tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post8242203516206504828..comments2024-03-28T07:58:41.643-04:00Comments on pancocojams: The Racist Roots Of The "Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed" ChantAzizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-50437400441884714632023-06-29T17:28:12.861-04:002023-06-29T17:28:12.861-04:00Anonymous, thanks for your comment.Anonymous, thanks for your comment.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-85925018413368176132023-06-29T16:42:54.778-04:002023-06-29T16:42:54.778-04:00My two boys learned to count by singing the "...My two boys learned to count by singing the "Five Little Monkeys" song, and to this day, never thought of it as racist.Wife and I later introduced "Where is Sammy's Smile?" for their social development and "99 bottles of beer" to help their advanced math skills.Their literary and enunciation skills developed well, despite never hearing of Jim, the doctor,the nurse or the lady with the alligator purse.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-2130873520935457112022-04-15T14:54:35.424-04:002022-04-15T14:54:35.424-04:00Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/04/ste...Click <a href="https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/04/stereotypical-images-of-black-people-in.html" rel="nofollow">https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/04/stereotypical-images-of-black-people-in.html</a> for an April 15, 2022 pancocojams post entitled " Stereotypical Images Of Black People In Children's Cartoons: Dave & Ava's YouTube Channel STILL Includes Cartoons With Black People Drawn As Monkeys".<br /><br />That post includes tweets from 2015 to March 2022 on Dave & Ava's twitter account about that cartoon channel's depiction of Black people as monkeys. That pancocojams post also includes all of the comments (except this one) from this pancocojams discussion thread.<br /><br />It should be noted that on July 2017 I congratulated Dave & Ava's channel for the changes in the way that they drew Black people that some commenters had brought to my attention and that I saw when I viewed a couple of their cartoons.<br /><br />However, as people tweeting on Dave& Ava's twitter account have indicated and as I have confirmed today, while Dave & Ava's channel have changed some of their depictions of Black people, and may have even added a Black step mother who isn't drawn like a monkey, they didn't remove all of the stereotypical cartoons on their channel such as the "Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed" cartoon that is embedded in this pancocojams post. For instance, while they published a 2017 version of "Ten In The Bed" that features cats<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLZ9vWKi_3c, they haven't removed the 2016 "Ten In The Bed" cartoon that features Black children who are drawn as monkeys.<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzAh_yDUIRE <br /><br />This is what prompted me to publish that pancocojams post on that topic. Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-40224656652700466452022-04-15T10:58:06.567-04:002022-04-15T10:58:06.567-04:00Note: It's April 15, 2022 and I just noticed a...Note: It's April 15, 2022 and I just noticed a typo in my response to this comment. Here's my edited comment:<br /><br />Azizi Powell, August 10, 2021 at 12:17 PM<br />Hello, Anonymous.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your experiences with this song.<br /><br />I don't think this song is inherently offensive. I believe it <br />can be sung for enjoyment when the offensive word that was used is changed to a socially appropriate word (such as "darkie" changed to "doggy").<br /> Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-52043351385839003452021-08-10T16:30:52.363-04:002021-08-10T16:30:52.363-04:00Anonymous, here are my responses to both of your q...Anonymous, here are my responses to both of your questions as I understand them.<br /><br />With regard to the Five Little Monkeys" song/rhyme:<br /><br />I believe this song or rhyme was created for entertainment (fun) purposes and not to teach any lesson.<br /><br />It is a historical fact that in that song "monkeys" replaced offensive referents for Black people.<br /><br />Western cultures have negatively connected "monkeys" with Black people. If that isn't the case where a person lives, they won't understand why the song can be considered offensive to Black people.<br /><br />I believe people learning a song should know the cultural history of a song. The fact that a song has a negative history or some parts of the song can still be used negatively doesn't necessarily mean that it is always "wrong" to sing that song. <br /><br />With regard to the "Five Little Monkeys" song, I consider some contemporary examples of videos of that song to be offensive (stereotypical) because of the way that they are/were drawn. I also consider some videos of that song to be problematic if characters are drawn/shown laughing at characters who fall out of the bed.<br /><br />Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-76032705286067394702021-08-10T12:24:12.702-04:002021-08-10T12:24:12.702-04:00Question? (ideology) whether the lesson being taug...Question? (ideology) whether the lesson being taught by the poem resonates with the values of different cultures?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-18486209713543386362021-08-10T12:21:23.352-04:002021-08-10T12:21:23.352-04:00Question? (familiarity) whether learners from diff...Question? (familiarity) whether learners from different cultural backgrounds recognize everything required to understand the poemAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-69101923313254203452021-08-10T01:47:45.401-04:002021-08-10T01:47:45.401-04:00My family is POC from Africa, my mind is blown. Ou...My family is POC from Africa, my mind is blown. Our grandmother used to sing these songs to us, as her grandmother did to her, but especially the shortning song, the word "darkie" was replaced by "doggie" (as in dog) we never questioned it but wow they didn't even change the song, they just replaced one word and its such a similar sounding word at that... and to think I've been singing it to my daughter. lord have mercy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-71529670740595135422021-03-05T19:51:33.407-05:002021-03-05T19:51:33.407-05:00Thanks for your comment, Jeremy.
I choose not to ...Thanks for your comment, Jeremy.<br /><br />I choose not to make any other comments about any "Five Little Monkeys" video or that rhyme.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-79063346559861140492021-03-05T14:48:15.428-05:002021-03-05T14:48:15.428-05:00Dear Azizi Powell,
In this video I hear the sound...Dear Azizi Powell, <br />In this video I hear the sound of chittering laughter each time a monkey falls out of the bed. On another note, the monkeys seem to be gendered by their clothing, for example, a monkey with a pink bow on their head, but the lyrics refer to the monkey "bumping his head". <br /><br />I must respectfully disagree with the claim that this song has been sufficiently corrected as it still maintains "little monkeys" in place of the other offensive words used to refer to Black children, since this wording is entirely within the tradition of racist words used to dehumanize Black children. I would argue that any single-word attempt to correct this song is likely to be insufficient, because it cannot hope to reckon with the long racist history of the song. Paraphrasing Angela Davis, I would argue that it's not enough for us to make a non-racist form of this chant - we must make an anti-racist version. Perhaps something like...<br /><br />"Five white supremacists on their pyramid,<br />One not white enough they had to get rid,<br />People called a protest and the people said,<br />Let's tear down this racist pyramid!"<br /><br />The song could go on to detail some other ways that white supremacy excludes people and creates hierarchies of power and control, such as perfectionism (not perfect enough), purity (not pure enough), strength (not strong enough), etc...but perhaps this isn't quite enough. I note that it shows that white supremacists are eliminating people that don't conform to their philosophy, but the people are effectively waiting for the white supremacists to eliminate themselves while just shouting to tear down the pyramid. I would like to depict the people in a more powerful active role in undermining white supremacy and racism. Any thoughts?Jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10860270216155435565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-24383083654731839442020-10-26T08:30:32.308-04:002020-10-26T08:30:32.308-04:00Thanks for your comment Jillian.
For the record, ...Thanks for your comment Jillian.<br /><br />For the record, I choose not to revisit that cartoon and I choose not to speculate about the motives of those associated with making that or other cartoons.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-1318674380139170772020-10-25T18:55:25.360-04:002020-10-25T18:55:25.360-04:00The Wheels on the Bus one actually bothered me the...The Wheels on the Bus one actually bothered me the most, as a white bus rider who's used to being the only white person on a bus in a major US city. It makes me wonder if it's truly an accident/coincidence or if someone involved in making the cartoon had had that experience. It definitely seems inappropriate to show to American children who might ever ride buses.Jillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05861426806912854862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-63989749046655959922020-09-15T09:39:59.058-04:002020-09-15T09:39:59.058-04:00It's disturbing that some people don't get...It's disturbing that some people don't get offended by that cartoon.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-51076560888352405742019-09-26T01:55:49.701-04:002019-09-26T01:55:49.701-04:00strange that some people get offended with this ca...strange that some people get offended with this cartoonAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272875330726884453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-54744665671524220012019-03-12T16:58:40.579-04:002019-03-12T16:58:40.579-04:00Thanks for your comment, Anonymous.Thanks for your comment, Anonymous.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-15631249809292999342019-03-12T16:27:55.510-04:002019-03-12T16:27:55.510-04:00Opinions may come and go. The outer appearance nor...Opinions may come and go. The outer appearance nor the color of ones skin determines who a person really is inside. The content of ones character reveals the heart. The Bible says "from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God is love. No one can change the word of God, no matter what other people think about you. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-56678554233526507052019-02-27T18:13:38.809-05:002019-02-27T18:13:38.809-05:00Thanks for your comment, Unknown.
As to my opinio...Thanks for your comment, Unknown.<br /><br />As to my opinion about whether this particular episode of this cartoon is racist or not, read my previous comments.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-70232337589791614022019-02-27T16:48:10.358-05:002019-02-27T16:48:10.358-05:00Im sorry but I dont find any trance of racist subl...Im sorry but I dont find any trance of racist subliminal, in fact there was a baby African American doll being held by the caucasian baby girl. I don't think they would be irresponsible or be idiots to portray something like this. They have animals of or sorts on the show. I guess thats liberals way of thinking. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14815944920439967175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-63734566129649605872019-01-25T20:47:26.691-05:002019-01-25T20:47:26.691-05:00Thanks for your comment, Motunrayo.
I've alre...Thanks for your comment, Motunrayo.<br /><br />I've already shared my opinion about that particular Dave and Ava cartoon and I understand that the animators have improved their depictions of certain characters.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-26200093088965111712019-01-24T22:23:27.949-05:002019-01-24T22:23:27.949-05:00OMG!!! I started watching this horrible cartoon ca...OMG!!! I started watching this horrible cartoon called Dave and Ava and wstched this 5 little monkeys. I was so appalled by it. It is extremely racist. When did monkeys stat having two legs and braiding their hair? You tube must take it down with the apples and banana song as well. Higy creepy and disgusting. It really has a white supremacist undertone and any intelligent person will realize this. What a shame on these perpetrators of evil.. I wish we can all sign a petition so that it can be banned on youtube.Motunrayohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16259522577599212368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-4176250160881712612018-09-25T23:57:20.423-04:002018-09-25T23:57:20.423-04:00Thanks John, I 100% agree with you. If you ask a 2...Thanks John, I 100% agree with you. If you ask a 2 yr old what the song means he will tell you it's monkeys jumping on the bed!!! Parents are the real issue reading too much into a simple cartoon. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11267561524173116269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-26543366587397019992018-08-17T14:51:11.596-04:002018-08-17T14:51:11.596-04:00How in the world is This Racist do you think you&#...How in the world is This Racist do you think you're monkeys what how sillyAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222686205656704347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-1057108959973134302018-06-05T14:53:35.972-04:002018-06-05T14:53:35.972-04:00I was saw the dave and eva five monkey family and ...I was saw the dave and eva five monkey family and thought it depicts black people as monkeys. I decided to check it online and saw this post. They should remove that particular monkey family song to show that they have changed. Some people claim that they are just depicting animated monkeys, why not depict white people also after all there are beige coloured babus (monkey) that has caucasian like colour of skin. That Dave and Eva video is pure subliminal racist message to kids. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-77964777310036323082018-03-11T11:55:25.175-04:002018-03-11T11:55:25.175-04:00People are insane.People are insane.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-10456671064349751572018-01-26T23:51:49.564-05:002018-01-26T23:51:49.564-05:00It's a cartoon. Y'all should be ashamed. Y...It's a cartoon. Y'all should be ashamed. You promote it. Looking for the bad in kids cartoons. Leave the people of dave and ava alone. My daughter loves them. It's people like this who keep the hate alive. Quit grasping at straws.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16390230593344142706noreply@blogger.com