this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2023
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They (a good amount of Mexican immigrants at the time) like Speedy because it was pretty much the only remotely positive representation of Mexicans in American television back then...
What's weirder is they also thought his cousin slowpoke was funny. Even tho Slowpoke was a common stereotype of Mexicans, having him on the same show as Speedy made it less bad, because a lazy relative was something everyone of all cultures can relate with.
If they showed all of Speedy's family as the same as Slowpoke it would have been more problematic.
But especially back then, minorities were pretty pumped to get any positive representation
And let's face it, SG is a straight up badass. I love that dude.
Without getting too deep into it, I think the simplest explanation is that speedy Gonzalez was just funny and entertaining. I donβt think many people at the time stopped to think too much about it being representative of our culture or even a stereotype. Looking back, sure, it is a stereotype, but one that even by then was so outdated that no one thought twice about it perhaps being offensive.
I don't think you realize the character is 70 years old... In 1953 name any other positive depiction on American TV. Hell, let's split the difference. What was the best one as recent as 1988?
And Speedy wasn't the stereotype, Slowpoke was.
Did you start talking about him halfway thru?
And this isn't just like, my opinion man.
More than a few people have asked over the last 70 years, there's been surveys and I think even a legit sociological study. It's not a random question that no one's ever though of before.
The answer is pretty much always the same, except maybe very recently because reparations has improved a lot just in the last decade.
lol ok. Im sure a bunch of white people got offended on behalf of us.
Yeah...
That's literally why Speedy was "canceled" and need an international movement by Hispanic people for him to come back
I literally just said that