spidergoat
Valued Senior Member
Is Tarzan a racist story? Does it reflect the prejudices of the time like "Tom Sawyer", but can be appreciated despite them? Or is it irredeemable?
Is Tarzan racist?
- Thread starter spidergoat
- Start date
I never had that feeling and I've read all the books and seen all the movies except the latest. So maybe you can elaborate a bit more on your reasons for your comments.
Yes he picked up a white woman why not a black one since there were many black tribes and he could pick up a black woman, so he was a racist and a bigot.
Ivan Seeking
Registered Senior Member
Well, no. You aren't a racist just because you are attracted to white women. In fact, one might argue, he could be attracted to her because she's different than everyone else he sees and like him.
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
In what particular respect do you see it as racist?
Gee....and here I thought that 'Tarzan of the apes' meant he was raised by 'the apes' and thus would naturally reflect the knowledge and experience of that upbringing. Merely not marrying a black girl does not infer that he would be racist either. Otherwise, all marriages would be multi - racial. Mebbe he should have married a Bonobo of either sex. 
spidergoat
Valued Senior Member
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/07/26/stop-making-tarzan-movies-please/
"So really, Hollywood, this is not a story that can be salvaged at all. It’s the product of a pre-WWII mentality in which eugenics seemed reasonable, most of the world was thought to be inhabited by sub-human races with limited intelligence, and the white man was the crown of creation who, if only justice were done, would rule over the brown and yellow people with a benevolence that they could not possibly appreciate."
"So really, Hollywood, this is not a story that can be salvaged at all. It’s the product of a pre-WWII mentality in which eugenics seemed reasonable, most of the world was thought to be inhabited by sub-human races with limited intelligence, and the white man was the crown of creation who, if only justice were done, would rule over the brown and yellow people with a benevolence that they could not possibly appreciate."
An Englishman, writing for an English audience in Edwardian England puts an English nobleman at the center of a story set in "the dark continent", an exotic, almost mythical place, which is unknown to most of the readers. (How strange!!) The protagonist in that fantasy waits for his appropriate story-book bride, rather than steal a girl from a hostile native tribe or mate with a different species. (Of the three options, which were the readers most likely to accept?)
You're just baiting us on 'political correctness' again, aren't you?
Well, is Superman a racist?
spidergoat
Valued Senior Member
He can't fall in love with a storybook native? How is that not an option?
As far as baiting, hell yes. What's wrong with that? Plasma obviously thinks this forum needs a kick start, and I think he's doing it wrong.
was Ray Charles a racist ?
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
OK, that's twice in five minutes you're made me smile.Tarzan kreegah bundolo. Don't y'all know anything?
[kreegah bundolo!]
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
Yeah. I think we granted why it went down the way it did. It was a product of the times and does need to be viewed in that context - inasmuch as we judge the author for it.
But that doesn't mean it wasn't, in retrospect, racist.
Likewise, slavery was pretty racist, even though 400 years ago it didn't seem to be.
Happy to help. I seem to be in one of those moods today...
spidergoat
Valued Senior Member
I don't think so.