Talk:Tintin in the Congo/Archive 1

Racism in Tintin in the Congo

I'm surprised there is not more discussion about the drawing of black characters in this book. Weren't the first ones incredibly dark with big red lips? And weren't they redrawn later on? In Canada, this particular Tintin book is the subect of a lot of contraversy, mostly because French-speaking black Canadians feel it was horribly racist. But on this page, it doesn't seem to have sparked any discussion at all. The article makes it sound as if it's just "not a big deal". The redrawing of Africans isn't even mentioned. I'm not an editor, just an observer with a question. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 205.194.74.10 (talk) 19:07, 5 January 2007 (UTC).

The book itself was redrawn and colorized, but the black people still had these coon lips and acted like big children. 惑乱 分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * (talk) 12:05, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

I read this one years ago and I'm still keeping it next to my other Tintin adventures (honestly, I have all of them :)) Until the time I looked at its Wikipedia article, I've never thought that it contains racism but people are seriously angry about it. Actually, I also had a problem with Hergé's political views when I first read "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" but I just kept on loving his art. Probably, I would pay a huge amount for a redrawn-colored version of that piece, even if I find his representation of USSR silly and subjective. Deliogul (talk) 18:28, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

Isn't that just part of the humour derived from stereotypes? Not always a good thing, mind, but I don't understand why people all focus on this example in "Tintin in the Congo" and not the other books, in which Herge pokes fun at European stereotypes - even one from his own native country (Jolyon Wagg, a parody of what Hergé called a belgicain). Also, Asians are depicted with stereotypically slanted eyes - I've lived in China for quite some time, but everyone I met who had read the Tintin books find the jokes poking fun at their own race hilarious as well. There should be care taken not to be "over-political correct" about the whole matter. Of course, serious portrayals of racism should be dealt with, but note that Hergé came to regret his depiction of the Africans in this matter. In any case, Hergé certainly did not intend any offence or maliciousness. It is a sad fact that the majority of this article is focused on the controversy surrounding it rather than its storyline. I hope to change that sometime. AdventureCalls 12:57, 18 April 2009 (UTC)

What racist allegation exactly?

In mid-July 2007, the UK's equal rights body etc.

I haven't actually read the book, but from the article one would assume that instances of racism have been dealt with. Does anyone who has actually read the album know what the concerns of UK's equal rights body are? Shinobu 13:13, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

This is a big thing in the media in the UK right now, so it's important that this is dealt with in the article (in case you didn't understand why it's been added). Here's the complete statement:

A hundred years ago it was common to see negative stereotypes of black people. Books contained images of 'savages', and some white people considered black people to be intellectually and socially inferior.

Most people would assume that those days are behind us, and that we now live in a more accepting society. Yet here we are in 2007 with high street book shops selling 'Tintin In The Congo'. This book contains imagery and words of hideous racial prejudice, where the 'savage natives' look like monkeys and talk like imbeciles.

Whichever way you look at it, the content of this book is blatantly racist. Highstreet shops, and indeed any shops, ought to think very carefully about whether they ought to be selling and displaying it.

Yes, it was written a long time ago, but this certainly does not make it acceptable. This is potentially highly offensive to a great number of people.

It beggars belief that in this day and age that any shop would think it acceptable to sell and display 'Tintin In The Congo.'

Hope this helps. EvilRedEye 14:11, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

This is probably the most subjective statement I've ever heard about a subjective piece of art. Talking about a work of a world renowned artist shouldn't be in this way. You can say that you don't offer young people to read it but calling it "racist claptrap" is not appropriate. Another funny thing is that, nobody says anything about the idealization of Captain Haddock, who is simply drunk all the time, in the series. Actually, Captain has been one of my favorites since the times that it was still illegal for me to drink. Deliogul (talk) 18:41, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

NPOV?

Trying to think of a neutralising argument for the controversy question that stems from any other angle than the fact it's taken 75 years for a single formalised complaint to be lodged, or the regular comparison of it being hypersensitivity and censorship of contemporary society. Can anyone assist with this? It's hard keeping neutral when your POV matches the article so I won't be of much use for that.

Interestingly my book collection contains many colonial era annuals that depict various racist epithets in all their vulgarity, but I've never once thought for a second they're 'wrong' in any way as they were the way people thought back in that era. On the same grounds I read Biggles and his interactions with various 'great white hunters' and never thought they wrong for depicting the slaughter of animals, being a vegetarian myself, I deem it as their right to hold those views and merely put it aside as the context being 'dated'. Food for thought, anyone? Jachin 09:11, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

You might struggle finding an alternate point of view from an English language source as the book appears to have had a patchy history of being released in English. It's perhaps worth noting that the first paragraph, the one that mentions general criticism is completely unsourced. EvilRedEye 11:11, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

BTW, the fake 'new messages' thing on your userpage made me chuckle. EvilRedEye 11:13, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

There is a serious neutrality error in the discussion of racism in this work: the supposed evidence is an interview in which a supporter of the work claims to have spoken with unnamed "congo diplomats" who supposedly said to him that Tintin in the Congo is the most popular Tintin book in Africa. This is not sufficient evidence for the claim. This portion should be reworked and removed. I am performing appropriate edits. Firndeloth (talk) 07:53, 10 October 2009 (UTC)

WikiProject Comics B-Class Assesment required

This article needs the B-Class checklist filled in to remain a B-Class article for the Comics WikiProject. If the checklist is not filled in by 7th August this article will be re-assessed as C-Class. The checklist should be filled out referencing the guidance given at Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Assessment/B-Class criteria. For further details please contact the Comics WikiProject. Comics-awb (talk) 17:48, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

South African publishers will not release 'Tintin in the Congo' in Afrikaans over racism concerns

Hi iam new to wikipedia. I found this news article(http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070728-1026-southafrica-tintin.html) and I think this could be added. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.209.5.18 (talk) 18:32, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

C-Class rated for Comics Project

As this B-Class article has yet to receive a review, it has been rated as C-Class. If you disagree and would like to request an assesment, please visit Wikipedia:WikiProject_Comics/Assessment#Requesting_an_assessment and list the article. Hiding T 14:39, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Translation/ Publication dates

In the box-out section, the translation to English date is given as 2005; it was actually first published in English in 1991 by Sundancer, as as facsimile of the original black and white 1931 French edition published by Le Petit Vingtième. This contained an introductory preface about the book by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner (similar to the one later adopted by Egmont). The album then received a further edition in B&W n 2004, but recreating a later Casterman version (from 1937, I think), with a different cover, the addition of four full-page colour plates not found in the original, and blue endpapers covered in illustrations; this edition (strangely) places the warning Foreword at the back. Jock123 (talk) 09:32, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

This book is a product of its time

This book is a product of its time -- just as all the American movies made between 1940 and 1945 that show Germans as evil are products of their time. Censoring or bowdlerizing the book for contemporary audiences doesn't change that; it only misrepresents what the author created. People can read it for what it is -- a product of a different time -- or they can choose to not read it.(71.22.47.232 (talk) 10:28, 31 December 2010 (UTC))