Martin Goodman.

Animation that has been censored over the years for its ethnic, racial and violent content is a cause célèbre among animation fans and scholars. In the days of the theatrical cartoons, pretty much anything was game; any sort of violence was acceptable, racial stereotypes populated the cartoons of every major studio, and ethnic caricatures were signifiers for entire populations. This primarily had to do with the prevailing attitudes of the time; although there were protests by African-American groups and leaders over Walt Disney's release of Song of the South in 1946, the movie was released all the same.

After the great struggles of the Civil Rights movement took place, there was more sensitivity towards minorities in general. When television became the major purveyor of cartoons, much of this was "cleaned up" for what were presumably juvenile audiences, and the insensitive stereotypes were removed. By1975, when Ralph Bakshi attempted to release Coonskin to theaters, a riot nearly resulted.

Everyone who has followed the history of cartoons since the late 1960s is aware of watchdog movements against violence, the promotion of "politically correct" social viewpoints, and the banning and censorship of older cartoons that did not live up to the changing social standards of acceptability. The advent of the VHS videotape and, later, the DVD, mirrored these standards. New cable markets, featuring 24-hour animation channels, followed suit. It appeared that banned and censored cartoons would remain so until the end of time, but as of very recently, it seems all of that is about to change. The changes have been incremental and subtle, but they are there all the same.

These changes do not correlate with any great difference in race relations. For example, at the time of this writing, black rage against the inequities of the justice system exploded in Jena, Louisiana. Even sports is not immune: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who is facing serious consequences over allegations of organized dog fighting, finds his supporters and detractors split largely along racial lines. Much the same happened concerning the legitimacy of Barry Bond's claiming of the all-time home run title. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb asserts that black and white quarterbacks are treated differently in the NFL. Had O.J. Simpson not incriminated himself so deeply in a sports memorabilia robbery, no doubt his fans and foes would have organized around the same sad divide.

Minoriteam brazenly splashed stereotypical, Jack-Kirby-esque characters across the Adult Swim nation. © & ™ 2006 Cartoon Network.

Meanwhile, in TV animation, Minoriteam brazenly splashed stereotypical, Jack-Kirby-esque characters across the Adult Swim nation. Aaron McGruder's brilliant backlash series The Boondocks delivered brilliant, mordant thrusts against the modern sensibilities of both whites and blacks. On another front, the long-awaited Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection included several cartoons featuring ethnic stereotyping. One of them, The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B, was exclusively populated by black characters that represent the very height of racial caricature. A mere few years ago, this would have been unthinkable. Now it is released without as much as a disclaimer.

Early reports indicate that the upcoming fifth edition of The Looney Tunes Golden Collection and the second installment of classic Popeye cartoons will contain uncensored versions of the theatrical shorts, just as they were originally run for audiences decades ago. A generation of younger fans who saw only the truncated versions of these classics may not even know that restored, alternate versions exist. When the third and final volume of The Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection was released earlier this month, knowledgeable fans decried the fact that several cartoons were omitted. Among them was the undeniably hilarious Mouse Cleaning (1948), a cartoon that ended with a prominent blackface gag. From what we have seen so far, Warner Home Video might just as well have released it uncut.

Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger floated the idea in March of this year that Disney's most controversial feature, Song of the South, may possibly be released on DVD in the near future. Two months later, the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable and the Los Angeles Civil Rights Association opposed the release of the film to DVD without a disclaimer. Both parties also requested that a featurette be added addressing the negative effects of racism on society. It is surprising that such a dialogue can even take place considering the past contention surrounding this feature, and a release may still be possible in 2008 or 2009.