Horton Hears a Racist
Barack Obama is my choice for president. I've already explained why in previous posts. But if Obama isn't elected, it would be hard to blame racism. Republicans aren't going to vote for him, not because he's black, but because, even worse, he's a Democrat. And for the most part, Obama has garnered more popular support among white voters than any other candidate. If Obama is elected, I believe that through his leadership skills and intelligence he will usher in a dynamic new era of government by inclusion rather than secrecy. Like John F. Kennedy, Obama will inspire a younger generation and invigorate the older generation to take greater part in their government, society, and community.
But there are many obstacles this New Era will have to face. A sagging economy. War abroad. Faltering education.
And, worst of all, the movie Horton Hears a Who.
This isn't a review of the movie, it's a review of how Hollywood sometimes contributes to the divisiveness within the country. Ironically, Horton Hears a Who has done more damage to our society than the recent slate of politically motivated movies about the war in Iraq (Rendition, Stop-Loss, Lambs for Lions, Redacted, In the Valley of Elah, etc.) has done good. For one thing, more people saw Horton than saw all the other movies combined.
How can a beloved Dr. Seuss story do so much harm? Well, the original book by Dr. Seuss is just fine, a timeless tale that has been delighting children since it was first published in 1954. The story of the brave elephant that is willing to endure the harshest condemnation from his friends and community in order to protect those in need is a wonderful lesson for children.
But then along comes the movie. To make the story long enough for a full-length movie, a sub-plot was added about the mayor of Whoville who has 96 cheerful daughters and one brooding son. This is where things take a nasty turn. Basically, the mayor ignores his 96 daughters in order to groom his uninterested son to become mayor. Why doesn't he groom one of his much more enthusiastic daughters? And, of course, it is the brooding son who, in the end, saves the entire world of Whoville. The daughters? They get to cheer from the sidelines. While it's true that in the book a "very small shirker named Jo-Jo" does add his tiny voice to the din and thus saves Whoville, but that promotes the idea that we all have our part to play in our community, not that sons are smarter than daughters.
"Hey, it's just a cartoon," you might say. But this particular cartoon will be seen by millions of children around the world. And they will come away with a clear impression that a single son is worth more than 96 daughters. That boys are inherently more valuable than girls, and more likely to be successful (in this case, in saving the world) than girls.
What's especially insidious here isn't just that the subplot was written and approved and filmed, but that since the movie has come out, there hasn't been a popular outcry about it. That we don't even ask why, in the years it took to make the movie, no one along the line said, "This isn't a good message to send to our kids." Is it because sexism is so ingrained in our society that we don't even flinch at it when it's shoved in our faces?
What's all this have to do with racism?
Well, if our society is willing to tolerate any form of social injustice and discrimination toward any single group, then they have created a breeding ground for injustice throughout society. If we allow sexism, ageism, homophobia, religious intolerance, than racism can only flourish as well. We expose our impressionable children to funny cartoons about wacky animals voiced by famous actors and what do we think is going to happen? Will a little girl step out of Horton feeling empowered and motivated, or just slightly less capable than the little boy walking beside her?
I don't think the filmmakers are evil or that they deliberately set out to send this awful message. Somehow it seems worse that they didn't notice.
Maybe after eight years of Barack Obama's presidency, our society will have evolved to a place where the filmmakers and the audiences won't tolerate even the most subtle forms of discrimination. At least with Barcak Obama, we have hope that such a world might be.
For more blogs by Kareem visit www.latimes.com/kareem
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I totally agree. Tell Magic I said whats up!
Kareem, have you done any work on black men calling black women the b word, whores and sluts? This has done a great deal more damage to us as a people and our place in society than Horton, don't you think? If I google Kareem against misogyny will I find that yes you have done work on this? Or, like others in the entertainment community, are you scared of those thugs and getting in the way they earn a dime? Has it ever occurred to you that this racism at its' deepest level? That there are white and Asian music moguls who tell these so called black "men" that if all the hatred and ugliness that they sing about black women doesn't permeate their songs they won't sell and they will be dropped? That these "men" will tell you of how much they donate to charities in their communities? Puleeze! Those are no more than tax breaks and we know it. I can't care about the 96 daughters of Horton's story while millions of black women are being slandered and defamed by black men - and the majority of people who purchase this music are the white youths of America. This is more important to me than Horton. Were any of the daughters black? Hispanic? Asian? Or where they all white? Whites will get whatever they need in this world, it belongs to them. I worry about what's happening to black people first, and anybody else later.
Oh, for Christsake, it's just a cartoon! Why does everyone have to politicize anything that is creative? First the pro-lifers try to claim that the movie is anti-abortion. Then, some Christian mother accuse the movie of making a snide remark against home-schoo
The point is, let the babies have their candy. They deserve to be spoiled once in a while.
A film based on a classic story has no right to be described as "creative", when it attempts to add to the story. Whatever was added by the studio was not added for the sake of the story but, quite possibly, for the sake of pleasing the studio. And Mr. Abdul-Jabbal is right that the studio's ignorance of the power of stories for children is baffling.
And by the way, why do people believe that it is appropriate to address athletes by their first name, when it is considered appropriate to address any other stranger only by his or her last name?
Just a question.
If the mayor had 98 kids, Whoville is doomed regardless of what the larger world outside might do to it. It's like humans obsessing about being hit by an asteroid while they breed like flies leading to an inevitable destruction of civilization. I'd worry more about my kids learning the wrong messages about population dynamics than about vague social messages. And why is racism more important than sexism?
Kareem
I have heard the exact same thing from a national known movie critique. Yours and his are the only reviews I’ve read so for, You’re not the only one to notice. I haven’t seen it and I might catch it on DVD and judge for myself someday.
I like tour blogs here, You’re a reasonable voice of Islam in this world today.
GWW
Forgot to mention, brought my two daughters (4 & 5) to watch it and we came out commenting how smart the scientist was and how they are going to grow up to be the smartest people ever, just like her. You can choose what color glass to look through. Obsessing with discrimination is unhealthy, and that is what this article is about.
Pluh-eeez.
continuati
One thing I'd like you to consider: 96 girls, 1 boy. Who feels like the outsider, the outcast, the minority, and has no freedom to decide his career for himself? The movie does show that. It specifically does not show the daughters being "basically ignored"
5) You're right about what movies "teach," and we have to consider what we see in them. The people who think torture gets real information, and often leads to last-minute bomb defusings, learned it from movies & TV. Same with those who think police shouldn't have to bother with all those rules, because maverick cops on TV are always right. Oh, and CSI's go out and hunt down suspects. Don't even get me started on the pseudoscience and fake history people believe because it looked real in a movie ("Based on actual events. However, some lies and half-truths have been added to make it more entertaining" --SNL, circa 1978).
6) Anyway, you know what? I AM going to say this is just a cartoon. Its positives outweigh your perceived injustice, and I thought it was a brilliant execution of an already great story, and we laughed ourselves silly.
Where to start?
1) While I don't doubt your sincerity, I've gotta question your establishment of priority: "And, worse of all, the movie Horton Hears a Who." I'm willing to think that delivery was in jest. Probably a few Bratz movies you could have taken to task, though.
2) Sexism therefore racism? That's a bit of a leap in this instance. However, I agree that prejudice is prejudice, no matter how small.
3) I saw it with my wife and sons. We all noticed he was particularly concerned with his son, but we all saw that he was making a huge effort to be fair with his time for his daughters. My oldest son, unlike us, noticed the mention of the son being the eldest and therefore the mayoral designate (which is nepotism or feudalism or something, but it's not sexism). We all noticed there had been female Mayors.
4) That particular subplot deliberately calls attention to itself, and the Mayor clearly wants his daughters to succeed at many things. That's one thing that, in itself, is a positive message. There are plenty of those here: stand up for what you know to be true; help out the little (!) guy; be a teacher; watch your step on rope bridges. I did think he was terribly wasteful with clover blossoms, but they'll probably grow back.
continued.
I haven't seen the movie, but I do remember the book, and the significance of the story is that all voices plus that last one made enough noise to communicate, which is sort of the same story as this election year, a lot of people need to speak up on the issues in unison in order to promote change.
There's been years and years of apathy, tolerating the same tired saga of influence peddling and high-dollar politics that basically, people don't feel like it's really something germane to their reality 'closer to home' as it were. But, people ARE speaking up, people ARE asking questions, people ARE paying attention, and taking notes and referencing and so forth, so maybe the spirit of the original book shines through the Hollywood Un-ultimate makeover, there. I like the older movies, too, Forbidden Planet, Towering Inferno, Jaws, Alien, Airplane!, the one recent show that I liked had good old Leslie Nielsen in it, the Superhero Movie. Boy saves the world there too, well, sort of...but a lot of the animated features in recent years...bo
Very good points, RTB.
I'd like to add that the we cannot overlook the enormous contribution that the internet has made toward people coming out of their shells. Prior to the internet, the MSM had the only nationwide voice. Now we can access so much mind expanding diverse opinion, postulate, pontificate and communicate so simply.
I have no doubt that this medium will continue to grow in popularity and diversity as long as it remains neutral and untampered with. Further, if it becomes threatened, our genius youth will quickly find a way around it!
I have great hope for america in the coming years. Lets not let "the same old saga" back in the door, once we've rid ourselves of it!
Whoever okayed that script was an idiot. When word of this gets out we will never hear the end of it! Wake me when the furor has died down.
This may be off thread but Kareem, the dream, writes as gracefully as he moved on the court. He's subtle in making his points on his blog as he often was when he made a basket. Kareem, like Joe Louis, is a credit to his race, the human race. Some film makers are cursed because the can turn a children's book into a racist film. It's hard to tell if introducing the elements of racism into a film was deliberate or a clumsy act of the films writers & producers. Making films can be a subtle art which requires talent & experience.
"Horton hears a racist"...
"What's all this have to do with racism?"
"Well, if our society is willing to tolerate any form of social injustice and discrimination toward any single group, then they have created a breeding ground for injustice throughout society. If we allow sexism, ageism, homophobia, religious intolerance, than racism can only flourish as well."
There is a very thin thread of logic here But I don't think it is a good idea to cry racist every time someone Commits a faux pas.
Maybe he thinks most of know that where sexism exists, racism feeds from the same trough. It's about pointing out how the non establishment character ( I guess the girls and the elephant) had no chance of excelling even if they had superior talent than the one (traditional) son.
I can't agree with you on this one, KAJ. What about the Smurfs, with one female among all those males? That's not sexist, it's fantasy.
Your connection of the film to racism just doesn't hold up at all.
There were actually two female Smurfs. But you make a great point.
I think that picking apart this movie to this extent could possibly be worse even than the far off religious right picking apart Harry Potter.
To me, the moral of Jojo is phenomenal. Even among 96 siblings there is room for an individual to shine forth with radiance. I think that if a film could hold an audience for 97 hours, then each of the 97 children's brilliancy could have been displayed. Unfortunately though, none of us could pay attention for that long. Perhaps, attention deficit disorder-not Jojo-is what this blog should be complaining about.
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