Tintin in the Congo
There is a controversy raging over the ugly racist and colonialist stereotypes in Tintin in the Congo.
I’ve read the book (by borrowing someone else’s copy - I didn’t pay money for it) and yes, I can assure you that it is quite ghastly. Apart from all the offensive “savage natives” stuff, I remember an early scene in which a gorilla steals something of Tintin’s - I think his rifle - so the intrepid reporter calmly kills another gorilla, skins it and then wears the skin to go chasing the first gorilla. Ugh.
(And I’m told the original even had a scene where a rhinoceros gets blown up with a stick of dynamite.)
Yes, it is most certainly “old-fashioned racist claptrap”, as a representative of the Commission for Racial Equality has said. However, I don’t think banning the book is the answer. One outcome of the banning proposal has apparently been a huge increase in sales. The book was only the second in the Tintin series, originally published in 1930-31, and it’s pointless to pretend that the racism and colonialism it depicted weren’t very much representative of the times. The Congo itself was a Belgian colony during that period.
A comic book like this can actually be a powerful way of making children think about the real effects of racism, colonialism and gratuitous violence. Rather than banning it, a better idea would be an advisory printed on the first page, pointing out that the book contains offensive racist and colonialist views and scenes of violence against animals. Surely that would make children think about these issues rather than blindly accept these depictions.
I agree entirely. I was watching the ‘mind your language’ series recently - and was thinking about how “racist” much of it could be in today’s times. PG Wodehouses says negro in many of his books, Enid Blyton is as racist and sexist as they come. but they were representative of the times they were written in.
(As for Tintin - I have been watching VCDS of Tintin too - yes, I am very jobless now - he is my thalaivar Rajini-Sivaji’s thalaivar - he spins out of the moon rocket, flies in space and rescues a drunk Capt Haddock and returns back to the rocket in one undamaged piece - all hail the leader!)
Comment by Charu — July 19, 2007 @ 6:13 am
I have a book that talks about Herge and how he came to write the Tintin books. This was one of his first few books, and quite steeped in the typical, casual racism of his time. However, he realised he wasn’t comfortable with this attitude and many of his later books have a subversive take on the prevailing attitudes (Tintin in America, Blue lotus etc).
Comment by priya — July 20, 2007 @ 8:12 am
Comment by Melvin — July 24, 2007 @ 3:36 am
i just read the same post at Amrita’s.. and this is what i said to her too - i havent read this particular tintin so this is just an opinion. i dont believe in banning books. if anything - i would say, dont read too much into it. treat it for what it is - a book written 70 years ago. reflecting the times. often i look at the bible and the epics - they have content tha tmight be considered racist or offensive. but i think they need to be treated as pieces of literature written when ppl thought differently. simple. not as a guide to daily living. the challenge is explaining that to the kids.
Comment by the mad momma — July 29, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
where did my comment go? arrggghh!! just read a similar post at Amrita’s and this is what I said.. i havent read it so this is just an opinion. i dont believe in banning books. if anything - i would say, dont read too much into it. treat it for what it is - a book written 70 years ago. reflecting the times. often i look at the bible and the epics - they have content tha tmight be considered racist or offensive. but i think they need to be treated as pieces of literature written when ppl thought differently. simple. not as a guide to daily living. the challenge is explaining that to the kids.
Comment by the mad momma — July 29, 2007 @ 8:15 pm