What issues do his albums raise in terms of representation of ‘race’, and particularly ethnic and cultural stereotyping?
The adventures of Tintin were created by a cartoonist named George Remi also known as Herge on paper. This was created with a series of 24 bande dessinee albums resulting in success and becoming one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century. However, these comics have become and been a big controversy due to the representation of race and other cultural stereotyping.
A few issues that I came across are listed below:
1.The drawings and representations of Jews were very stereotypical. Herge gave the Jewish characters large long noses, thick lips and presented them as overweight and in the need of classes. All of his Jewish characters were never the stars of the comic, they were much rather the scheming money lending type of characters.
2.Objectification is a very big problem, One picture shows Tintin supposedly finding or coming across a red Indian. “Look Snowy… A real Red Indian.” Tintin is well dressed, standing, holding a camera while looking down on the man sitting on the ground in a blanket outside. From this here we can tell that it’s a symbol of white supremacy. The old man resembles homeless people and from this it suggests that homeless people aren’t white but the natives and indigenous.
3. Tintin travels to the Congo as a colonist and teaches geography to the indigenous, however he describes the Congo as Belgian. Implying that their land is no theirs and that they cannot identify it their way. On Tintins journey he ‘is in need of a boy’ this labels slavery and proves the hierarchy Europeans had over the non-Europeans. Tintin is worshipped like a deity, he instructs, demands and speaks down to the people while they reply in broken English and work hard. “me tired!” In the comic there are shrines of the Congo people bowing and worshipping Tintin, however the language used presents them to be unintelligent. “and if you not good, you never be like Tintin!” “Me never before see…..” These lines are degrading and don’t show any respect as it stereotypes that the Congo people are unable to speak the supposed ‘proper’ English.
There are many, many, many ways to unpack the issues within Tintin and with a deep analysis the problems that only seemed like a few pictures and words can become very controversial and an uproar in this modern-day society. The representation of race in Herges The adventures of Tintin does not represent that everyone is equal. It degrades and dehumanizes non-Europeans and it presents an obvious white supremacy and hierarchy.
Pop Genres 2020 