Article

2005-10-24 Europe

The Fall of Asterix: French Chauvinsm Verges on Racism

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Posted by too true 2005-10-24 08:23|| || Front Page|| [11133 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Right. And you've never seen Japanese cartoon/manga representation of blacks. Considering how racist the Japanese are, just ask any multi-generational japan born Korean, this is a small 'turn around is fair play'. Anyway bashing Japanese is easy, ask the Danes what happens when you do cartoons about Mooslems. What do you expect, courage, by the French?

Posted by Slomble Ulolung9962 2005-10-24 09:35|| 2005-10-24 09:35|| Front Page Top

#2 How lame... Such a pity, the original comics were very, very funny, and very literate, too. My daughter loved them--- they were among the first things she wanted me to read aloud to her, and the first books she read for herself.

Posted by Sgt. Mom">Sgt. Mom 2005-10-24 09:36|| www.sgtstryker.com]">[www.sgtstryker.com] 2005-10-24 09:36|| Front Page Top

#3 I agree, it's not good, we offered it to one of my sister when she was at the hospital last week to give birth to a little Ulysse (who sez hello to the world!).
It's indeed a bit xenophobic (manga is big in France, though, perhaps Uderzo doesn't like competition), and overall, it's too "modern" and is plain boring, no fun at all.

Anyway, Goscinny was the soul of the bÃ©dÃ©, which is indeed very literate, full of clever puns and wonderful anachronisms, and truly is an illustration of "Trente Glorieuses" France, before it entered its deathspiral.

I hear the english translation is very well done, so if you've got children who might be learning french or are willing to give ligne claire style comics books a try, AstÃ©rix is an excellent choice.

Note to RBers : one book named "the domain of the gods" has a main character who is an incompetent and arrogant technocrat bent on tyrannizing the fun-loving and typically gaul (that is messy and troublesome) hometown of AstÃ©rix... well, this character is none other than a direct spoof of the then young minister Jacques Shiraq.
Isn't life full of little signs?

Posted by anonymous5089 2005-10-24 10:46|| 2005-10-24 10:46|| Front Page Top

#4 I'll stick to Ren and Stimpy.

Posted by MunkarKat 2005-10-24 11:08|| 2005-10-24 11:08|| Front Page Top

#5 I'll stick to Foamy.

Posted by mmurray821 2005-10-24 11:50|| 2005-10-24 11:50|| Front Page Top

#6 To #2: I had to read them in high school french class (circa 1971) and they were very funny. This is a very sad article.

Posted by DoDo 2005-10-24 12:41|| 2005-10-24 12:41|| Front Page Top

#7 If they wanted to play on Japan the should have had Astrix sail to Japan. The spaceship thing is just so out of character from the old comics as to be pathetic.

Posted by rjschwarz (no T!) 2005-10-24 14:01|| 2005-10-24 14:01|| Front Page Top

#8 Welcome to Ulysse! And a hearty Well Done! to the sister of anonymous5089. May the whole family have much joy in its newest member.

Posted by trailing wife 2005-10-24 15:06|| 2005-10-24 15:06|| Front Page Top

#9 Oui, oui. Bienvenue to your precious new Ulysse!

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2005-10-24 16:44|| 2005-10-24 16:44|| Front Page Top

#10 French chauvinism

who knew?

Posted by 2b 2005-10-24 23:20|| 2005-10-24 23:20|| Front Page Top

23:56 Seafarious
23:54 Frank G
23:54 .com
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23:47 Rafael
23:46 Zenster
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23:43 Rafael
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23:34 Bomb-a-rama
23:33 Zenster
23:24 Frank G
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