Horton hears a racist
(Michelle and Barack with daughters Malia and Sasha)
Barack Obama is my choice for president. I’ve already explained why in previous blogs. 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 subplot 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. Those 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, then 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 Barak Obama’s presidency, our society will have evolved to a place where the filmmakers and the audiences won’t tolerate even the subtlest forms of discrimination. At least with Barak Obama, we have hope that such a world might be.
(Photo credit: Barack Obama)
you rock
Posted by: ballin | April 16, 2008 at 03:42 PM
Great blog.
Posted by: Rocky | April 16, 2008 at 04:03 PM
What's ironic is that a majority of most of the studio "development" directors are women.
Several years ago, when I was actively producing television shows and movies, I pitched a story based on a rights package I owned. It was based on the true story of a real little girl who was the top gun pilot on the West Coast. She flew Marchetti (sp?)trainers in air combat against grown ups, mostly male pilots -- many of them Air Force pilots who had flown in the original Gulf War. The story was inspirational -- about a little girl who dreamed big and achieved her dreams, and about the support her father, who was raising her alone, gave her -- in a community that condemned him for letting a "little girl" fly.
I will never forget the final pitch meeting at a major studio. The final executive, a man, said "We will consider making this film if you change the lead character to a little boy instead of a little girl. Little girls will watch movies about little boys, but boys won't watch movies about little girls." As he said that, I looked at his desk. He had pictures of his daughters on it. I had a young daughter. I said to him "So long as you refuse to make movies with little girls in the heroic rules, you will perpetuate the stereotypes that are bad for your daughters and mine." I refused to make the change. The movie never got made. (By now, Katrina, my real life, little girl, hero has probably graduated from the Air Force Academy.)
Your blog has nailed this one. It makes me sad that what I ran into then is still in force, today. Thanks for writing your take on the subject of the subtle sexism in mainstream films.
sjh
Posted by: Steve | April 16, 2008 at 05:11 PM
Hey take it easy its just a movie if no body else is sensitive to the point you made oh well they just dont see it.
Posted by: frank napoli | April 16, 2008 at 05:17 PM
Are you serious? I asked my 10year old daughter what she got out of the movie. She said that "...even small people can be big..." I asked how and she said you just have to be yourself.
No comment from her about boys or girls. So, in my opinion, a very positive message came across. Her impression was that people can make a difference.
Too much reading between the lines on your part.
Posted by: apennysaved | April 16, 2008 at 07:05 PM
Thank you for the insightful musing.... I am 57 and fought hard against sexism for many many years, raising 2 children alone and working in the film advertising business... sexism is insidious, and it is alive and well despite all the years of our efforts... thank you for noticing.
(and "frank" your outlook is exactly why sexism still lives, because "oh well you just don't see it"....)
Posted by: OK | April 16, 2008 at 07:28 PM
Kareem,
Thank you so much for the blog. I don’t have daughters. In fact, I have no biological children. However, each school year I “adopt” 25-30 children. Each year my third grade students become a part of my family (I place them right under my wife, and just ahead of my dog). I do all I can to help them achieve academically, but I find myself caring even more in the fact that they believe in themselves when their time with me is done.
You comment about Horton Hears a Who really struck me. After initially seeing the title of the movie in your blog, I assumed that it had something to do with the pro-life controversy. Instead, I found myself running upstairs and reading the entry to my wife (we went and saw the movie last week) I really felt enlightened by the question that you asked: “Why doesn’t he groom one of his much more enthusiastic daughters?” As you put it, “The daughters? They get to cheer from the sidelines.”
I wouldn’t see any problem in having a movie out like this presented to millions of children, if (and a big if here), there were plenty of movies that carry the same message with the roles reversed. The problem is, there are very few such films that I am aware of. For every Matilda (a girl heroine), there are a dozen Monster’s Inc, Shrek, Cars, Nemo, Toy Story, and Snow Whites out there where female characters do nothing more than sit on the sidelines as the male characters save the day.
If you have an opportunity, please stop by my new blog (I am a rookie) and comment on a post. It would mean a lot!
Mr. Educator
www.educatormr.blogspot.com
Posted by: Mr. Educator | April 16, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Did not see the movie, but sometimes art reflects life. Who knows, maybe that was the exact point the film makers wanted to make.
My young granddaughters are already into the Disney fairy tale princess message. I was happy to find a coloring book with girls playing various sports to send them (they live on the other coast). Children's books have much improved, but still a long way to go, as does television.
Sadly, I think bigotry is playing much more of a role in this election then it should be. I read a bit of something Pat Buchanan wrote and noticed his motto "Right from he beginning" which reminded me of Barry Goldwater's "you know in my heart I am right". Buchanan's words are a throw back to when Goldwater voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act that ended Jim Crow in southern USA.
Buchanan ended his blog post: "Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago."
I do not want to defile your blog by repeating anymore of his blog post. Simply put, white superiority at it's ugliest.
Posted by: alyceclover | April 16, 2008 at 08:21 PM
Perhaps among the age group of parents who have children who will be watching this movie there is some conversation about this. I'm sure that I would not have let my young children go to a movie with this story line and I know most of my peers would have felt the same way. On the other hand, there are so many problems for today's parents to worry about, maybe they've given up. Perhaps they are working too hard to really think about these crucial issues. I hope not.
Posted by: ann | April 16, 2008 at 08:23 PM
That's one gigantic leap.
Posted by: Aaron | April 16, 2008 at 08:33 PM
outstanding blog.
and to frank, guess what: the mechanisms that subject us are not always visible at the level of the subject. basically, you don't have to notice that you're being controlled, and no one has to actually control you. it's the very modality of the system that does it, and mr. abdul-jabar has absolutely nailed it.
Posted by: dave fouser | April 16, 2008 at 08:47 PM
I'm pretty sure the aspect you criticize was no accident or oversight. You did not consider that overseas sales are a huge portion of a movie's profits, and sexism is much stronger in some other parts of the world. Right or wrong, it was a marketing decision.
Posted by: Steve | April 16, 2008 at 10:14 PM
Kareem-
Why hasn't the United States ever outlawed racism? I think they should have done it after WWII. Do think Obama, if elected, will want to make racism illegal?
-Ajax
Posted by: ajax | April 16, 2008 at 10:28 PM
OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) had an excellent commentator who had two daughters and took them to see Horton Hears a Who, a father, he was outraged, and made the same points you have. I agree and am also shocked that the studio would change such an excellent story and message upside down!
Posted by: Lisa Bartoletti | April 16, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Wow. I haven't seen the movie yet (and now I won't). I am thoroughly surprised that this hasn't come up in other venues (call me naive). It's sad to think that this decision was made (one son more valuable than 96 daughters) purely as a business decision for its international sale value. Recently I have been learning more and more in what ways racism plays a role in this country and it is absolutely mind boggling (I know, I know, I've been wearing rose-colored-glasses). While there are many things I love about being American, we have a long way to go before America becomes the country it was truly meant to be... Thank you for a great article!
Posted by: Deborah | April 16, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Mr. Abdul-Jabbar,
If you get the chance, I'd encourage you to meet Prof. Russell Robinson at UCLA's law school, he can regale you with tales about the racism inherent in casting decisions in Hollywood and how they're "justified" by resorting to the "artistic freedom" and "sales" rationales. Similarly, I would not be surprised to discover that the same "artistic freedom" and "sales" rationales with regard to the decision to re-write Dr. Seuss's tale with a sexist storyline. Doubtless that's also why MGM, in making the movie 21, decided to change the main characters from Asian-American characters (as they originally appeared in the book Bringing Down the House) to white characters. Simply put, Hollywood is sexist and racist. Now the question remains, "What can be done to change this?"
Posted by: George | April 17, 2008 at 12:03 AM
so well-said, so well-written. you absoLUTEly rock!
Posted by: cissie | April 17, 2008 at 12:33 AM
Ajax..racism is already illegal in action.
Outlawing thought would be an act as evil as racism. The very foundation stone of liberal western society is freedom of thought. All thought. Good thought. Evil thought. Banal thought.
The best way to battle what we consider vile thought is to meet it head on in the marketplace of public discourse.
Posted by: Bart | April 17, 2008 at 01:35 AM
kareem, i've been a fan for decades, but this is just plain nuts. if you go forth seeking racism, you can find it anywhere, in just about any cartoon ever made.
consider pepe le pew, one of the most charming, personable cartoon animals ever created - but he faced prejudice due to personal attributes beyond his control, which he was born with. it would be easy to deconstruct him as a proxy black person, a skunk trying to keep it real in a world of kitties and doggies. it doesn't help him either being french. the white male overlords can use this as a symbolic token to demean his masculinity. the little-known steamy outtakes of him and sylvester the cat would surely threaten the worldview of complacent white hetero manimals.
shrek the green ogre has a beef with you. he sees you as being one of several very tall basketball gods, but not entirely unique. he's old enough to compare you with wilt chamberlain, conquerer of 20,000 women and the standard of basketball dominance for cartoon characters of a certain age. kareem, you don't know racism until you wake up green with ears like trumpets.
when you don't like art, fighting it with criticism puts you at a disadvantange. the best way to fight art is with art. how about a kareem versus shrek one-on-one cartoon smackdown? you know he can't defend a skyhook lofted over his head.
Posted by: elmer fudd | April 17, 2008 at 02:10 AM
I've been around since before the modern feminist movement, and as far as I can tell, the biggest obstacle in our woman's fight for equality is... other women.
Posted by: Handee | April 17, 2008 at 03:41 AM
I like your story about Horton. I e-mailed it to my kids, who have seen the movie. My 17-year-old daughter disagrees. She says; "The sisters all had done great things and came across really well compared to the brother. He was the oldest and that is why he was in line to be mayor (so the issue is not male-female but hereditary stuff which i disagree with also). The portraits of previous mayors portrayed many women". She acknowledges there was apparently a supervisory board consisting of only men, but, she says, they were all portrayed as nasty and kept the power from the mayor.
Still, I haven't seen Horton but I remember my excitement upon reading 'The paperbag princess' about a girl who saves a prince from a dragon, and finally realised what had been missing from all the stories i had read in my life. Best wishes.
Posted by: Monique | April 17, 2008 at 04:17 AM
Barack Obama's message is the exact opposite of JFK's. JFK said we should ask what WE CAN DO for our country and Barack says we are all bitter because government is not doing enough FOR US. Maybe their charisma is comparable but certainly their messages are not.
Posted by: mamaM | April 17, 2008 at 04:28 AM
Kareem-
You write a great blog, it's thoughtful and insightful without being forcefull or assuming. I had heard about the abortion controversy and now this? Dr. Suess' family should really stop letting people butcher his legacy. Thank God no one makes Shel Silverstein movies...
And Ajax, you can't police thoughts. You can only stop hamful actions. If you want to end racism, laws can't do it for you. Remember the "War on Drugs"?
Posted by: AmbroseKalifornia | April 17, 2008 at 05:08 AM
Kareem, I must admit that I read your blog with the thought, are you kidding me? Im glad I took the time to read it, and to understand your point of view. Thank you for pointing this out. Its a lesson that I will pass on to my children.
Posted by: Adam | April 17, 2008 at 05:59 AM
No doubt Kareem, you were a great basketball player and role model, and you're writing is above par. But, your legacy does not preclude you from criticism as most of the comments have suggested. If it had been 96 boys and 1 misfit girl, I believe your message would have read somewhere along the lines of "society is messed up because a girl was singled out for thinking outside of the box." Adulterating an innocent movie with myriad positive messages is what is wrong with America. How about the message to the millions of young men who prefer art and music to their (no shot at you) sport-loving, politicking rough-neck fathers; the message that if they stick to their guns even under the pressure of the person they are supposed to admire most, they will prosper. Of dozens of positive messages to glean from a movie that in all probability entertains children exclusively through talking animals, random slap-stick comedy and a wide spectrum of colors, we are debating the tiny speck that, sorry to say, does not breathe life.
Posted by: Kasey B | April 17, 2008 at 06:02 AM
Wow! I'm a 42 year old woman who is very sensitive to sexism and racism, and I completely missed that! Good catch, Kareem. This is an intelligent and thought provoking post.
Posted by: Traci | April 17, 2008 at 06:03 AM
excellent post!
Posted by: dippen | April 17, 2008 at 06:08 AM
dear kareem,
i have admired you all my life. now that i am the ripe age of 49 i find myself a single mother of an amazing 6 year old boy. with no father involved i find it even more important that he has the right messages sent to him by family, school, friends and media. he is being raised to acknowledge strong people and it saddens me that our favorite book took such a sad turn. then again look at what they did to alvin and the chipmunks this past year. when i was little my parents would go see a movie before i was allowed to go see it. needless to say i have carried on that family tradition. then again my son doesn't go to the movies much. recently a friend took our sons to see alvin and the chipmunks. i was shocked when my son called a young sales lady mamasita. we had words and he understands when that is disrespectful. i hope that life can turn around for this generation. at least i am trying to turn it around for my son. it's just one child at a time.
thank you, mt
Posted by: maria tanquary | April 17, 2008 at 06:57 AM
I am laughing so hard at this line...the rest of your article is a vague memory.
"Maybe after eight years of Barak Obama’s presidency....."
Lets get serious...take all of Obama's characteristics and apply it to a White Democrat....he would be losing this race. For once I would like one person to admit that the selling point for Obama is RACE.
I am an African American and that is exactly why I am voting for him...but had he been White...even with his same characteristics...I would had voted for Clinton.
Enough with the BS in the US. Lets call it as it is.
Posted by: Dana | April 17, 2008 at 07:03 AM
I have to agree with apennysaved - my children did not get that "sexism" from the movie. They came away with you should give your "all" to your goals (Horton stuck to his goal of protecting the speck), have Faith in things - even if you can't see them, don't give up on people who are disappointing you - (Jo-Jo) and that life is precious (from conception on).
I think often it is the parents who point out and teach racism or sexism or any of the other "ism"s. I make an effort not to teach my children those things - to teach them to be kind to everyone - God made us all - to have common courtesy, respect, and manners. If more parents taught that - rather than telling their kids about the differences in people - we would be more united - and there would be less hate.
Posted by: Angi | April 17, 2008 at 07:04 AM
I'm confused how the obvious sexism in the movie didn't lead to a blog about, I don't know.... sexism rather than racism?!?!? While racism clearly runs rampant in our society, sexism is just as prevalent a problem in our culture... as is seen by this blog entry, which while acknowledging the sexism in the movie, trumps it by making a production about how if sexism is allowed, racism will be too. Why not just talk about how the movie perpetuates hateful, belittling SEXIST ideas??? Isn't that enough? Isn't that a problem deserving of its own post?
And then bringing it all back around to an endorsement for Barak Obama for president, (I'm not even going to touch on the whole racism/sexism divide in the Democratic party right now) I just don't get where you're going. If you want to endorse Obama, go ahead and say it loud and proud, Obama is the right candidate, no doubt. But if you want to talk about the sexism that permeates the media then talk about that don't try to make it about something it isn't.
I mean come on, Kareem, if you want to defend and teach your daughters, then you need to prepare them for a world where they will combat both racism and sexism and not perpetuate the problem by trying to make one issue seem more important than the other.
Posted by: dm | April 17, 2008 at 07:10 AM
wow - i just watched the movie last night and when i saw that someone called this movie unbearably sexist, i had to read more.
sometimes, i think at least, people read into things way too much. the fact that the mayor "grooms" his uninterested son for mayor instead of his daughters cannot be called sexist. they gave a perfectly good explanation for him choosing the son instead of the daughters. whoville tradition anyone?
in that huge hallway with all the photos of past mayors, they were all males. why make this movie adaptation of a book that is no longer than 25 pages, (maybe 1 full page of text), longer by adding another subplot to show the mayors girls being as smart as his son?
now, put yourself in the mayors shoes for a second. i know its just a character, but hear me out. lets be more realistic and say you have, i dont know, 10 daughters and 1 son. your daughters are very smart, energetic and outgoing. your son, however, is shy, a loner, and doesnt speak to anyone, not even you. now as your daughters already seem to have things on the up & up, who, as a parent, would you feel you have to focus more parental attention to?
the "underlying" context of this movie is what "you" make of it. to use a defense made popular in the 80's in the war of Tipper Gore vs Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, "You were looking for sexism in this movie, and you found it"
Posted by: Mark | April 17, 2008 at 07:20 AM
Oh my goodness Ajax you are an ignorant moron! You cannot make a way of thinking illegal! That has to be one of the most unintelligent things I have ever heard. I'm not endorsing racism but you cannot make it illegal. That just validated my thought that the majority of Americans are idiots who shouldn't be allowed to vote because they have no more knowledge or thought process than a 5 year old.
Quite frankly I feel that people can find any meaning they want in movies, tv, music etc. It's all about interpretation. Children are not as cynical as adults and they don't look as deep. And if you have a child who is getting their entire outlook on the battle of the sexes from movies there's a problem. If parents step in and would take an active role in their children then less of who they are would be formed by movies. If you have parents encouraging a son or daughter that counts for more than a movie could ever influence.
And just to put my two cents in Obama would be the ruination of the US, I almost hope he gets elected so all the sheep realize he has no experience, no vision, his wife is a racist, elist and they will actually increase the racial divide in this country. Again, stupid Americans.
Posted by: Aliison | April 17, 2008 at 07:32 AM
I completely agree with you re: the Dr. Seuss movie and thilnk it's great that a MAN is taking issue with this. If a woman takes issue then she's likely to be viewed as a whiney, women's liber whose just looking for something to complain about.
I think if parents make a concerted effort to let their daughters know they can do anything a man can do - the negative messages in the world won't have as much of an impact. I know my 10 year old daughter feels empowered to do whatever she wants, even if it's traditionally a male role, eg she has wanted to be an engineer since she was 6.
The same is true with all the other 'isms' - if we directly address them with our kids and give them a great foundation - then the outside influences will have a lot less power, if any.
Posted by: Jennifer | April 17, 2008 at 07:42 AM
I have yet to see the movie, and never really intended to. TMZ posted that you had a blog about it and I was intrigued. I am glad that I looked at what you had to say. It's so unfortunate that there are messages out there like this. I try at every turn to encourage my two daughters to do whatever they want in life.
I agree, it's just a movie, but every movie that comes out, pushes the envelope further. For decades, there has been a message that "boys will be boys" and girls should know their place. My daughters told me once that "only boys are heros," and I was sad. I have no idea where they got an idea like that and I told them that women can be heros too, by the big and small things they do in life. And I made sure to let them know that they are my heros, because without them, I would never have gotten the most challenging, rewarding, painful, joyful amazing jobs in my life...MOM. I hope parents everywhere encourage their children to do great things and that we are all heros, men and women. And we need to hold our boys and girls to a different standard, one in which they can succeed and grow, not one where they are doomed from the beginning. Thank you for your blog, because it's yet another reminder that my job as a mom is never done. Thank God!
Posted by: Tonya | April 17, 2008 at 07:52 AM
As an avid reader of current events, world news and occasionally the rantings of insignificant editorialists, I'm stunned it's taken me this long to read something that's caused me to fall off my chair from laughing so hard. Perhaps I was just dizzy from the astonishing spinning leaps my sore brain had to take in reading your conclusions. I'm not sure.
I never had any idea that 2+2= kumquat ...or was it fairytale+delusion=racism/sexism/anyism? Your editorial has thouroughly taught me this bewildering lesson.
After lunch, I shall teach my children that somehow, somewhere, women and africans are being theoretically shackled because they've eaten a bologna sandwhich.
Shame on them.
Posted by: Jennifer Kelly | April 17, 2008 at 07:53 AM
To take this movie and make the ENORMOUS leaps into segregation that Kareem has done is ridiculous at best and a diversion from real problems at worst. What people like Kareem don't understand is that racial/sexual divides are propagated in much the same way we hold up mass murderers through various media outlets. They FEED on the attention and although you may think what you're doing is a good thing, it ultimately MOTIVATES them. When we cry about these things in public (especially from publicly respected figures) we exacerbate the issues beyond their own merit. Racism is a dying breed in this country and will expire quickly if there were more of us like Barrack Obama. Obama refuses to make excuses and in fact promotes accountability. We, as a people, need to learn from our mistakes, no doubt. But when you drone on about the past you forget to look toward the future. There are many great things yet to be done and as a society it is counterproductive to rehash predjudice as it does nothing but divert from potential progress. If more people ignored the increasingly small sects of racists/sexists that do still exist, the fire in their belly would burn out because they would have no one to fight back. If you MAKE it so, then it is so. We need to learn from our past but people, PLEASE, we also need to move on from it....
Posted by: Chris Pangalos | April 17, 2008 at 07:54 AM
If my response is posted, can you please delete my url?
Posted by: Tonya | April 17, 2008 at 07:55 AM
Maybe Kareem should look at Obama's pastor Rev. Wright. I don't think Rev Wrights comments could be considered "subtle" , but seem to be tolerated and excused by Obama's supporters.
Posted by: count michigan | April 17, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Great blog!!! As a woman and a person with a very very diverse family I couldn't agree more!!! I must add a comment to Ajax's comments. I don't believe you can outlaw thought. That's a dangerous road to start heading down. Instead we need to teach children that ALL people are the same. Skin color, sexual preference, gender, even different religions need to be accepted by all. You don't have to agree with everyone, but I do believe you should respect the difference among your fellow humans! Not forced but taught! People are just that, people. The sooner we accept that we all need help each other, the sooner the world will be a better place. I believe Obama is our key, our hope! (But I don't support legislating thoughts!) Legislate crime, not thoughts!
Posted by: Sarah R | April 17, 2008 at 08:17 AM
What a leap, dude. You were a great player and all, but that hardly qualifies you to make such leaps (of logic).
Only reason I went to this was, as some previous commenter noted, that maybe you were sounding off on the life affirming message: A person is a person no matter how small.
Uh, the title 'Horton hears a racist', should the word be sexist rather than racist, to go along with your sexist theme.
I also don't agree with your choice of president, but then this is America, right...we can have our differences and still be friends.
Good luck with your blog.
Posted by: Andy | April 17, 2008 at 08:23 AM
I would like to casually ask what people expected. The sexist and racist ideas of the past haven't really changed or disappeared -- they've just become more subtle.
In terms of girls' toys, for instance, we've moved from Barbie to the even more hypersexualized Bratz. And we went from Brenda Lee to Britney Spears in, what, four decades?
Say what you want about the "good ol' days"... even that they weren't all that good, and I'd agree with that. What disturbs me, though, is that in the name of "giving the consumer what he/she/his children want," we've managed to perpetuate the failings of the old WASP patriarchy. Now we just figure "hey, what's good for business is good for the country."
The vast majority of American society as it currently exists should be avoided or combatted with extreme prejudice. We're rats pushing the pleasure switch.
Posted by: Nathan Douglas | April 17, 2008 at 08:26 AM
It sounds like you all have a lot of adult emotional baggage that you are trying to attach to a children's film. I have not heard one child, male or female complain about Jojo or ask for more daughter screen time.
The point is Jojo is the oldest child, and thus next in line. His dad has already decided what his future is going to be without Jojo's input. It is part of the human experience that girls can relate to as well, without Jojo needing to actually be female.
Posted by: John Simensky | April 17, 2008 at 08:27 AM
I would like to second Ajax's comment.
It is about time racism was outlawed. I am pretty sure Obama outlined a plan for banning racism in all 48 mainland states and then slowly phasing it out in Alaska and Hawaii. Hopefully he will be elected so that we can live in a country free of racism, like Europe.
Posted by: Michael Douchowski | April 17, 2008 at 08:44 AM
nevermind the movie, did you see last night both Hitlery and O' Bomb Ya accurately pointing out how each other is crooked and a liar?
Repubs 2008!
Posted by: Korey | April 17, 2008 at 08:55 AM
Our pre-existing notions and prejudices will always guide our judgments. Kareem saw sexism against women. One could also argue sexism against boys/men. Why is it that in many stories like this the young boys are always depicted as lazy and good-for-nothing while the girls are all worthy? Have you noticed how every TV show or commercial always shows the men as dumb, out of touch slackers that only can be helped by their wives? Few examples: Raymond? King Of Queens? There are to many to list.......
There all always more sides to an issue than meets the eye.
Posted by: tmac | April 17, 2008 at 09:01 AM
Kareem is normally on point but his comments about Horton are a woeful overeaction. The reason there was no outcry is because any possible discriminatory message was so subliminal it would require a huge stretch to see it. Because some group of non-essential characters is ignored has nothing to do with them being discriminated against. I could make the same point about the wonderful new film "Nim's Island" which stars the talented young actress Abigail Breslin. Why didn't she have a brother, or a mother? Why did her Dad get lost at sea, isn't that anti-Father? Please. If Kareem wants to really pinpoint Hollywood's misogynistic leanings he should target the rash of sexist movies like Super Bad, Wedding Crashers, and Knocked Up which objectify women openly and unabashedly.
Posted by: Bruce | April 17, 2008 at 09:07 AM
You admonish sexism - that is incredibly insightful. Bravo. But instead of endorsing one of those 96 daughters, you endorse the son for president. Ummm... What?
It's great you think women should be considered, but ultimately, you've condemned yourself in your own blog! Bravo!
Posted by: Steve | April 17, 2008 at 09:08 AM
Thank you for saying something about it. The message being sent out to young girls is very sad. Not only in movies, also tv and music. I use to like sometimes playing videos on the computer while cleaning the kitchen, ( I thought not overly sexual videos), until my daughter asked why dark skinned girls don't wear any clothes. That was the end of having any music videos playing in the house. Lately, I have been so discouraged by what is on tv that I just don't turn it on anymore.
Posted by: Karen | April 17, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Why in the name of gord did you title this Horten hears a Racist and have the only picture on the blog of Obama?
At first I thought you were writing an anti-Obama blog...then I read it, agreed with your message, but still was bothered by the little tick of adding Obama's picture.
Lots of people have many misconceptions about Obama, probably in every ethnic community. I still to this day hear people saying that they believe Obama is Muslim, that he was sworn in on the Quaran, that he is an elitist, that he hates white people, yadda, yadda, yadda...
These same people will only take the time to see the words racist and Obama's pic and not read the rest of your blog...
Why should they, their misconceptions again have put 2 and 4 together to come up with their own skewed interpretation of your writing.
All I'm saying is, geeez man, be careful with this stuff...
PLEASE...
C
Posted by: Cuojoe | April 17, 2008 at 09:15 AM