This “beloved” children’s show has a trigger warning for racism on its streaming tag. Shows like this make us understand the importance of representation for us, by us.
Tom and Jerry used over-the-top antics to reel in viewers of all ages. But its absurdity made room for something else: anti-Blackness. Full of racial stereotypes, blackface, and ridicule of Black English, the cartoon from the 1940s now has a trigger warning for racism on its Amazon Prime Video tags. But this show isn’t the only offender.
Even though Looney Tunes gave us the original Space Jam with Michael Jordan, it also gave us the ick. Like “Tom & Jerry,” Looney Tunes used spectacle to work anti-Blackness into a children’s genre. Due to the racist stereotypes and content, the “Censored 11” episodes haven’t been aired since 1968, but the episodes of another questionable show have.
The colorful Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers had its own color problem. Many people accused the show of racial typecasting after a Black actor was cast as the Black Power Ranger and an Asian actor was cast as the Yellow Power Ranger. The show ironically aimed to teach children to judge others by their behavior, not their identities.
Historically anti-Blackness used spectacle to spread its agenda. It’s especially important we monitor our children’s media consumption, introducing them to uplifting media. “The Proud Family: Louder And Prouder,” for example, is a great example of childhood nostalgia, Black pride, and activism.
Similar to the idea that you are what you respond to, let’s remind younger generations that media representation only holds as much power as we give it. When we reject harmful media it loses its power.