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Not because it was a stereotype per se. Mammy was also a racial stereotype but was also portrayed as strong willed and sensible. Prissie on the other hand was a cowardly, know it all, idiot. BTW, I think that the film is replaying again soon on network t.v.
I saw "Gone with the Wind" a long time ago. I remember very little about the movie and I have no recollection of the scene involving Prissie. The cartoon therefore meant nothing to me in this regard. Is the cartoon "racist" because Prissie the idiotic slave was a racial stereotype?
Actually, Rice doesn't really come from humble origins. It is solidly middle class. Her father was a provost of Stillman College (where my wife teaches).
I disagree. It is very much an identifiably black character, Prissie the idiotic slave in "Gone with the Wind" who "knows all about about birthing babies" and then confront by a women about to give birth says "I knows nothing about birthing babies."
But is this really a racist cartoon? I discussed this matter with a friend and we decided that it's not racist, but, if anything, classist, making fun of her humble origins. The musings are those of an ignorant person, a white hillbilly as much as a black sharecropper. Moreover, Rice is not drawn as idenfitiably black. We also both agreed that it's not very funny.
Pretty incredible. I couldn't find it at Danziger's website. I guess somebody complained.
How is she at birthin' babies? :-)
I'm no fan of Rice, but sheesh!