50 Greatest Cartoons... and other classic animation from the days of yore

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Time Magazine ranks 10 Controversial Cartoons

Yeah, a dumb list. The journalist probably based the list on other opinions and/or never seen any of the shows/cartoons herself.

In the wake of the latest South Park uproar, Time Magazine has posted a Top Ten list of cartoon controversies.

Number #2 on their list is Warner Bros. Censored 11 - and Time embeds (via You Tube) the P.D. Tex Avery Bugs Bunny short All This And Rabbit Stew. Eight of the eleven were shown publicly this past weekend at the TCM Classic Film Festival without incident (the restored prints, particularly of Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs were stunning).

Disney’s Song of the South ranks #4 and Aladdin is #8. Speedy Gonzales makes the list at number #10. The rest of the list consists of TV cartoons, mainly The Simpsons, South Park and Family Guy. Here’s the complete list:


1. South Park and Muhammad
2. The Censored Eleven
3. The Simpsons and Brazil
4. Song of the South
5. The Boondocks
6. Family Guy and Sarah Palin
7. Pokemon Panic
8. Aladdin
9. South Park and Scientology
10. Speedy Gonzales

from Time site

Speedy Gonzales — America's favorite fleet-footed, sombrero-clad, Mexican-accented Looney Tunes mouse — hit a road bump in 1999 when the Cartoon Network pulled him from the air. (The likely cause was ethnic stereotyping: Speedy's Mexican buddies are portrayed as lazy boozehounds.) Calling the popular rodent a positive role model, however, fans and lobbyists — including supporters of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the U.S.' oldest Hispanic-American rights organization — campaigned to resurrect him, and by 2002 he was zooming across the airwaves once more.

More reasons to detest Cartoon Network...

Offensive, really?    He's the fasted mouse of all Mexico and also always outwits cats (including Sylvester) and Daffy Duck. Nickelodeon aired Speedy cartoons with no complaint in the 1990's and as a Hispanic I have no problem with them.


from Time site

The Censored Eleven
By Laura Fitzpatrick Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2010 BACKNEXT2 of 10


Nothing shows its age faster than humor. In 1968, having deemed 11 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons — popular in their own time two decades prior — too politically incorrect to air, United Artists withheld them from syndication. The "Censored 11" haven't aired on TV since, but clips have crept online, giving today's audiences a window into cringeworthy racist stereotypes once considered fit for Saturday-morning fun. A 1941 episode called "All this and Rabbit Stew" showed Bugs Bunny hunted by a dim-witted, black gambler (later reimagined as Elmer Fudd). In 1943, "Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs" parodied Disney's Snow White with an all-black cast. (Innovative despite its dubious content, the cartoon was named one of the 50 Greatest of All Time in 1994 based on votes from more than 1000 animation-industry professionals.) And 1944's "Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears" likewise repopulates the popular story with an all-black cast, turning the Three Bears into jazz musicians, with many characters drawn in blackface style. It makes South Park look positively sensitive.

As for "Coal Black & De Sebben Dwarfs" & "Tin Pan Alley Cats", director Bob Clampett was actually a fan of big band/jazz music and actual African American performers provided their voices in "Coal Black" such as Vivian Dandridge as the main character So White. Plus, she's drawn attractive like the women from the Tex Avery wolf cartoons.

(note:an animation student's drawing I found on Google)


"All This & Rabbit Stew", the classic log chase would be later used in "The Big Snooze", "Foxy By Proxy" and "From Person To Bunny". Aside from the caricature, it's an average early Bugs cartoon.

"Goldilocks & The Jivin' Bears" is an OK cartoon.

In 1992, an official Looney Tunes video (from "Golden Age of Looney Tunes" series) was recalled for including "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips", which featured the wabbit against Japanese soldiers in WWII. Though one of my favorite WWII era Looney Tunes shorts.

As for cringe worthy cartoons...  I can't look past the stereotypes in "Sunday Go To Meeting Time", which doesn't have any positive attributes. And "Education For Death", a disturbing WWII cartoon  that features a German kid being brainwashed to become a Nazi.

[Woops]

"Family Guy"... it mostly relies on shock humor and random pop culture jabs for cheap laughs. It's pretty much a second rate rip-off of "The Simpsons" with bland, uninteresting characters. Very much hit or miss.

"South Park"...the characters are grating/annoying and the show isn't really funny.

"The Boondocks", the show is OK in the first season and had some good satire that poked fun at stereotypes that are portrayed on rap videos (ie fictional rapper Gangstalicious). Besides some of the swearing, I don't see anything wrong with the show. Never read the comic strips.

"The Simpsons"...heard it was controversial in the '90's, though probably because it was an animated primetime sitcom (not the first) and was mostly targeted towards adults. Especially that most of the  mainstream public looked as cartoons as "kids' stuff" at the time. Though for some reason, the "cartoons are kids' stuff" mentality is still around...

"Poke'mon"... causing kids' seizures, the urban legend appears to be true



"Song of the South", since Disney released their WWII cartoons in their "Disney Treasures" sets, they could just release it to hardcore animation/Disney fans as well. A bit contradicting, isn't it?



As for "Aladdin"...got to be kidding (though haven't seen it or a while)

I've noticed a few comments on Cartoon Brew that mentions "Beavis & Butt-Head"

These are the controversies that seized the public as a whole. Like the South Park thing, it often involved a figure we were familiar with before it caused the controversies.

These caused death threats, seizures, and lawsuits from a country. The most egrerious missing one here I think is Beavis and Butthead. That killed a kid unfortunately.

While it did caused controversy, it also caused MTV to edited and ban many of the early episodes. Though on Wiki it stated that some of the kids that supposedly imitated what they saw on tv didn't have cable. Blaming the media is pretty much an excuse.

It's up to the parents to decide what thier kids  watch. Though most of the programming on the list aren't aimed towards children.  

Also the cartoons from the theatrical era (which were originally intended for adults...though general audiences)also should be looked by it's historical context and shouldn't be swept under the rug like it if never existed.  Sometimes I  wonder what people would think of the mentioned animated sitcoms and other films/tv shows in the next 50 years?

Ironically enough, I find 100% of the programming on MTV  insulting to the human race and intelligence.

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"Best Episode Ever" blog from Toon Zone, basically pics from Toon Zone staffs of thier favorite episodes.

Sounds good since lists are very suggestive since everybody have different opinions and I'll admit they're overrated since most lists are predictable (especially the Top 5).

Wonder if they'll do one for Bugs Bunny in July since this year is the 70th anniversary of the wascally wabbit...  though like potato chips it would be difficult to pick just one

Welcome to the very first "Best. Episode. Ever!" feature at the Toonzone blog! Rather than offering the usual ranked list, for this feature our goal was very simple: get a bunch of the Toonzone staff together and let them briefly reminisce about their favorite episodes from great cartoons. No ranks, no winners and losers, just a simple symposium where animation fans appreciate animation that deserves it.

For an event like this there is no better place to start than The Simpsons, and that's not just because of a certain catchphrase we're subverting! For more than twenty years now, The Simpsons has entertained America and made itself beloved and famous around the world. The Simpson family is without a doubt one of the most famous on television, and whenever it finally ends it will be justifiably considered one of the greatest sitcoms ever for a very, very long time. The show's wacky sense of humor and the even wackier denizens of Springfield have helped us laugh about a host of things, including ourselves.

With such a long and illustrious history there are no shortage of great episodes for a person to choose from, and unsurprisingly many of us had our own ideas about a personal favorite. Now that we've made up our minds and spoken, it's your turn next. What's your "Best. Episode. Ever!"?

Don't know any "Simpsons" titles, but the camping episode in the first season is one of my earliest favorites. Especially how Homer was actually mistaken for Bigfoot. Also where Marge protests against "Itchy & Scratchy" or when the Simpsons went to a themepark gone wild.

Though without screen grabs, I actually remember some of the episodes from the descriptions written like "Marge vs. the Monorail" & "Homer at the Bat". Also the cannibalistic teachers bit from "Treehouse of Horrors V", which is kinda "South Parkish" in retrospect

[Woops]

Since the "100 Greatest Looney Tunes" book is coming out...



(figurines of  characters in "The Scarlet Pumpernickel")

17 WB cartoon that were ranked among the 50 Greatest in 1994...



Some guesses of what would be their ranking on the 100 Greatest list...

1. "What's Opera Doc?" ...more likely would be #1, or atleast in the Top 3 Though a bit overrated

2. "Duck Amuck"... among the Top 10, quite creative and different at the time (though 4th wall breaking and cartoons talking to the animators had been used for a few decades)

4. "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century"... it's an OK short, but due to it's popularity and that it was one of George Lucas' early inspirations it might be in the top 25

5. "One Froggy Evening"...while it's a funny cartoon, I wouldn't consider it among the Top 10. Though it probably will or atleast the Top 20...especially that the frog became a mascot for the now merged with UPN WB network

8. "Porky In Wackyland".. While it's one of the better 30's Looney Tunes, Bob Clampett have directed funnier shorts later on... Probably placed  towards the top 10  

12. "The Rabbit of Seville"...Top 10 material, honestly it's funnier than "What's Opera Doc?

16. "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery"...one of Clampett's best with surreal imagery and wild takes, Top 10 material

21. "Coal Black & De Sebben Dwarfs"...good parody with catchy music and features an appealing lead character, though considered very poltically incorrect by today' standards. Probably towards the Top 25...

30.  "Rabbit Seasoning"...probably also towards  the Top 25, though the hunting trilogy with Bugs, Daffy, & Emer should be tied

31. "The Scarlet Pumpernickle"...good short and features a wide cast of characters...though OK, probably around the middle of the list
34. "You Ought To Be In Pictures"...with it's blend of live action/animation, it's worth being in the Top 30 and also somewhat based on Friz Freleng leaving Termite Terrace for MGM and rejoining shortly after...
35. "Ali Baba Bunny"...Pretty much sums up the greedy incarnation of Daffy and also amusing...Probably around the Top 40

36. "Feed The Kitty"...honestly, I never really liked the short and there's various cartoons that have expressed Chuck Jones' animation style with characters' facial expressions like shown from  Wile E Coyote noticing that he's standing on air to Daffy Duck wanting all the riches for himself in "Ali Baba Bunny". Probably around the middle of the list.
39. "Little Red Riding Rabbit"...one of my favorites, which I'd ad on a Top 20. Pretty much a  hilarious cartoon... Ta Have! (should atleast be in the Top 30)

45. "Book Revue"... it's OK and had some good scenes like when Daffy warns Red Riding Hood (not the loud mouthed Bobby Soxer) about the wolf. And that he impersonates Danny Kaye & sings "Carolina In The Morning"...Probably around the Top 50, though honestly there's much funnier Daffy cartoons, IMHO
47. "A Corny Concerto"...good parody of "Fantasia". I'm actually fond of the cartoon since it's was favorite from public domain tapes. It's probably worth being arounf the 70th spot.

49. "The Dover Boys"...it's an OK cartoon with some funny poses, but not exactly a favorite. Since it's among the first cartoons Chuck Jones that drifted away from his more Disney-like cartoons like "Tom Thumb in Trouble" or the Sniffles shorts, it's probably worth mentioning for hostorical purposes. The cartoon should  might be ranked around the Top 70...

[Woops]

12 cartoons I like to see ranked among the Top 25 or atleast the Top 50:

"The Big Snooze"
"Three Little Bops"
"Plane Daffy"
"Kitty Kornered"
"Porky Pig's Feat"
"Bugs Bunny Nips The Nips"
"Bugs Bunny Rides Again"
"Draftee Daffy"
"Hare Raising Hare"
"Punch Trunk"
"Sahara Hare"
"Lourve, Come Back To Me!"

[Out of the Blue]

I remember one with Bugs Bunny and Daffy where Daffy kept trying to one up Bugs on stage.  Bugs kept getting all the applause and Daffy was beside himself with jealousy so he tries this trick where he drank gasoline and nitroglycerine and then struck a match.  He got the respect of Bugs and the crowd but it was a trick he could only do once.

[Woops]

"Show Biz Bugs"

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My mouth is watering!!!  OK, I can wait...


Pic of cover and a sampling...

Also would watch a screening, though there's nothing like that around my area... Though have seen theatrical shorts, mainly from Pixar. (though I'm aware that a  classic Disney cartoon did appear before the forgettable "Meet The Robinsons")

source

I just received a copy of my latest book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes, directly from the printer and snapped the photo above for you to see (also a few sample spreads below, click thumbnails to enlarge. Forgive the blurriness of my cel phone camera). The pictures make the book look larger than it is. It’s actually a compact 7 inches tall and 9 1/2 inches wide, loaded with 216 pages of information and color images. It retails for $24.95, but amazon.com has it for $16.47.

Next Tuesday, June 1st at 8pm, I’m hosting a screening and book signing party at my usual monthly event at the CineFamily - Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax Ave. in Hollywood, CA. I’ll be screening ten 35mm classic Looney Tunes (some in IB Technicolor) and clips from most (if not all) of the other 90 selected for the book. A limited number of books will be flown in from the printer, making this the first place on Earth you can purchase the book and get it with my autograph.

It will start appearing in bookstores and comics shops in the U.S. and Canada sometime during in June. I hope you like it. Buy two - it makes a great gift!

[Woops]

Official Facebook of the 100 Greatest with several  (actually nearly half!  )of the cartoons that will be included (though no ranking no.)


From the selection, it looks good.

Several faves mentioned:  

"The Big Snooze"
"Porky Pig's Feat"
"A Tale Of Two Kitties"
"Three Little Bops"
"Hair Rasing Hare"
"Rabbit of Seville"


Good to see:

some fairly obscure cartoons like "The Hep Cat", which is actually a funny short, and "Pigs is Pigs". Plus some banned toons like "Coal Black & De Sebben Dwarfs" & "Tin Pan Alley Cats".



Looney Tunes from AOL Slashcontrol video streaming site.

[Out of the Blue]

How many cartoon do you have on DVD?

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About  140, though including sets that varies from 2 to 4 DVDs  (not counting DVDRs nor countless...well about 40 public domain DVDs that most contain duplicates) If the sets count as one, about 80.

Most: Disney due to number of DVD released, which I own several Disney Treasure sets and single discs. Though there's several duplicates.



Disney Treasures: all 4 Donald Duck volumes, 2 Mickey, Oswald Rabbit, and "On the Front Lines", featuring WWII propaganda shorts (featuring 2 discs)

Plus 16 solo DVDs that contain several Mickey, Donald, Chip n' Dale, Silly Symphonies, and cartoons from package films like "Mickey & The Beanstalk" and "Wind in the Willows". Though many had duplicates from the Treasures sets. (well, mainly Donald, though have bought "Classic Cartoon Favorites: Donald" before getting the first volume of the "Chronological Donald" set)

Movies: "Three Caballeros", "Melody Time", "Pinocchio", "Bambi", "Dumbo", and "Alice In Wonderland"

[Out of the Blue]

I have all of the "Ren & Stimpy" episodes on DVD, and a few seasons of "The Simpsons."

[Woops]

Borders might get it next week or so...


source

Come celebrate the publication of my latest book tonight at the Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax Ave. We are having a screening of Technicolor Looney Tunes in 35mm, and a special first-day-of-publication book signing (be the first to obtain a copy - autographed no less). On top of that, PBS’ History Detectives will be there filming a segment tonight and will be taping the audience reaction to Buddy’s Day Out (the first “Buddy” cartoon - and NO, not one of The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. Far from it, in fact).

Join us tonight night (6/1) at 8pm, in Hollywood, at the CineFamily/Silent Movie Theatre. (And if you can’t make it tonight, the book should ship today via Amazon and be in a bookstore near you in a few days.)

[Woops]

From the images on the book cover & the official Facebook page

Some guesses...

Among the 17 WB cartoons from the 50 Greatest (15 have been mentioned): "The Scarlet Pumpernickel" & "You Ought To  Be In Pictures"

Oscar winners (1/5 have been mentioned, not counting "So Much For So Little", which wasn't a Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies cartoon): "Tweetie Pie" (also first pairings of Tweety & Sylvester), "For Scenti-mental Reasons", "Speedy Gonzales", &  "Knighty Knight Bugs"

What I'd like to see mentioned...

"Draftee Daffy"
"Plane Daffy"
"Daffy the Commando"
"Sahara Hare"
"Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips"
"Transylvania 65-000"
"Rhapsody Rabbit"
"Tobasco Road"
"Wagon Heels"
"Kitty Kornered"
"Punch Trunk"
"Louvre, Come Back To Me"

[Out of the Blue]

Where do you think cartoons will be in 10 years?