.

Borders has responded by moving the book to its adult graphic novels section.

This strikes us as an appropriate response.  On the one hand, we think that Tintin fans can tend to gloss the less attractive aspects of Herge's work and life - ranging from his depiction of Asians (as well as Africans) to his coziness with right-wing Catholics and occupying fascists.  At the same time, we're not in favor of censorship and think it's important that the books can be examined openly, albeit within a context - and certainly not easily accessible to children.

Posted by TEV at 12:15 AM in Obsessions |

Comments

Right-wing Catholics? I'm not debating the existence of such creatures, nor their occasional unbearableness, but the right-wing Catholics you are referring to, Mussolini and the gang, are quite different than the right-wing Catholics who are pro-life and favor free market economics. The fact that you speak in favor of the careful handling of racist images of Africans and then use the term "right-wing Catholic" in such a derogatory context points to a certain amount of bias on your part. Again, I know you are referring to a different period of history and a different group of people, but if we must be politically correct, we should apply it to everyone.

Posted by:Shankweather | July 16, 2007 at 08:55 AM

Shank, I'm actually making a very specific reference that folks who know Tintin's history will understand. Specifically, it's the Tintin first appeared in Le Petit Vingtieme, which was a children's magazine put out by Norbet Wallez, who published the Vingtieme Siecle, a conservative Catholic paper in Belgium. So in this case, the term "right wing" is accurate - and certainly not meant to apply to Catholics across the board. You can read more about it here:

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/herge.htm

Posted by:TEV | July 16, 2007 at 09:11 AM

Yes, and Norbet Wallez was a supporter of Mussolini. I am somewhat familiar with Herge's history. It was not only Catholics I meant to defend, but also "right wing" individuals. So it wasn't that he associated with conservative Catholics that you object to; it's that he associated with conservatives period? Is it people with conservative political views that you have compared to racists and fascists?

Posted by:Shankweather | July 16, 2007 at 09:25 AM

Shank, I think my comment and post speaks for itself. You'll have to draw your own conclusions. This is a literary blog; arguments about right (and other) wings will have to be left for other places.

Posted by:TEV | July 16, 2007 at 09:48 AM

I think you must know that this is more than just a literary blog, but I will pursue the discussion no further.

Posted by:Shankweather | July 16, 2007 at 10:15 AM

I'm Belgian and was of course brought up with Tintin: I enjoyed every minute of it. It took me years to understand there was a racist background to many of the first albums. I would argue that most children are like me and I don't think there is any way you can prove that reading Tintin from a early age makes you more likely to become racist. I don't see why we should make the books less accessible to children if one cannot prove it is a negative influence.

Posted by:Fausto | July 16, 2007 at 10:37 AM

"Is it people with conservative political views that you have compared to racists and fascists?"

Let's not lump acquired political traits in with race, creed, age, physique, class, nationality, intelligence and gender as categories of protected characteristics or we won't have anything left to joke about; further, Shank, I'm wondering what gives you the right to cast apparent aspersions on racists and fascists?

And Fausto, it's probably not yours to say whether your childhood enjoyment of Tintin's adventures in the Congo left you more racist as a result...we should ask all of your Congolese friends and acquaintances for a frank assessment.

Meanwhile, it's bedtime over here, and I have to read from Hoffmann's *Der Struwwelpeter* for my daughter...

Posted by:Steven Augustine | July 16, 2007 at 12:09 PM

Well Steven, I guess my Congolese friends would testify in my favour. Why would they be the friends of a racist, I wonder?

Posted by:Fausto | July 17, 2007 at 12:02 AM

Fausto:

Some of my best friends are racist.

Posted by:Steven Augustine | July 17, 2007 at 12:33 AM

Good for you, I guess, but I doubt my Congolese friends would be friends with someone who clearly sees them as intellectually and morally inferior. Anyway, this is drawing us quite far from the original topic. If one can say without the shadow of a doubt that Herge's views on race and colonialism fed his work - the first Tintin albums at least- can one as easily claim that Tintin itself influenced likewise the mindset of Belgian youth? I somehow doubt it.

Posted by:Fausto | July 17, 2007 at 09:29 AM

The debate about racism in Tintin Au Congo has been going on for decades but what is odd is that opinion of Congolese people is never canvassed. The debate, like so much about the Congo, is in the domain of outsiders.

I spent a lot of time in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the war ravaged country that was once the Belgian Congo, and the subject of Tintin would often come up in conversation with locals.

You might be surprised to hear their thoughts. If you're interested pls visit my blog.

Timbo Butcher

Posted by:Timbo Butcher | July 27, 2007 at 02:05 AM

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