MovieChat Forums > Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) Discussion > Fatphobic, Sexist, Ableist, Classist, an...

Fatphobic, Sexist, Ableist, Classist, and Probably Low-Key Racist


Fatphobic - Augustus Gloop

Ableist - Mike Teevee (ADHD) and Violet Beauregard (Autism)

Classist - Charlie (they portray the poor as "cringe")

Sexist - Veruca Salt. I know women are dumb, but they're not as greedy as everyone says

Racist? Only white kids find tickets *roll eyes emoji* coincidence? Nope, more like peak racism

I will give it points for making Willy Wonka "queer coded"

Great movie, but it's also highly problematic and it only has like 3 good songs (the Veruca Salt song, the Oompa Loompa song, and that song from Wiley Wonka)

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I know you're like totaLLy right. We must cancel this movie as soon as possible. There's more systemic racism in it than you are alluding to. While I was in college studying to be a psychologist I wrote a paper about it. Here are a few other examples that I included in my dissertation on said subject.

Ebulliophobia -Grandpa Joe was the worst culprit when it came to this offense.

Xocolataphobia- it was terrible that food was wasted by white kids who were in search of golden privilege tickets.

Entomophobia- the boat ride scene is totally the epitome of this heinous discriminatory process.

Achondroplasiaphobia- the poor Oompa Loompas were made to look the fool at every turn!

Nefariuphobia- Slugworth was a victim of this nefarious phobia, and it made me angry.

We truly need to begin a petition to stop any further pressings of this movie on DVD, airings on television, or rare theatrical presentations. Perhaps if we are unable to gain the help of the powers that be then we can use CGI to fix this movie. Just think of all of the racial equalizing possibilities that we can achieve!


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Great analysis. I agree 100%, but disagree on just one thing. I think we should make those changes, but also bring criminal charges on those who are still alive from this production

Zero tolerance on shitshows like this from now on

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This movie is creepy as fuck.
Wouldn't all these evident prejudices add to its creepiness?

(unless it is creepy unintentionally. Then it is just all of the above).

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I agree that it is creepy 👍

It's in my top 3 creepy fantasy movies, with Alice in wonderland and Wizard of oz

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Ableism----movie was made in 1971--pre Americans with Disabilities Act, pre-special education, pre Section 504. It was accepted practice in 1971 to lock children with disabilities away in asylums under the guise they could not learn, work or otherwise contribute to society. Mike and Violet are not locked away, presumably because their parents have money and connections (they are also dressed well instead of the rags which investigators were finding residents of asylums in). Both Mike and Violet are used to being out and about in public even if they are not however, accustomed to negotiating and working well with others specifically because they are people with disabilities. Attending a public school where they would have had to learn about getting along with others perhaps could have prevented their demise.

Classist. Yes Mike and Violet are dressed well....which again is why they even with their disabilities are out and about in 1971 instead of being locked up in an asylum. Their families have the resources (until the fateful factory visit) to materially provide for them.

Racist. In the first edition of Dahl's book (1964) the oompa loompas were pygmies. by 1971, this was recognized as problematic though, so this is why they have bright orange skin and green hair--which most people do not know. The makers of this film were coconscious of racism. It was filmed in the then West Germany which was by then publicly conscious of what the nazi's did to most groups. Until 2017 (when Germany was publicly reunified),

Sexist--here I do have issues both genders of children are shown to disregard wonka's instruction, although only men work in Wonka's factory. The men are presumed to be the providers. And the girls and women who are invited to visit Wonka's factory wear dresses. The visitors do not wear pants which are far more common on women and girls today.

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Gr8 points m8 👍👍👍

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Prove that all oompah loompahs were male.

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they were wearing pants---and all the women in this movie are wearing dresses.

Their voice. When they speak/don't sing, it is not high-pitched/feminine. And they sing in a baritone, which is recognized as a classical male singing voice.

Their clothes, unlike Wonka they are not wearing pinks and purples. They must engage in the manual grunt labor to keep the factory running.

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I'd imagine the oompa loompa women are not allowed out to play on the chocolate river and sing , they're probly in the back rooms stirring the chocolate

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again all of the women visiting the factory wear dresses.

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Violet wears pants in this.

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Fatphobic!!😂😂

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I never understood how, if no one ever went in or out, how they got their supplies and how the health dept did inspections?

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Tunnels

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Uh, I think this takes place before health departments were a thing.

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the labor department was established in the 1930's and the health and human services department was established in the 1950's---so not likely.


Probably got an 'exemption' of some kind. After all, there still were exemptions for paying people with disabilities less money just bc of a disability. So I'm sure Wonka found an exemption of some kind etc for whatever he needed to get around/whenever he needed to get around something.

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I don't think Roald Dohl thought about the health department while writing it. Also I thought maybe the factory and Charlie's hometown were in England.

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And I can equally describe you with one word: WOKE!
Stay the hell away from our great movies!

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Aside from that it's okay.

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"Fatphobic, Sexist, Ableist, Classist, and Probably Low-Key Racist"

All sounds good to me. What's the problem?

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I don't see a problem either. All those things are what makes this movie GREAT!!!!!!

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Absolutely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Cby33ZR98

This is the trailer for it.
Possibly inspired the Saw movies.

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No problems with any of it at all!

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