Cuphead and the Racist Spectre of Fleischer Animation

[DPresidential]

Yeah, it would be difficult, but I think that burden should come with them deciding to use this source material.

They've done plenty of videos on the art style, why it was chosen and how they executed it. I think a video or two about the racist history of the art and how they made sure avoid stereotypes would have been a good way to respect that history and educate.

Again, I'm not really criticizing them, just offering solutions going forward

No, you're absolutely right.

 

[Jparker]

I really don’t want a history lesson from a video game though...Call of Duty WW II just came out. The new assassin creed set in Egypt etc. do we really want an explanation from everything just to prove it’s not racist?

 

[Rekkapryde]

There would be a party going on if this were a Sony game

All jokes aside, if they don't have any black caricatures in the game then this really is an overreaction clickbait article.

Also don't agree with the censorship of those old cartoons either. Put a disclaimer out there before it starts. Don't rewrite history, show what it was so people can know better.

 

[daze23]

I really don’t want a history lesson from a video game though...Call of Duty WW II just came out. The new assassin creed set in Egypt etc. do we really want an explanation from everything just to prove it’s not racist?

most of history is abhorrent by modern standards. it's filled with racism, slavery and other forms of servitude, torture, genocide, persecution for all types of shyt, nobility and incest, etc

 

[Black Hans]

Nah, I'ma keep playing it. There aren't any jigaboo caricatures in Cuphead, breh. Stop it. I'm starting to see why people get at what they call SJWs.

 

[TripleAgent]

It really is imo

Like, I get what the writer's complaint is - but its really disingenuous for them to hit the artists here for this. The entire animation style itself is representative of America's early entertainment history which in itself was built upon passively or actively shytting on every community out there. The game is built on said art style and always was. So, should they detour away from the reality of what it was? Should they try and reinvent or re-imagine that style to be safe against potential sensational articles like this one?

People complaining about Mario/Nintendo games having no black people have more ground to speak on. By a lot.

This.

 

[firemanBk]

There would be a party going on if this were a Sony game

All jokes aside, if they don't have any black caricatures in the game then this really is an overreaction clickbait article.

Also don't agree with the censorship of those old cartoons either. Put a disclaimer out there before it starts. Don't rewrite history, show what it was so people can know better.

100% agree

People have a right to know what those times were like. Trying to ignore it or gloss over it is worse to me

Otherwise, we end up with shyt like this

 

[Ill Lou Malnati]

Interesting read, but I agree this is a reach. Were cartoons in the 1930s incredibly insensitive and racist at times? Yeah, certain ones were, but that doesn't mean the entire 1930s style of animation is. Sorry, I don't see a "racist spectre" looming over a video game like this.

 

[Dominic Brehetto]

Interesting article and discussion.

 

[Mowgli]

Whatever cac

You playin Cachead nikka?

 

[Liquid]

Pathetic click bait

 

[winb83]

Excellent article. Not sure how anyone can support this game.

I didn't even buy the game but I fail to see how it having an art style that some racist cartoons also happened to use means anything about the game itself and racism. Are we implying all cartoons back then were racist.

 

[Camammal]

there is actual racist shyt in this world to be worried about

 

[PS5 Pro]

I really don’t want a history lesson from a video game though...Call of Duty WW II just came out. The new assassin creed set in Egypt etc. do we really want an explanation from everything just to prove it’s not racist?

I believe Assassins creed is racist because they white washed, cuphead doesn't involve "people" so this article is bullshyt

Pathetic click bait

What you talking about, unwinnable.com be having the FIRE stories bruh. @Responsible Allen Iverson keep lacing us with these Malcolm Z articles

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Interesting read, but I agree this is a reach. Were cartoons in the 1930s incredibly insensitive and racist at times? Yeah, certain ones were, but that doesn't mean the entire 1930s style of animation is. Sorry, I don't see a "racist spectre" looming over a video game like this.

To the writers point, it's not just that the 1930s style is racist. It's the theme of gambling, jazz, and the devil being related that comes directly from racist stereotypes.

So even in attempting to avoid the racism of the time, their designs are inherently racist by virtue.

That's doesn't make them racists. But their explanation that they were avoiding racism altogether doesn't fly if you really understand the history.