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Seasonal Cartoon: The Nutcracker Suite -- Act II
13 years ago
General
The Chinese Dance, which became the March of the Mushrooms.:
Here's how the 1943 picture book described this scene:
There was a short pause as the bugs settled themselves for the next number. A breeze blew across the terrace and shook the dewdrops from a cobweb onto a clump of mushrooms below.
The mushrooms shook themselves. Suddenly, they no longer seemed to be just plain mushrooms. They were fat little Chinese Mandarins, looking very solemn in their long robes and coolie hats. They hopped to the center of the stage and began a dignified dance to the grotesque but charming accompaniment of the orchestra. They all stepped together in time to the music, except for one little fellow, named Hop Low. As the others marched about in a circle, Hop Low ran back and forth trying to find his place.
The grasshoppers plucked the strings of their cellos and double basses in a merry pizzicato, but when the big mushrooms hopped to the music, Hop Low's feet were planted firmly on the ground. When they squatted, he hopped. When they turned to the right, he turned to the left.
The piccolo player seemed very concerned that little Hop Low could not keep in step with the others. At each mis-step he gave a shrill whistle that sent Hop Low scurrying to do the right thing. But it was no use. As the others bowed solemnly, Hop Low was spinning like a top, and when the music stopped abruptly he fell right off the stage.
Here's how the 1943 picture book described this scene:
There was a short pause as the bugs settled themselves for the next number. A breeze blew across the terrace and shook the dewdrops from a cobweb onto a clump of mushrooms below.
The mushrooms shook themselves. Suddenly, they no longer seemed to be just plain mushrooms. They were fat little Chinese Mandarins, looking very solemn in their long robes and coolie hats. They hopped to the center of the stage and began a dignified dance to the grotesque but charming accompaniment of the orchestra. They all stepped together in time to the music, except for one little fellow, named Hop Low. As the others marched about in a circle, Hop Low ran back and forth trying to find his place.
The grasshoppers plucked the strings of their cellos and double basses in a merry pizzicato, but when the big mushrooms hopped to the music, Hop Low's feet were planted firmly on the ground. When they squatted, he hopped. When they turned to the right, he turned to the left.
The piccolo player seemed very concerned that little Hop Low could not keep in step with the others. At each mis-step he gave a shrill whistle that sent Hop Low scurrying to do the right thing. But it was no use. As the others bowed solemnly, Hop Low was spinning like a top, and when the music stopped abruptly he fell right off the stage.
They named the little guy! That's so... Disney! Of course they named him; he's such a character, how could they not name him? Hop Low, under Chinese nomenclature that would put him in the Hop family, which all the other mushrooms in the scene did as well of course. (Although strictly speaking, mushrooms are in the Tricholomataceae family.)
A cartoon like Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips, however, is definitely racist, for reasons that should be obvious. There's so much malice in that cartoon (and others like it that were made during World War II) that it's really not funny, unless you harbor hatred for what is being lampooned. Just remember, if the intent is to make you hate the ethnic character, presenting them as evil, stupid, etc., it's racist. If there's no malice involved, it's just a stereotype.
/Soapbox mode OFF. Sorry about that, but one of my pet peeves is when people get stereotyping and racism mixed up.
In any event, a charming little vignette.