Buzz
Social progress may seem slow, but a brief look at vintage cartoons highlights the significant strides we've made. What was once considered suitable for children is now seen as a troubling mix of racism, propaganda, substance abuse, and aggression.
10. ‘Coal Black And De Sebben Dwarfs’
In 1968, United Artists, holding the distribution rights to Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, permanently banned 11 cartoons for being excessively offensive. These, now called the “Censored Eleven,” were pulled from syndication but remain accessible online.
One of the banned cartoons, “Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs,” crams an astonishing number of racial stereotypes into its seven-minute runtime. Loosely based on Snow White, it features an all-black cast, including a gold-toothed “Prince Chawmin.” The Snow White character, “So White,” is portrayed as overly sexualized, while other characters are exaggerated caricatures with dark skin and exaggerated features. The cartoon also includes offensive depictions of “midgets” and “Japs,” with the assassins offering to “rub out” the former for 50 cents and the latter for free.
Bob Clampett, the cartoon’s producer, consistently defended it as a tribute to African Americans rather than a racist portrayal. He believed it marked progress in race relations, being one of the earliest films with an all-black cast and a soundtrack infused with jazz, swing, and blues music.
9. ‘Jungle Jitters’
Another entry from the Censored Eleven, “Jungle Jitters,” is set in a jungle and depicts dark-skinned, large-lipped African tribesmen. Dressed in grass skirts, they dance energetically, brandishing spears. Some drum using their backsides, while others jump rope with nose rings. The condescension escalates when a traveling salesman arrives, and the tribesmen fantasize about cooking and eating him.
The salesman has a chance to escape by marrying the tribe’s unattractive white queen, but he opts to leap into a boiling pot rather than wed her.
8. Tom And Jerry—‘Plane Dumb’
Long before the famous cat-and-mouse duo, Van Beuren studios introduced their own version of Tom and Jerry. Unlike their later counterparts, this pair were close friends who embarked on wild escapades in every episode.
In the 1932 cartoon, Tom and Jerry fly over Africa and decide to land for an adventure. To blend in, they don blackface and adopt a stereotypical African-American dialect. They maintain this act throughout, even when alone, and only remove the makeup after being chased away by spear-wielding locals.
Today, Van Beuren’s cartoons are in the public domain, allowing viewers to explore the entire Tom and Jerry series and uncover other examples of overt racism.
7. Betty Boop—‘Ha! Ha! Ha!’
In this 1934 short animation, Betty Boop and KoKo the clown visit a dentist to fix KoKo’s toothache. KoKo resists, and despite Betty’s efforts, she can’t extract the tooth. She resorts to using laughing gas, which accidentally fills the room, sending both into uncontrollable laughter and song. The gas escapes the cartoon world, affecting real-world people and objects, causing widespread hysteria.
This cartoon is banned for allegedly promoting drug use and DIY dentistry. However, the film is more peculiar than offensive, featuring Betty’s risqué attire, her laughter at KoKo’s pain, and an odd scene where she powders her nose mid-procedure. While not the most controversial, it’s certainly one of the strangest.
6. ‘Tokio Jokio’
Tokio Jokio is another Looney Tunes short steeped in World War II propaganda.
Ironically, the cartoon is presented as a Japanese propaganda film showcasing their technological prowess. However, every demonstration ends in failure or absurdity. For example, the aircraft spotter merely paints spots on planes, and the “delicious” Japanese club sandwich is just a meat ration card sandwiched between bread ration cards.
Similar to the Popeye cartoon, the Japanese are depicted with exaggerated features like buck teeth and glasses, portrayed in a sinister light. This dehumanizing portrayal likely made it easier for the public to justify the war and the use of the atomic bomb.
5. ‘Injun Trouble’
Warner Brothers apparently favored the title “Injun Trouble,” using it for two separate cartoons. The first, from 1938, starred Porky Pig. While the video is unavailable online, descriptions indicate it’s filled with racial stereotypes as Porky explores “Injun Joe Territory.”
The second “Injun Trouble,” a Cool Cat cartoon from 1968, follows a similar theme. Cool Cat stumbles onto an Indian reservation, where he’s pursued by a shouting Native American. Along the way, he dodges arrows and narrowly avoids marrying an overweight Native woman. The natives are depicted as hostile, speaking broken English and frequently using the word “how.”
4. Popeye—‘You’re A Sap, Mr. Jap’
This World War II–era cartoon opens with a catchy tune repeating the line, “You’re a sap, Mr. Jap.” Popeye encounters Japanese soldiers with exaggerated features—buck teeth, sandals, and nonsensical speech—who pretend to seek peace but attack him with a giant hammer. After consuming his signature spinach, Popeye declares, “So, you want to tangle with us Americans, huh?” He defeats them, calls them “Ja-pansies,” and even drives one commander to drink gasoline in a desperate suicide attempt.
Today, it’s clear this cartoon served as a propaganda tool, aiming to instill in children the belief that the Japanese were deceitful and cowardly.
3. Bugs Bunny—‘Rhapsody Rabbit’
Cartoons from the 1930s to the 1960s were notoriously violent, with Looney Tunes characters often leading the charge. They engaged in explosive antics, dropped anvils on each other, and bent the rules of physics to maximize chaos and pain.
One particularly shocking moment occurs in “Rhapsody Rabbit,” where Bugs Bunny, annoyed by a coughing audience member, pulls out a gun and calmly shoots the person dead. While Looney Tunes is no stranger to violence, the use of a real weapon and Bugs’ cold expression make this scene unsettlingly realistic.
2. Flintstones—Winston Cigarette Commercial
In the late 1990s, public pressure forced Camel cigarettes to retire their “Joe Camel” mascot, amid concerns it targeted children. Surprisingly, just decades earlier, it was deemed acceptable for beloved characters like the Flintstones to endorse Winston Cigarettes at the end of their show.
As show sponsors, Winston created Flintstones-themed ads aimed at children. In one ad, Fred and Barney take a smoke break, leaving their wives to handle chores. They relax on a rock, smoking and praising the cigarettes’ rich flavor. Fred even recites the brand’s slogan, “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.”
Interestingly, the ads sparked controversy, but not for promoting smoking. Instead, it was over grammar—Winston’s use of “like” instead of “as” in their slogan. Critics argued it should be “Winston tastes good as a cigarette should,” making it a hot topic at the time.
The grammar debate benefited Winston, as it generated even more publicity for the brand.
1. Bugs Bunny—‘Herr Meets Hare’
Today, it’s unthinkable for a children’s cartoon to feature Nazi leaders like Hermann Goering and Adolf Hitler, along with a cameo from Stalin. Yet, in 1945, such elements were considered entertaining.
In this episode, Bugs Bunny makes his first wrong turn at “Albakoikie,” landing in Nazi Germany. He asks Goering for directions, only to be chased with a musket. Bugs outsmarts Goering, bending his medals to reveal they’re fake, then disguises himself as Hitler by smearing mud on his face. As “Hitler,” he scolds Goering in mock German, saying, “Klooten-flooten-blooten-pooten-meirooten-tooten!”
Goering eventually captures Bugs and presents him to Hitler. However, when Hitler looks inside the bag, he finds Stalin—actually Bugs in disguise. The sight terrifies both Goering and Hitler, sending them fleeing in fear.
Just four months after this cartoon aired, the Third Reich collapsed.
