Most people with two eyes and a heart would probably agree that Tom And Jerry is easily one of the most recognizable and beloved animated series of all time.
However, as Amazon Prime and iTunes are quick to point out, there are more than a few episodes out there that contain offensive and racist humor that would simply NOT fly by today’s standards.
Both streaming services are offering episodes of the iconic cartoon for their customers, but they both also made sure to include disclaimers and warnings that there is definitely some racist content that your kiddies might not want to see.
iTunes describes the series by saying:
“These animated shorts are products of their time. Some of them may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today’s society, these animated shorts are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.”
The easiest example of racist depictions in the cartoon come from the character of Mammy Two Shoes, an overweight black maid who constantly finds herself in the middle of Tom and Jerry’s hijinks.
This isn’t the first time the show has offered a warning to viewers either. In a previous DVD release, Whoopi Goldberg offered a similar disclaimer in a short video clip.
While some might argue that episodes with racist depictions should be removed completely, it’s great to see iTunes and Amazon using this as an opportunity to educate kids on why racial humor is unacceptable instead of simply ignoring it.
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