Today is 


   "A word to the wise ain't necessary --  
          it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
					-Bill Cosby

Monday, May 30, 2005


Adventures in Political Correctness

I was sitting with my three year old watching an animated version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I'm recovering from some sort of flu, so I was in a bit of a daze, but eventually I noticed that Tom and Huck kept referring to a character called "Tattoo Joe" (a scary-looking, long-haired fellow with a lot of tattoos on his arms). I realized that "Injun Joe" had been replaced by "Tattoo Joe."

I guess the producers of the movie didn't want to risk offending Native Americans, but they figured people with tattoos were fair game. Where's the Society for the Prevention of Body Art Discrimination when you need them?

posted by Kate Marie | 2:19 PM | Permalink | 3 comments

3 Comments:

Blogger stewdog said...

And what did they rename the other character? African American Jim?

May 30, 2005 4:03 PM  
Blogger Conservative in Virginia said...

I hope you feel better soon, Kate Marie.

I'm surprised Tom Sawyer is allowed on TV at all, what with all the PC minefields.

And now, because it doesn't fit nicely elsewhere, here's a link to Peggy Noonan's take on The Deal, called Mr. Narcissus Goes to Washington. I believe it's on the free side of the Wall Street Journal's site.

Enjoy the rest of your day off. God bless all who gave their lives for our freedom.

May 30, 2005 4:23 PM  
Blogger Kate Marie said...

Stewdog, since "African American" Jim doesn't appear in this one, they didn't face that particular dilemma. I used to teach at a private school where Huckleberry Finn was banned due to parent pressure (because of the N-word), yet To Kill a Mockingbird (where Scout uses the N-word, but is told not to by Atticus)was taught to eighth graders. I love both novels, but I always thought it ironic that the one was banned and the other wasn't, since -- if you think about it -- To Kill a Mockingbird provides a much more paternalistic vision of the relationship between blacks and whites. The Jim of Huck Finn speaks for himself (the ending is a problem, but it's an interesting problem); Tom Robinson is, for the most part, subordinate to Atticus Finch.

C.I.V., thanks for the good wishes. I hope you and yours had a great weekend. I'm looking forward to reading the Peggy Noonan article.

May 30, 2005 4:57 PM  

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