MEMIN PINGUIN

WLF2226 · Postby **WLF2226** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:18 pm

Mexican Postal service was critizied about the emision of conmemorative post stamps with the Character of Memin Pinguin (Memin is a tender way to call Guillermo (William) and Pinguin is from "Pingo" that mean something like "little rascal") I was really impresed, because I grew up reading this comic, and now is a debate subject. This comic was created when in the south of USA the afroamerican children werent allowed to go to schools for "white people" and when they was only able to seat in the back of the public transport I really don't see how this character could be considered racist, IS A CARTOON for god's sake!! is obvios that when you draw a cartoon character their faces are exagerated!!

WLF2226 · Postby **WLF2226** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 4:01 pm

Mexico Defends Stamp of Black Character By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: June 30, 2005 Filed at 7:32 p.m. ET MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexico's government insisted Thursday that a black cartoon character with exaggerated features is a historical icon who deserves to be celebrated on a postage stamp -- and that U.S. leaders charging racism do not fully understand Mexican culture. The country's postal service this week released a series of five stamps depicting ''Memin Pinguin,'' a child's character from a comic book started in the 1945 that is still published in Mexico. In Washington, the White House objected, saying that ''racial stereotypes are offensive no matter what their origin.'' The Rev. Jesse Jackson branded the stamp ''an insult'' and asked Mexico to withdraw it from the market. But a spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox, said the comic book has promoted understanding and family values for decades. ''It seems strange to me that this celebration of Mexican culture and Mexico's post office's toast to Mexican cartoonists is misunderstood,'' said the spokesman, Ruben Aguilar. He said the comic book was ''not racist. It's exactly the opposite.'' ''I respect the reverend Jesse Jackson's opinion, but we think that he is uninformed about the historic role of this series in Mexican culture to combat racism and promote family values,'' he said. It was the second time in as many months Fox's office has answered questions about perceived racial insensitivity. On May 13, the president sparked sharp criticism when he said that Mexican migrants living in the United States were willing to take jobs ''that not even blacks want to do.'' Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton traveled to Mexico City to meet with Fox and unsuccessfully demanded that he apologize for that comment. Dark-skinned with an over-shaped head and lanky limbs, Memin Pinguin is drawn with thick lips, a round nose and wide-open eyes. His appearance, speech and mannerisms are the brunt of jokes from white characters in the comic book. Memin Pinguin's name combines a monicker for ''Guillermo,'' or ''William,'' and a slang form of an adjective meaning ''mischievous.'' On the stamps, which sell for a bit more than 60 cents each, he is seen primping in a tuxedo and top-hat, marching off to school and hawking comic books. After meeting with leaders of two Hispanic rights organizations in Little Rock, Ark., on Thursday, Jackson likened the stamps to fast-food chain Taco Bell's use of a Spanish-speaking Chihuahua, which he said Hispanic groups rejected. ''I would think Secretary Rice would be personally demeaned by such a character,'' Jackson said, referring to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Emoe de la Parra, daughter of Memin Pinguin's creator Yolanda Vargas, said she thought it was wrong to view the character negatively. ''I think that he is a person full of moral qualities and that his existence can't be offensive to anyone,'' de la Parra told Mexico City's W Radio. Lisa Navarrete, a spokeswoman for National Council of La Raza in Washington, said that as Hispanic-American organization ''we certainly know our own culture, and we are still outraged.'' Carlos Munoz, a professor emeritus at the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, said ''It's a manifestation of the ignorance, of the racism that continues to exist in Mexican culture.'' <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... ns/huh.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='huh.gif' /> Personally I think that President Fox's declarations about afroamericans where incorrect, but I see this as a revenge to that declarations instead a defense of the civil rights. By the way, I don't ever considered Speedy Gonzalez an insultant character to me as a mexican <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' />

Bocaj Claw · Postby **Bocaj Claw** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 4:12 pm

What about Speedy's cousin, Slowpoke Gonzalez, the slowest mouse in all of Mexico?

WLF2226 · Postby **WLF2226** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 4:19 pm

Even that Character is hilarious, he is not fast, but got a big gun <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /laugh.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='laugh.gif' /> I don't see it as an insult to mexicans, Is only a cartoon. <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... lleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /> what it really offends me is when texans kills mexican inmigrants as animals in the border. Thats really not funny <!--emo&

--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... ns/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' />

Muninn · Postby **Muninn** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:34 am

Why is America meddling in Mexican stamps? This isn't sarcasm, is there an actual logical reason that they can interfere? Are those stamps threatining freedom and democracy in Central America? (this part IS sarcasm)

Bocaj Claw · Postby **Bocaj Claw** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 7:48 pm

Maybe the issue is stamps coming into america on mail and such. Or maybe the US government is just sticking its nose into South American business again. Who knows?

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 5:50 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (WLF2226 @ Jul 1 2005, 04:19 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> I don't see it as an insult to mexicans, Is only a cartoon.  </td></tr></table>  And I don't get that attitude. Why should the medium matter? It's still a mockery and suggests less respect to the depicted group than to the majority.

Ibun · Postby **Ibun** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 6:05 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Tom Flapwell @ Jul 3 2005, 01:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'>  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (WLF2226 @ Jul 1 2005, 04:19 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> I don't see it as an insult to mexicans, Is only a cartoon. </td></tr></table>  And I don't get that attitude. Why should the medium matter? It's still a mockery and suggests less respect to the depicted group than to the majority.  </td></tr></table>  Using that logic those cartoons suggest you can fall off a cliff and hit the ground, only to leave a you-shaped hole in the ground that you can then climb out of with little or no damage. It's a cartoon, people need to stop being so uptight. <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... lleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' />

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:48 pm

Apples and oranges. You guys really disappoint me. 1. Defiance of gravity isn't insulting. It doesn't single out any demographic. 2. Maybe I should study up on Memin, but I wager the white guys in his life don't look so clownish, let alone apish. I also wager that his behavior goes well with his looks. 3. Speedy Gonzalez has no real negative qualities, even if his phony Spanish and hyperactivity get obnoxious. 4. The history of Mexicans in the U.S., while far from glorious, is still much nicer than the history of blacks in either country. Many people still remember legal segregation. As a result, it makes sense that blacks should still be touchy about caricatures. 5. Just try and make a cartoon that looks like that today. At best, you'll cultivate an image of true edginess. 6. Who are you to say what another group should or should not find offensive?

Ruedii-X · Postby **Ruedii-X** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 4:40 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (WLF2226 @ Jul 1 2005, 11:01 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Mexico Defends Stamp of Black Character  </td></tr></table>  I'd like to see Bush's response to the portrayal of the US Millitary in Japanese Animation! That would be good!!

Bocaj Claw · Postby **Bocaj Claw** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:34 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Tom Flapwell @ Jul 4 2005, 11:48 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> 3. Speedy Gonzalez has no real negative qualities, even if his phony Spanish and hyperactivity get obnoxious.  </td></tr></table>  No but his cousin, Slowpoke Gonzalez, like his name suggests was slow and lazy.

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:43 pm

I don't know that Slowpoke was lazy. At any rate, he had the survival skills he needed. Not so slow in the brain, as he claimed. Besides, he appeared only a couple of times to my knowledge, so he doesn't get nearly the same attention.

Bocaj Claw · Postby **Bocaj Claw** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:14 am

Survival skills? The few times I've seen him he almost always walks straight into the cats mouth. Survival skills indeed. But you have a point. He was merely a bit player.

Tom Flapwell · Postby **Tom Flapwell** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:41 pm

Well, he had a big gun and the power of hypnosis....

Bocaj Claw · Postby **Bocaj Claw** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:27 pm

I really don't remember that part...

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