'Tom and Jerry' on Amazon Has 'Ethnic and Racial Prejudices' Present in Unedited Cartoon
"Tom and Jerry" on Amazon will be a lot different than the original cartoon that aired for decades and is beloved by children of all ages. Amazon revealed that because they have picked up the show unedited, many of the racial stereotypes that were originally in the cartoon are still present.
"Tom and Jerry: The Complete Second Volume" was added to Amazon Prime Instant Video's streaming service recently. However, when users go to watch the show, a warning comes alongside it.
"Tom and Jerry shorts may depict some ethnic and racial prejudices that were once commonplace in American society. Such depictions were wrong then and are wrong today," the warning reads.
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Some users were surprised at the notion, possibly because shows that have aired since the 1960s on television were edited to cut out racial prejudices and recently, episodes have been cut to make sure that smoking isn't shown to children.
"Watched Tom and Jerry since the 60s this is the 1st time I've ever heard the R word in relation to it. PC madness!" one user wrote on Twitter.
"I loved Tom and Jerry as a kid and it never made me think poorly of ethnic minorities or want to smoke cigars," another added.
Some acknowledged that characters like Mammy Two Shoes, the black maid whose face was never shown on screen, did smack of prejudice.
"Amazon is selling the REAL deal, and yes, it is very, very racist," admitted one commenter on the 2005 spotlight collection of "Tom and Jerry."
"There is some politically incorrect humor and ethnic portrayals. In retrospect, I think a lot of it is overblown, but can see how some could be offended," another explained.
"Tom and Jerry" went in production in the 1940s by MGM studio. The cartoon, which is famous for its slapstick, chase scenes and creative silent comedy is almost 75 years old.
