By Eric George Tauber
CINCINNATI, Ohio — There’s been quite a bit of buzz about “Cancel Culture.” For some, this may be just a ploy to avoid weightier topics like economic disparity, unemployment, healthcare, and looming evictions. But it can also open up a serious discussion about who we are as a society, where we have been and where we want to go. In some ways, I can see both sides. So, like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, I’d like to do a little “on one hand this, on the other hand that” exploration of who and what is being “cancelled.”
Dr. Seuss:
It was pretty shocking when the Grinch marched through Whoville with a tiki torch chanting “Whos will not replace us!”
Okay. That’s rubbish, but so is the nebulous “They” who “cancelled” Dr. Seuss. It’s never really clear who “They” are. “They” seem to be the fact-based media liberals waging their “War on Christmas and Guns” in an ongoing crusade to turn innocent children into godless, multi-cultural, genderfluid, pansexual vegans.
To be clear, the most beloved Dr. Seuss characters like the Grinch, the Cat in the Hat and Horton have not been “cancelled.” What actually happened is that the publishers sat down with consultants who raised issues with some of the ethnic caricatures in six of Ted Geisel’s 45 books. In their judgment, these drawings reinforce negative stereotypes, mocking the groups they portray. It was the publishers’ decision, and not some nebulous “they,” who chose to stop printing these six lesser-known books.
On the other hand, how much can these caricatures really influence our worldview? Will I not listen to Andrew Yang because a picture book from my childhood portrayed a Chinese character in traditional Mandarin dress holding chopsticks? Is one picture of an African with exaggerated features going to make a greater impression than the eloquence of Barack Obama? And in the Dr. Seuss canon, does anyone really get a flattering portrait?
It is also worth noting that orders for the six “cancelled” books have skyrocketed, jacking up their price. So maybe the printers weren’t “caving to the PC Leftists.” Maybe it was actually a clever marketing ploy.
Pepé LePew:
The amorous French skunk will not be featured in the upcoming summer flick Space Jam 2. Scenes and characters get cut from movies all the time. That’s show-biz. But this cut just happened to come a day after NY Times columnist Charles M. Blow opined that the character added to “Rape Culture.”
Blow argues that “1. He grabs/kisses a girl/stranger, repeatedly, w/o consent and against her will. 2. She struggles mightily to get away from him, but he won’t release her. 3. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping.”
I grew up watching Pepé Le Pew, but I also learned how to take No for an answer. And it’s hard to imagine anyone accused of sexual assault using cartoons as a defense. A Looney Tunes defense might sound like this:
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, my client is not responsible his actions. He’s attracted to beautiful women like a magnet. He just starts kissing them and grabbing their genitals because he genuinely thinks that -as a star- they will let him do it.”
Yeah. Not gonna fly.
Then again, some have argued that if you’re going to “cancel” Pepé Le Pew, you have to cancel Miss Piggy as well. After all, Kermit has plenty to #metoo about after repeatedly spurning Piggy’s advances and suffering physical attacks from her karate chops. Yet where LePew was nobody’s hero, Miss Piggy was celebrated as a Feminist icon, appearing on the covers of popular women’s magazines. If we’re going to maintain this double-standard, we need to ask ourselves why.
Personally, I wish they had left LePew’s scene in. According to a spokesperson for Space Jam 2, the scene was to feature the malodorous mammal kissing his way up Cat’s arm. Cat was then to throw a drink in his face and give him a zetz in the kisser. This would have been a more powerful message as it would show the consequences of such behavior.
It’s always sad to see a beloved character from our childhood disappear. But re-thinking past choices is what’s called maturity. It’s what we’re supposed to do during the High Holy Days. And if we as a society are not willing to reflect and repent, we will never break the cycle of bad choices and become the mensches we’re supposed to be.
Rather than argue about our less-than-perfect past, maybe we should shift our focus to the future. Let’s create new characters, ones that positively break stereotypes. I’d like to see a Black girl who’s a science wiz inspired by NASA’s Katherine Johnson. How about a Chinese boy who can dunk a basketball like Yao Ming? Let’s get really out there. How about a queer kid from a small town who serves in the military then runs for President? Does that sound ridiculous? Well, it’s no crazier than Wile E. Coyote’s elaborate kits from Acme. And who doesn’t enjoy those?
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Eric George Tauber is a former San Diegan who regularly reviewed theater for this publication. He now resides in Cincinnati.
Well reasoned op-ed from Eric George Tauber. His suggested pitch for new heroes is
refreshing.
I think Dr. Seuss Enterprises should have continued publishing the 6 books in question with a disclaimer introduction. It could have stated something like “This book contains stereotypical caricatures that would not be acceptable by today’s standards” or something like that. The wording would have to be geared towards children obviously.