"
You learn something new every day.
Posted on 02/25/2006 2:52:58 AM PST by Antioch
Tom and Jerry, the lovable cat and mouse locked in cartoon combat, is a Jewish conspiracy, according to an Iranian official.
Prof. Hasan Bolkhari, a cultural advisor to the Iranian Education Ministry, delivered the news last week on Iran's Channel 4 during a broadcast of film seminar where he was lecturing. An excerpt of the video was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
"The Jewish Walt Disney Company gained international fame with this cartoon," said Bolkhari. "It is still shown throughout the world. This cartoon maintains its status because of the cute antics of the cat and mouse – especially the mouse.
"Some say that the main reason for making this very appealing cartoon was to erase a certain derogatory term that was prevalent in Europe."
According to the professor, "Tom and Jerry" was created to irradicate the association between mice and Jews created in the minds of Europeans by Hitler.
"If you study European history, you will see who was the main power in hoarding money and wealth in the 19th century," continued Bolkhari. "In most cases, it is the Jews. Perhaps that was one of the reasons which caused Hitler to begin the anti-Semitic trend, and then the extensive propaganda about the crematoria began. ... Some of this is true. We do not deny all of it.
"Watch 'Schindler's List.' Every Jew was forced to wear yellow star on his clothing. The Jews were degraded and termed 'dirty mice.' 'Tom and Jerry' was made in order to change the Europeans' perception of mice. One of terms used was 'dirty mice.'
"It should be noted that mice are very cunning ... and dirty."
"Tom and Jerry," the creation of Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna, was created in 1939, the year World War II began and while the Holocaust was in full force, for the MGM cartoon studios, not Disney. During the next 18 years, Hanna and Barbera created over 200 cartoons featuring Tom and Jerry, earning the pair seven Academy Awards. Today, "Tom and Jerry" is owned by Turner Entertainment.
"If you happen to watch this cartoon tomorrow, bear in mind the points I have just raised," said Bolkhari, "and watch it from this perspective. The mouse is very clever and smart. Everything he does is so cute. He kicks the poor cat's a--. Yet this cruelty does not make you despise the mouse. He looks so nice, and he is so clever. ... This is exactly why some say it was meant to erase this image of mice from the minds of European children, and to show that the mouse is not dirty and has these traits. Unfortunately, we have many such cases in Hollywood shows."
Nope...the one that hangs in my yard has been known to enjoy my leftover baby back ribs...
"
You learn something new every day.
What abunch of freaking idiots. Tom and Jerry is an MGM production and has no connection to Walt Disney. Furthemore, if Disney was anything it was mildly anti-semitic. The wolf in original Three Little Pigs would have been dressed like a rabi if Disney had had his way.
Oh no! Political incorrect humor!
Oh the humanity!
Tom and Jerry IS meant to celebrate the survivial of the wit (Jerry) in the face of oppression (Tom). How odd that the Iranians see this as an implicit defense of Jews in Europe, when Palestinians, Al Qaeda and Saddamites are strivig so hard to present themselves as being in a situation similar to Jerry's against the big, bad Tomcat, the US.
Imcidentally, there was a pulitzer-prize winning comic, published decades after Tom and Jerry, which did exactly what the Iranian kook suspects Tom and Jerry of, "Maus."
Oh devolve! Your art is needed!
Don't forget how technologically challenged the coyote was....
Oh that is great!
::laughing!::
Is that Groucho?
The Nazis have taken over Iran.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
