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AGVann t1_j67unpt wrote

I read your entire comment, and this is my effort to engage with you earnestly: condensing all the criticism of the show into just 'racists and misogynists' eliminates the nuance that you're trying to defend the show with. Putting all the 'culture war' BS aside, it's just not a well constructed show. The jokes miss far more than they land, it's too genuine in it's mediocrity for it to be satire, and the characters are about as deep as a four second elevator pitch blurb.

Back on to the topic of racism - you've specifically used that word to describe the humor of the show, so you agree it's based around the idea of mocking, humiliating, and shaming someone for their skin color. You'd have to go pretty far back to find a show where the main characters are gleefully mocking someone's race, and expecting the audience to agree and laugh with them. Why is that suddenly acceptable in 2023?

It's not even shock comedy, it's just reprehensible behaviour from someone that clearly thinks the next step after equality is "my turn now".

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brotherkin t1_j69e1ep wrote

This is the correct response

For some reason, OP is doing their best to make racist jokes seem harmless and it's the people that are speaking out against racism and prejudice in the show that are somehow in the wrong

OP compares south parks edgy humor to Velmas and I have to say they come off completely different. South Park clearly makes fun of racism by parodying it and showing ridiculous people in ridiculous situations

Velma doesn't come across as a parody to me. It feels like it's leaning into the "fuck white people" shtick targeting an audience that likes making fun of white people

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EnhancerSpecialist t1_j69oatm wrote

> South Park clearly makes fun of racism by parodying it

Does it now

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brotherkin t1_j69zo5a wrote

Well yeah, have you not watched much South Park?

For example, Cartman is a complete asshole racist bigot douchebag and he says a lot of fucked up stuff.

You know what the difference is? The other characters call him out for it, and Cartman looks like a complete monster most of the time.

That's the difference.

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batsofburden t1_j69jrx9 wrote

> Putting all the 'culture war' BS aside, it's just not a well constructed show.

Isn't op's main point though that the original Scooby Doo was not a great show either, and that's why the level of vitriol in the criticism strikes him as especially ridiculous?

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AGVann t1_j6bb3b8 wrote

The original Scooby Doo was 'not a great show' because it was a kid's show, not because it was full of racist jokes.

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ButtholeCandies t1_j6a66fw wrote

> Back on to the topic of racism - you've specifically used that word to describe the humor of the show, so you agree it's based around the idea of mocking, humiliating, and shaming someone for their skin color. You'd have to go pretty far back to find a show where the main characters are gleefully mocking someone's race, and expecting the audience to agree and laugh with them. Why is that suddenly acceptable in 2023?

The last wide broadcast show to do that was Amos and Andy, which was essentially a minstrel show. You can make a good argument that Velma is a modern day version of a minstrel show with how it mocks physical and cultural traits - by people that aren’t that race/sexuality - in the meanest manner of mockery possible - all for laughs.

It’s going over as well as a modern remake of a minstrel show, so that’s ok I guess.

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Automatic_Randomizer t1_j68psxb wrote

> You'd have to go pretty far back to find a show where the main characters are gleefully mocking someone's race, and expecting the audience to agree and laugh with them.

Honestly, I can't recall any mass market show where that happened. Sure, in some movies, like Disney's Song of the South, black characters were depicted in ways that are uncomfortable and Asian stereotypes were portrayed insensitively, but I don't know of any show with a recurring theme that bad things happening to black folks is funny because of their race.

Maybe I'm wrong. Are there any examples of TV shows more blatantly racist than Velma?

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