Monday, May 18, 2009

I Just Wanna Be Loved By You. boop boop a doop

I Just Wanna Be Loved By You. Boop Boop Ba-oop!

Something came to my mind the other day and I'm really curious as to how feminist feel towards Betty Boop. Yes, that's right. I'm wondering what feminist feel about a cartoon character who simply sings about wanting to be loved by someone.



Why? I want some insight on feminist thought on Betty Boop, it is warranted because she is part of Americas history and is something I see a lot of females identifying with. Betty Boop was a flapper in her heyday. I understand this was a positive female role model back in the ‘girls place is in the kitchen’ times but now she is certainly a held as sex object. She may have been marginally positive some of the times


but certainly not always.


A common misconception about Betty Boop was that she was always her own woman, but in truth Betty Boop was a bitch first, quite literally. She was the girlfriend of Bimbo the Dog, Fleischer Studio’s answer to Mickey Mouse, where she first appeared in Dizzy Dishes and is almost unrecognizable.

Betty Boop increased in popularity and soon stole the show. But because she was ugly she was slowly given a makeover loosing the dog nose and ears until she was fully human, but Bimbo did not and so in a few episodes she was dating a dog.


Betty Boop is based off Helen Kane and she unsuccessfully sued for using her likeness. Betty Boop was intended to be a blond except she was in black and white cartoons, there was only one real colour cartoon of Betty Boop and in that she was red blond.


At the end of 1934 a standard of morality called the Hays Code was fully enforced on Betty Boop and most episodes post these events are pretty much worthless. Bimbo was banned due to bestiality; new characters Pudgy and Grampy were added and Betty wore longer dresses and got a nice hunky boyfriend called Freddy. This crippled the appeal of Betty and the show died a long death, until she was revived as an icon in the 50s.

So I have to wonder what exactly the view of Betty Boop was to all those who grab on to her image, like you do Tinkerbell and Hello Kitty.

Best Fleischer animation


it doesn’t say but she was a democrat. Now some more videos


Fleischer was Jewish, so I guess this is kosher?

Maybe.. Maybe not. I wont judge.


Though, Disney isn't free of this sort of talk. We all know Walt was an anti-semite. But who cares cause he brought us the wonders of a talking mouse. I bring you Trader Mickey.

Ahhh, racism..

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