Curiously, new monkey movie lands in middle of cultural battle

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/10/6 | Joe Garofoli

[SmithL]

For the politically correct Bay Area parent, the "Curious George" children's books are a minefield of cultural horrors through which to tiptoe. Imperialism. Animal abuse. Bad parenting.

Puh-leeeeze, George's defenders say. They're children's books, whose charm has not dimmed -- 25 million books and countless swag sold -- even if ideas about political correctness have evolved since the first George adventure was published in 1941. Sometimes a speechless, mischievous monkey is just that -- a monkey, not a metaphor. Besides, George's tales are no more un-PC than those of that royalist warmonger, Babar.

Both camps are wondering how "Curious George," the animated movie that premieres today, will translate details of the popular series of children's books for the more heightened sensitivities of 2006.

The Curious George oeuvre was the work of the husband-and-wife team of H.A. and Margaret Rey, German Jews who escaped France with the first book's manuscript as the Nazis invaded. Most of the seven stories they wrote feature the antics of a monkey whose sweet curiosity gets him in trouble until he's rescued by the nameless Man with the Yellow Hat, George's keeper/parental figure/pal with bail money.

To some, that's the core of an unhealthy relationship.

"The books are really irresponsible to me. It's sickening, really," said Robin Roth, managing editor of www.arkonline.com, an animal welfare Web site.

Start with the Caucasian, gun-carrying Man with the Yellow Hat venturing to Africa (imperialism alert!) to harvest wildlife for a zoo (animal repression alert!). Continue with George being unsupervised and allowed to smoke a pipe and huff ether (bad parenting alert!), and it's a wonder there aren't pickets already forming around movie theaters.

[End Times Sentinel]

I put my foot down and banned Currious George from my house after I read my children that horrible "Currious George Quits his Job" when he went berzerk and attacked the man with the yellow hat and clawed his eyes out.

Coincidentally, it was right about that time that my wife made me quit smoking PCP.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[SIDENET]

Curious George better not get too curious around San Francisco.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

So, the People Who Need to Get a Life strike again.

[svcw]

This has got to be a joke article.

[SIDENET]

The movie sidesteps these questions with an old-fashioned man-monkey friendship.

This movie should be a runaway hit in SF.

[SmithL]

SURE, YOU call it a joke, but just wait until those who have been offended start burning Monkey Houses around the world.

[Cyclopean Squid]

Overanalysis alert! Too-much-time-on-hands sirens going off everywhere!

[mrs. a]

At least the Man with the Yellow Hat never spanked George...

[hattend]

Note to author: If the thought of going to see "Curious George" upsets you...walk by the entrance to the theatre.

If your child will hate you for not taking them to the movie...well, you asked for it.

[ElkGroveDan]

This is one of those stories where you have to stop and ask "Is this from The Onion?"

These people are insane.