 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4alfalfa.com
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Censored!! (coming soon) |
|
One of the enduring "urban legends" of Little Rascals lore concerns the series' reputation for ethnic and racial stereotyping. An illustration of how important this topic has become in recent years was the rumor—totally unfounded, as it turned out— that Bill Cosby was considering buying up the rights to the Rascals comedies, for no other reason than preventing current and future generations from seeing these examples of insensitivity. Read an essay by Alfalfa fan Quincy Gaines on the subject of ethnic insensitivities and stereotyping... 
TV stations have seen fit to censor certain Rascals scenes, dialogue, and even entire episodes. Even American Movie Classics' excellent "Little Rascals Version 2.0" series has aired several episodes without these "offending" sequences. Fortunately, Cabin Fever Home Video™ produced complete, uncensored versions of each and every Hal Roach sound episode (from "Small Talk" to "Hide and Shriek"), plus a handful of the silent comedies. These tapes, each containing four episodes, are now out of print, but selected installments can be still be purchased at video and music stores. Complete sets are also available on ebay and other similar online auction sites. From the complete Cabin Fever™ collection, 4alfalfa.com is able to categorize each example of ethnic stereotyping contained in these films. Our intention is not to pass moral judgment on the original Hal Roach writers, producers, and directors who oversaw such scenes, nor is it to declare that any individual or group should or should not take offense at some of these scenes and dialogue extracts. But it is important to provide a (hopefully) objective and accurate compendium of these incidents, as well as moments that were not censored, but still raise modern eyebrows. It is significant to note that ethnic references were not always the sole reason for certain scenes being censored. In "Little Sinner", for example (an episode never seen on TV), there are examples of so-called "Negro dialect" in a baptism scene, but another element of the episode is deemed objectionable for a different reason: Spanky makes no secret of the fact that he'd rather go fishing than attend church, and then Sunday school. The beloved Spanky's dismissive attitude towards fulfilling his religious obligations may seem a bit too flippant for many programmers. And
in another, never-seen pre-Alfalfa episode, "Big Ears",
we witness Wheezer dealing with his parents' possible pending divorce;
not only this, but there is a scene where Stymie tries to find some
appropriate remedy for the ill Wheezer, and he roots through a medicine
cabinet, continuously plying his little friend with all sorts of
unidentified, but ominous-looking substances—certainly not
a scene with which small children should be asked to identify, even
comedically (not to mention the scene where Wheezer's father cheerfully
refers to Stymie as "the little pickaninny".) 4alfalfa.com also welcomes thoughtful and serious comment on this important topic. Please send submissions and commentary via our "Contact Us" link, found elsewhere on this page and throughout 4alfalfa.com. We will notify our friends and visitors via our "News/Updates" section when the first installment of "Censored!!" is completed.
"The Little Rascals" and Little Rascals characters © and TM King World Productions, Inc. This website based in part upon a television series distributed by King World Productions and Turner Entertainment Company / MGM. |
|
|
