Re: Why is the penguin always Hispanic?

1

I remember the Backyardigans. I only thought Tasha and one of the boys (I can't remember which) were black.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 6:50 AM
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2

I think maybe Dora is Latina.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 6:53 AM
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3

Backpack. Backpack.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:06 AM
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4

And God created the vegetables and the cats, and the races were problematic.


Posted by: Mossy Character | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:08 AM
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5

Anyway, the penguin is always Hispanic because most of the places where penguins live that are also parts of countries are Hispanic countries (Chile and Argentina). And because, like Hispanic people, penguins cannot fly.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:11 AM
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6

5: More generally, penguins are from south of the border. All the borders, if you're a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty.


Posted by: dalriata | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:13 AM
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7

The most problematic part of Chuck and Friends is that the Hispanic truck is named Digger, and I've gotten whiplash multiple times thinking I just overheard them drop the N-word.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:13 AM
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8

I had a similar problem with Winnie the Pooh.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:14 AM
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9

It took me a long time before I realized that "Handy Manny" got his name from being involved in home repair.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:33 AM
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10

the penguin is always Hispanic because most of the places where penguins live that are also parts of countries are Hispanic countries (Chile and Argentina).

I am pretty sure we'd agreed that penguins were Protestant.


Posted by: ajay | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:56 AM
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11

We know that, but TV producers don't.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:00 AM
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12

Whoever does the music for the Backyardigans is great. They had a Kurt Weill episode.


Posted by: Penny | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:01 AM
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13

Okay, it's this guy:
http://variety.com/2007/tv/news/the-backyardiga-21849/amp/


Posted by: Penny | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:06 AM
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14

Yes. Music on kid TV usually made me want to stab somebody, but not music from the Backyardiagans.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:08 AM
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15

South Americans can be Protestant, racist.


Posted by: Minivet | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:09 AM
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16

They can be racist without being Protestant too.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:13 AM
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17

You know who's racist? Marty the Madagascar zebra, that's who. "Cracker lacking" indeed.


Posted by: Todd | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:17 AM
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18

I would also argue the Octonauts have a gender issue.... All of the explorers are male -- the female characters in general stay home and take care of things.


Posted by: sjr | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:17 AM
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19

My knowledge of Kidd shows is a decade out of date, but I was really annoyed that movie cartoons always had one African American voice, and the character was always sassy and played the asshole sidekick to the more responsible white animals, distracting them from their mission or work. Eddie Murphy in Shrek (playing an actual ass!), Chris rock in Madagascar (zebra -- half white half black). Wanda Sykes in over the hedge (skunk -- same colors as zebra). I think there were more.


Posted by: Unimaginative | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:20 AM
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20

At least black people don't have to deal with being portrayed by David Schwimmer.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:22 AM
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21

Curious and interesting penguin-having Unfogged: http://www.unfogged.com/archives/comments_10638.html


Posted by: Alex | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:25 AM
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22

18: What about the dippy token female Texan??? It's just like Unfogged.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:26 AM
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23

All the characters on TV here speak Spanish and no one ever says a thing about it.


Posted by: SP | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:33 AM
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24

At least not in English.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:34 AM
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25

Yeah, I was once in a bar in Lisbon and all the characters* on TV were speaking Portuguese. You never know what you'll find.

(*Including Steptoe and Son, which had been remade in Portuguese with a Portuguese cast, but was a direct remake of the original, not re-imagined like Sanford.)


Posted by: chris y | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 8:41 AM
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26

I had no idea that Sanford and Son was based on a British show until someone, probably you, mentioned it here. It just never even occurred to me.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 9:02 AM
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27

The Secret Lives of Pets was fucked up and alarming. That's all I got.


Posted by: lurid keyaki | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 12:06 PM
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28

Certainly, I'll never try to flush a dog again.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 12:14 PM
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29

This prompted me to do something I've meant to for ages and find out whether Octonauts is redubbed for a US audience, which it is at least in part. And heebie, Sid's dad is Jewish (as I know from Wikipedia bored years ago, though I'm sure there are some very special episodes about it or something) in case your kids need cultural mirrors. I've been tempted to ask mine what racial/cultural backgrounds the attribute to various characters but then decided I didn't want to fight them when they're wrong. Plus there probably are a few white Uniquas, why not?


Posted by: Thorn | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 4:34 PM
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30

Somebody needs to tell Jewish kids they can grow up to be scientists.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 6:11 PM
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31

Some fuck just applied for a credit card account in my name and that of my mother-in-law. Which makes it easy enough to spot, but that they fucked up and put her name instead of my wife's makes me wonder in what strange way was I hacked?


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 7:14 PM
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32

Nice cover story, Moby, but it sounds like the sordid truth is making its way out.


Posted by: Thorn | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 9:15 PM
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33

Jewish kids can't be scientists?


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 9:21 PM
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34

SpongeBob is not teaching our kids about musical instruments.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 9:32 PM
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35

That's probably the best thing I've ever read.


Posted by: Thorn | Link to this comment | 05-30-17 9:36 PM
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36

Fuck me but the thread referenced in 21 was good.


Posted by: NW | Link to this comment | 05-31-17 1:37 AM
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37

visit here for more detail about digital marketing course in Rohtak


Posted by: Digital Marketing Course Rohtak | Link to this comment | 06- 1-17 9:06 AM
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38

We're talking about animated characters here, so the big thing is the voice acting. I knew a guy from Barcelona who grew up with Tweety and Sylvester cartoons, but in Spain they were called the Cat from Seville, and Sylvester had a thick Seville accent that was a big part of the humor.

Going back farther, ancient Greek plays are full of Scythian jokes, generally making fun of their accents. Apparently, street cops were all Scythians in Athens, and the playwrights made sure everyone knew it.


Posted by: Kaleberg | Link to this comment | 06- 1-17 10:01 AM
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