MovieChat Forums > Rio (2011) Discussion > Racist Movie

Racist Movie

posted 10 years ago by cooler56
14 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone else think this movie was racist? The criminals were dark-skinned and poor, while the good guys were light-skinned. This movie already takes a condescending attitude towards Brazilian culture as discussed in another thread. But the most racist theme was with the birds.

You have the whole "people of their own kind should stick together" message. And you have Blu who is basically brought into the US against his own will (like a slave), but he grows up loved into a comfortable life (by mere chance. However, the other birds pressure him into being more like a "bird," who he was born, rather than being a "pet." Because it is more "liberating." Which is why he was constantly berated for not being able to fly. IMO this is attitude is people who look down at "Americanized" immigrants for betraying their own heritage. I found it very troubling.

Blu constantly defends why he likes his life, but Jewel is seen as the ideal here because she is in her own habitat, only when she is able to fly again does she feel "herself." She never gives any credit towards Blu's "American" lifestyle and is condescending to him about it.

Basically the message in this movie is, no matter how hard you try to fit in, or you think you can be someone, you can't escape from your "kind." Jewel was basically obligated to fall in love with Blu, with him being the last of his "kind."

[–] Dave_Robicheaux 10 years ago

You seriously need to stop thinking in your bloody indivualism way which darkens this new way of a US-American - Brazilian friendship, even with mixed married couples.

This new partnership is the only path of peace for the XXI century, your manicheism, we don't care.

[–] always_keep_fighting 9 years ago

Good God. What kind of moron would come To a cartoon board to complain about racism??
Get a life.

[–] bootblack987 9 years ago

What kind of moron would come To a cartoon board to complain about racism??

This reply is much sillier than the original post. There is a history or racist cartoons. Disney has banned it's own "Song of the South" because of how racist it is.

Here's a link to an article entitled, "The 9 Most Racist Disney Characters":

http://www.cracked.com/article_15677_the-9-most-racist-disney-characters.html

And here's a link to an article regarding (among other things) eleven cartoons by Warner Brothers which they themselves banned for being racist:

https://thezephyrlounge.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/american-lectures-animation-racism/

Those eleven banned cartoons, due to racism:

1. Hittin’ the Trail for Hallelujah Land, 1931
2.Sunday Go to Meetin’ Time, 1936 (reissued in 1944)
3.Clean Pastures, 1937
4.Uncle Tom’s Bungalow, 1937
5.Jungle Jitters, 1938
6.The Isle of Pingo Pongo, 1938 (reissued in 1944)
7.All This and Rabbit Stew, 1941
8.Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, 1943
9.Tin Pan Alley Cats, 1943
10.Angel Puss, 1944
11.Goldilocks and the Jivin’ Bears, 1944 (reissued in 1951)

So to call someone a moron for bringing up the topic of racism in cartoons...some might say that is a subtle form of racism. Denying that racism can exist in cartoons, to belittle a person who brings up this topic and trying to squash a discussion...for what reason what you do that?

[–] wolfbynyt 9 years ago

For the record, Disney has not banned Song of the South 'because it's racist', they've put a ban on it because other, much less educated idiots scream racism whenever it's mentioned, partly because of the decades-long mistaken belief that the film takes place during the time of slavery, which if anyone bothered to watch the film or do research they would know it does not. Myself I saw the film in theaters in the mid-80s here in the States and it remains an all-time fave, and I know it was released overseas on laserdisc some years ago (the version that usually circulates on the Net I believe).

It's a shame such a rare gem can't see the light of day because of some people's sheer ignorance. James Baskett as Uncle Remus imo remains one of the all-time greatest characters ever put to film (and thus his much-deserved Oscar for the part) and it's a shame to keep him and the film hidden away.

He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

[–] Livana_Faolan 9 years ago

The kind of person who enjoys finding things to gripe about, apparently.

[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

Dont know what kind of movie you watched but the one i saw had good guys as blue, black and a dog. the two throwaway characters, one of whom were supposedly brazilian too, were just that - throwaway.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] donitononaire 9 years ago

Well, don't animals stick to their own kind? Don't blue macaws only mate with other blue macaws? Is that not just a fact?

[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

no. actually many animals "Experiment" in sex as well. its just that different species dont work biologically most of the time, like how human cant get a horse pregnant no matter how much horse porn it produces.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] donitononaire 9 years ago

Uhhh, ok, no.

Animals mate with their own kind.

[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

Most of the time - yes. But not always.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] Projekta 9 years ago

My dog tries to mate with a pillow or a neighbor at least once a week.

[–] drxcreatures 9 years ago

Lots of good people were dark. The dentist was dark-skinned. Wasn't the evil bird white?

http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com

[–] Projekta 9 years ago

Well of course. Being American is not much to be proud of...yet. Also, Blu was a little bitch. And flying is obviously more desirable and rewarding than dragging yourself around with your mouth. Point is Blu was living it wrong.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (36781195) 7 years ago

Ahahahaha!!!!! I came here just knowing someone would be screaming racism.
It's racist to say someone CAN'T be something because of their skin colour which is what you just did. Also the bad bird is white. All you points are invalid. Stop being so angry