I searched for awhile through the $5 DVD bin at Wal-Mart yesterday and came across something that I thought I could really enjoy. It was a collection of 150 classic cartoons. I love old cartoons, so... it was an easy decision to buy it. What I didn't expect was my brain getting in the way of enjoying innocent cartoons.

The first one that I watched was called "The Tube Tooter." It was about a German tuba player, but it definitely contained ALL of the German stereotypes that you could ever imagine.

The second one, "Plane Dumb" was the most offensive I've watched yet.

It is Tom and Jerry (later renamed Dick and Larry because they are NOT the same as the cat and mouse duo) riding in a plane to Africa. Before they land, they are worried about not fitting in there in Africa, so they paint their faces black. Understandable, but it gets worse. Once they land, they begin talking with a slow, Southern accent and they've lost about half of their original IQ. trust me, this is something that I would NOT want to show to children!!

"Redskin Blues" perpetuated Native American stereotypes and glorified the taking away of their land. "Barnyard Bunk" was a cartoon about the dumb, lazy farmer. But after that, Tom and Jerry (or, Dick and Larry) toned down a bit, playing instruments and drawing their own pictures. I think "The Piano Tooners" was the least offensive cartoon that I've watched so far.


Anyway, I still think that it's worth the $5 I paid for it, but I can't really give my overall impression until I've seen the other 141 cartoons in the set.