MovieChat Forums > National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) Discussion > Racist Theme?

Racist Theme?

posted 19 years ago by fenny85
105 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie (not exactly for the first time either) but I thought id ask whether anyone thought this movie was racist in certain parts and whether certain jokes were taken too far.

The scene in the bar/club, where the deltas and their dates are the only white people there, we get the famous 'what are you studying? Primitive cultures' gag. Also in the parade scene at the end the giant 'Togetherness' float with the giant black and white hands holding each other, they get ripped apart as the deathmobile passes by with the words 'Eat Me' conveniently appearing between the separating hands.

Anyone think that some of these jokes went a bit too far, or am i looking into this too much? I cant imagine the people behind such a great and fun movie like Animal House would have any sort of racist agenda. I love this movie but I find that one or two of these jokes bother me a bit.

On a final note, based on this post I think Ive just become yet another victim to modern society's obssession with political correctness. Damn it.

'My advice to you, is to start drinking heavily' - John Belushi

[–] JR541 19 years ago

Of course its a racist film. Not in an evil way. It was intended to be. Roots was also racist and I can say with complete confidence that it too was supposed to be.

He's taking the knife out of the Cheese!
Do you think he wants some cheese?

[–] seamas-85553 8 years ago

"Of course its a racist film. Not in an evil way. It was intended to be. Roots was also racist and I can say with complete confidence that it too was supposed to be. "

You are confusing the terms "racial" and "racist".

A discussion about race, and mores regarding race and society is racial.

A determination that there is a natural order built upon racial lines is racist.

[–] Greenteeth 19 years ago

I don't call it racist because the movie continually pokes fun at the frat system and the kids within it. Who looked dumber at the black night club: the whites or the blacks? The whites made fools out of themselves. And I didn't see anything racial in the presentation of the floats.

[–] bryanicmafia 19 years ago

Also when you think about it the togetherness part the float was a piece of crap and just the sort of thing people who have never met some of any colour other than white spout when they talk of racial equality. Ripping apart that float was less a racist theme as more an anti ignorance or anti corporate america.

[–] gingersnaps1 19 years ago

It doesn't matter what movie you look at on this message board, there will always be a post titled "racist?". There's probably one for Bambi.

Ginger

"Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics"

[–] grandfathercoyote 18 years ago

If there isn't, I'm going to create one. Thanks for the germ of chaos Gingersnaps!

[–] Flowbeer 18 years ago

You're right on, gingersnaps! The boards have turned into a playground for those who wanna see something "racist" in everything, just waiting to be "offended" by life! They're forcing the PC "agenda" on everyone. Like a huge guilt trip. And it works. Just look around you, look at the way people over-react and go out of their way to show that they aren't "racist"! Frankly, it's overkill. Unless something is really blatantly hateful, I don't know why people can't just "all get along"!

--"Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics" --

In fact, your comment about the "Special Olympics" might piss off those who have a "retarded" family member....oops, we can't even use THAT word anymore either, because of frickin' Political "Correctness" ("We must CORRECT you now! We must FORCE you to think OUR way, or not at all!") - people probably have gotten "offended" when they saw your tagline about the Special Olympics. I think they prefer to call them "handicapped" or "mentally challenged" now, or...something I heard recently that made me blink, "intellectually challeneged". Um, yea.
It's a nice thing people do though, to organize events for 'special needs' children.

[–] MurderFaceMesa 16 years ago

I was just thinking the exact same thing. When I see the title of this thread I thought, "NOT AGAIN"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The minute God crapped out the third caveman, a conspiracy was hatched against one of them!

[–] LightningLad 11 years ago

Don't even get me started on how racist Bambi is.

http://themortalcreeps.weebly.com/

[–] roboh-1 11 years ago

Well look at Flower, the main black character. All he does is lie around and smell bad!

=*=*=*=*=
The main reason that Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live

[–] FlyingSaucersAreReal 11 years ago

Yeah, I tend to agree with this. There was a lot of racial tension in the 60s, and segregation was the law in many states. I don't think the fact that some Caucasians wandering into a black bar were really nervous about it meant that the film had a racist message or anything.

[–] novastar_6 18 years ago

Since we're on the issue of race here, I'd just like to put in my two cents about it, that being that the only thing that bothered me was when they said 'the Negroes took our dates', because during 1963 when the movie was supposed to be taking place, most people were calling the blacks 'Colored'. That's the only problem I had, a bit nitpicky I know, but still...

[–] flak-3 18 years ago

That's very regional. I believe in many Southeastern states and as far West as Texas, 'Colored' was a common term. Northeast and West U.S., you would be more likely to here 'Negroes', which I believe at the time was considered more politically correct.

[–] Wakanohana 18 years ago

Should the United Negro College Fund change its name?

Should the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People change ITS name?

Personally, I think "negro" is good term when used in an historical context, generally before 1965 or 1970. At that time, negros thought of themselves as negros. Afterward it was/is black or African-American -- the latter being a PC term that I have never liked. It sounds awkward like Jamaican-Canadian or Argentino-Swiss or Chinese-Italian.

After an indetermined number of generations in America, an American is just an American. No hyphens.

And in a time of war, when Americans of all colors and ethnic origins are fighting and dying, we are all Americans. No hyphens.

[–] gingersnaps1 18 years ago

So then a hillbilly would be an Appalacian American. LOL

Ginger

"Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics"

[–] Wakanohana 18 years ago

Funniest I ever heard was, a woman is a Vagino-American.

(This post will probably be deleted. But it's just a satire.)

[–] barfly4404 18 years ago

You guys do realize that negro and black are the same thing? Negro is Spanish for black. When the Spanish conquistadors came to the West Indies and saw the dark skinned natives, 'negro' became the common term in both Spanish and English for centuries. So there's nothing politically incorrect about negro, even though its now popular to shun it.

And yeah, I agree. People who run around looking for racism in movies are wastes of oxygen, there's NOTHING racist about this movie.

[–] tripolarproduce 18 years ago

part of it might be that negro sounds alot like that michael richards word.

[–] klm38 15 years ago

"So there's nothing politically incorrect about negro, even though its now popular to shun it."

That's a fallacy. Things become politically incorrect mostly when they are popularly shunned. So, calling someone a negro is politically incorrect (if that may be the case i don't know), not despite people's tendencies to refrain from using the word, but because of those tendencies.

In the words of Otto:
Zeppelin Rulllesss!!

[–] OBrienman_88 18 years ago

hahahah did you hear about those guys from harvard who are in trouble for deciding to award a 250$ scholarship for white people?

"Hitler never played Risk as a child!" - Eddie Izzard

[–] danmax67 11 years ago

I know many Caribbean people. I get mixed opinions on whether they consider themselves 'African-Americans'. I also feel it is PC construction and not a very good term.

[–] Wakanohana 11 years ago

We have a lot of Somalis in my city, and quite a few Ethiopians, Nigerians and Ivorians. None of them consider themselves African Americans, even if they originated in Africa and then moved to America.

[–] nlualum82 18 years ago

If you are white, you are a caucasion, derived from the scientific term caucasoid.
Negro became perceived as a racist term, but is only derived from negroid, the corresponding term for black people.
Too much is made of race, we tend to nit-pick. It speaks of the success of the race-baiters who "grow their business" by never letting anything slide, or inventing things in the absence of real conflict.
They "raise consciousness", including changing the acceptable title when the current one becomes more automatic and less thought about (i.e. black, afro-American, African-American, [fill in whatever's next]).
We are too divided. If anyone is to ultimately blame, I would look to the individuals who financially profit from it, especially at the expense of those for whom they pose as advocates.
Admittedly, I didn't put a lot of time or thought into this, just wrote it off the top of my head - and surely at least one person will pick it to death - only proves what I and some others feel.
Wish I could remember where I saw that statement that "Rest assured, no matter what is done or said, that someone somewhere will make too much of it" or words to that effect.

[–] wygby 18 years ago

wow, 12 hours and you still haven't been flamed, what is wrong with this? You make a good point, throw in some anthropological terms and no flaming. Where are the nit-pickers?

Anyway, nicely said. It seems the more people try to say there are no differences in cultures etc the more culturally divided we are becomming. Those who pounce on non issues [I wasn't served fast enough] screaming racism, a certain Reverend comes to mind, only do a disservice to those who are actually being discriminated against. Now whenever certain people open their mouths many will say a real discrimination problem is just another platform for showboating. It is a real shame.

[–] rhanna-1 18 years ago

I felt it went too far and was a bit racist. The difference between a race-related joke and a racist joke is that a race-related joke is generally funny b/c it has some root in truth and is therefore funny to members of all races. The "Primitive Species" Joke seems a bit of a stab at the black race, and the float coming apart isn't even really a joke. Still a pretty funny movie, though.

[–] GrownUpKid 18 years ago

lol its funny , I see this thread, the movies on, and I see a rebel flag when the kid pledging takes the underage girl to hoovers room

I dont think it was really racist in nature, just different stuff was able to fly back then. similar stuff still happens in movies today

[–] ballboy1064 18 years ago

I'm sure the script at the time was highly scrutinized, no more so than by Ramis and the rest of the writers. And i'm sure it went through test sceenings in major cities.
The best thing i can say is that the writers and all the people involved didn't feel it any worse to make fun of black people than it was to make fun of stupid people and nerds.

[–] dementia13 18 years ago

Well, sure, it's racist, but it's not like somebody was trying to push a racist agenda. It just reflects how some people think, and it doesn't cross the line into what I'd call "racist humor". It came from "National Lampoon", which I don't believe is exactly racist, but...as a bunch of Ivy Leaguers, they're not exactly what I'd call "sensitive to people from other backgrounds", either. What I think is far more troublesome than "political correctness" is people attributing some kind of agenda to movies, as if they were meant to be some kind of grand political or philosophical statement instead of just a story. When I was younger, people would get riled up about music, and they'd make the same mistake- treating every song as though it were some kind of anthem, a statement of purpose, instead of just a story. You're definitely reading too much into it, especially that deathmobile part. "Eat Me" is more significant for its rebelliousness, especially considering that it's something that would have been considered unspeakably rude in the early 1960s.

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

You’re thinking too much.

Maybe it wouldn’t be appropriate today to have that scene in a movie.

But, as dementia13 said, they weren’t pushing an agenda - they were just trying to make the frat boys look like idiots.

[–] ballboy1064 18 years ago

Kudos to dementia13 and JPMACO. I think they're right on the button.
Perhaps political correctness does just as much harm as it was intended to do good.
It's like when I was a little kid and my mom told me not to stare at aunty's mole. I couldn't even look at my aunty in the face the whole time. Whereas if I asked her about it I'm sure she wouldn't have been insulted and nobody would have felt uncomfortable after that.

WHAT'S NEXT?

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

Thanks for that - now I've got moles on the brain.

I bet that most people who are bothered by this, don't even know, or have never even hung out with a black person.

[–] ballboy1064 18 years ago

ha, sorry JPMACO. I promise not to stare at your brain.

WHAT'S NEXT?

[–] snigandbuzz 18 years ago

At that time it was perfectly acceptable for those sorts of jokes. Look at movies like Airplane, Blazing Saddles, and The Jerk.

“Progress is the attraction that moves humanity.”
---Marcus Garvey

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

Again, the white guys in those movies were obviously the idiots.

Blazing Saddles is a perfect example. I've never heard the N-word more in my life - and it definitely pointed out how stupid it was - and Cleavon Little was the coolest.

All in the Family TV show is another good one. I've heard some people say that they couldn't stand it because of Archie's attitude and what he said. But that was the point.

[–] inagardenstate 18 years ago

yeah i noticed some of the same "racial" undertones. i didn't see anyone say the confederate flag is obvious in one scene. i took it as stated before it's supposed to show the stupidity. having a float for togetherness is stupid in itself. we shouldn't need a float to mesh with each other. i used to think the same thing when i was in school and i'd see a togetherness black and white hand shaking.

did anyone notice that landis didn't direct any of michael jackson's videos until he was white!? think about it.

seriously don't though i'm kidding.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] thefatbasturd 18 years ago

"Hi. I'm Buck Melanoma, Moley Russle's wart..."

"Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes"

[–] rooney_33 18 years ago

the entire movie is inappropriate!

some people are offended by the racist jokes, or the sex jokes, or gay jokes, or drinking, drugs, etc.

i guess what it boils down to, is that if you're easily offended/looking for a politically correct movie, Animal House is not for you.

[–] 2WarpsToNeptune 18 years ago

I get tired of all this 'racism' claims all the time.
Funny thing is not a word is said about reverse racism.
'White Chicks' for example... What if we had 'Black Chicks' what would be said?
We had 'White men cant jump' Ok fine, no problems. However, what would be the reaction if the movie was 'Black men cant swim' Would it be recieved as positively?
My guess is that it wouldn't be.

So what I told you was true... From a certain point of view

[–] ballboy1064 18 years ago

I saw the movie when it first came out. No one ever mentioned anything about any racist over tones back then. Funny how 28 years later, when we should to be less racist, political correctness has somehow driven a fragile wedge between us again.

WHAT'S NEXT?

[–] tripolarproduce 18 years ago

there's no such thing as reverse racism. it's just racism. reverse racism is tolerance.

[–] inagardenstate 18 years ago

nicely said jamie leighton.

i don't think anyone's being overly sensitive i think people are just noticing the possibility of there being racial commentary. it's not like it hasn't been done before.

p.s. themichdude is quite possibly the ugliest human being (using the term very loose here). just check out some of his other posts then ask where his white hood and hitler stache is.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Misfits223 18 years ago

Didn't any of you guys stop and think that the "primitive cultures" bit was a stab at the Delta frat themselves? Think about it, it doesn't get much more primitive than a frat house, and the delta house is the king of frats. It was probably just a way of getting that joke in there, not having anything to do with being at the all-black roadhouse. And the parade float was just a moment of satire anyway. That's what National Lampoon does - they satirize situations. Don't play the racist card.

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

You're stretching a bit there, don't you think?

The "primitive cultures" thing definitely had to do with the blacks in the bar. I hate cries of racism where there is actually none. But this is probably a case where it's true.

But this wasn't a documentary - it's a movie - a comedy. And not many of the jokes are intellectually based.

I love this movie. And you're taking yourself and life too seriously if you can't handle a few racial, ethnic, sexual, homosexual, etc. jokes.

[–] inagardenstate 18 years ago

yeah i love the movie too. i was just curious if it was a big deal in the past or ever discussed.

nice one michdude, she said you left them there when you ran out embarassed by the e.d. oh by the way ask your girlfriend if she kept that condom. i thought it was kind of weird that she asked to keep it afterwards.

[–] KillYourShadow 18 years ago

If you think this movie is too racist to handle, you might as well wrap yourself in bubble tape and fly yourself to the nearest uninhabited island. Even there you may see some sexist actions on part of monkeys.

Ignore the smoke.

[–] andyboomer 18 years ago

It's just a great film, lighten up

[–] TequilaMockingbird5150 8 years ago

It is somewhat racist to ASSUME that the primitive cultures remark was aimed at the Black people when it could have well been a dig at the frat boys.

The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Samuel Beckett