THE SMURFS!

[Elmo]

I may be wrong and im probally going to get harrased the hell out of, but am i the only one who watches to smurfs and thinks thats communism at its true potential capacity. I mean there all following the theorys and not showing any capatlist habbits, and there damn happy! these dudes are an example of what we should all be trying to achieve.

[NovelGentry]

The Smurfs is a classical example of the "Papa knows best" state. Seriously, it's flawed in it's patriarchal madness which has essentially formed two classes, Papa Smurf, and eveyrone else. This doesn't mean it's a bad place to live or a bad society, in fact it's quite nice... the problem is we can't confuse class society, no matter HOW benevolent or advanced with classless society.

[UtopicImperium]

yep, it is communist...

Gargamel (if i spelled it correctly) represents capitalism, since he wants to capture the smurfs and turn them into gold. And Papa smurf obviously represents the communist leader, a wise man with a beard wearing red clothes. You can find more stuff about this on the net...

[Elmo]

You got any links, i type it in google and its just trying to sell me dvds

[che's long lost daughter]

There was once a thread here before with this same topic. I think you should try searching for it in the archives.

[UtopicImperium]

Here you go

www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/3117/sociosmurf2.htm

[truthaddict11]

i am really sure animation giant hanna barbara is out to promote "communism" :lol:

[UtopicImperium]

yeah, that theme could have been incorporated in a subliminal way, just as disney wrote SEX on the Lion King, or made the priest in Little Mermaid have a boner.

[Elmo]

"i am really sure animation giant hanna barbara is out to promote "communism" " The origanal pirate copy of the smurfs apparently had the hammer and sickle on after the credits. Hana barbara can take credit for the idea of the smurfs all she likes.

[UtopicImperium]

Hana barbara can take credit for the idea of the smurfs all she likes.

This has nothing to do with the topic, but just letting you know that Hanna Barbera is not a woman but the last names of the two guys that created the animation studio. ;)

[Latifa]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13 2005, 02:45 PM
The Smurfs is a classical example of the "Papa knows best" state. Seriously, it's flawed in it's patriarchal madness which has essentially formed two classes, Papa Smurf, and eveyrone else. This doesn't mean it's a bad place to live or a bad society, in fact it's quite nice... the problem is we can't confuse class society, no matter HOW benevolent or advanced with classless society.
Do you really believe that under communism everyone will be equally intelligent?

[bolshevik butcher]

Doesn't anybody think this is slightly ridiculous. I mean for god sake it's a childrens cartoon just like scooby doo or wacky races

[guerillablack]

I always wondered who hanna barbara was too, thought it was some lady. Good observation latifa. However, i havent watched smurfs lately to even think its communist.

[UtopicImperium]

Doesn't anybody think this is slightly ridiculous. I mean for god sake it's a childrens cartoon just like scooby doo or wacky races


Once again, disney managed to stick the word SEX in the Lion King and also managed to make the priest in Little Mermaid have an erection....so why can't Hanna Barbera make a show with a communist subliminal message. Its either that, or its completely accidental which i doubt because there are just so many things in the show that screams COMMUNISM

now that everyone here knows about communism and is grown up, watch the show again...

[NovelGentry]

Do you really believe that under communism everyone will be equally intelligent?

No, where did I say this?

[Elmo]

Wat novel Gentry was trying to say (i think) was that they dont have the choice of listening to papa smurf

[STI]

William Hanna and Joseph Barbara, was it?

But ya, I've heard stuff about them SMURFs (An acronym for "Socialist Men Under Red Father")

They're all a bunch of commies.

[The Forum Idiot]

*sigh* looks like the good old "Papa Smurf Is A Communist" (which provided me with so many laughs) is down....Anyways, apparently SMURF stands for Socialist Men Under Red Father. Its hilarious how people think it could have been used as propaganda, but more importantly it does screan communism so what probably happened was they decided to make a kids cartoon and added the commie undertones in as a joke to older watchers.

[NovelGentry]

It doesn't scream communism, it screams Bolshevism. If you think the SMURFs are communist, I don't want to live in the communist society you're thinking of.

[Hate Is Art]

Mario is apparently a Communist too, someone gave a good linkie to something on that once.

:rolleyes:

If everyone spent more time in the real world being politically active, and not trying to find parralels between Communism and TV shows, maybe, JUST maybe, we could get somewhere.

[UtopicImperium]

Novelgentry, why dont you think the smurfs are not communist? Even Papa Smurf has the same social status as the rest of the smurfs, he doesnt have a bigger house or some other priviliges, he lives just like everyone else, the only thing different is that he is the oldest and wisest.

[NovelGentry]

Materially they may be equal, but does this mean a free and equal society? No. Papa Smurf is in the position to say something and have it be done and not questioned. Take a look at the Smurf roles for example. Every Smurf did their job, and that was that, no questions asked. You never saw a single one outside of his role. It's ill thought to think communism would be like this, that we would all be stuck in functions, in essence that each of us would be little more than an extension of a machine, a single part with a single purpose -- SO MUCH SO THAT THEY'RE NAMED FOR THEIR ROLE.

The patriarchy of Papa Smurf is so strong that whenever he's out of the village things begin to go wrong. Is this an example of a functioning communist society? No, it's the example of a Leninist socialist society who is assumed not to function without the guidance and wisdom of the state, who not only plans the production and distribution, but manages most of it as well.

Now look at the role of Smurfette. We see this creature created in Gargamel's laboratory who is destined to be a "curse to the Smurfs" -- it is not until she's "re-educated" by Papa Smurf that her demeanor changes, not to mention her appearance. Her only role is to be a female really. That is her guiding characteristic. Where other smurfs all are put to their function her function is simply to exist as the female. This hardly present equality amongst sex, so why should we assume there is equality in other aspects? When she does do things, it's traditional gender role stuff, the only time in which she broke this apparently was when she disguised herself as a male smurf.

So what are the messages being implied here? We're all the same, except for females and the great leader? Smurfette has a different house and Papa Smurf has different clothes. Like I said, traditional father knows best state, sexism and all.

[UtopicImperium]

mmm, now i see. Thanks for making it clearer.

[guerillablack]

Wow, novel. Your a real fan.

[NovelGentry]

No, any cursory search on the internet will yield you plenty of information for realizing how false the claim that it is a communist society is. Socialist is a maybe, but I suppose that depends on whether you think socialism must be democratic to succeed or not. Either way, it's impossible to deny the father knows best characteristic.

[Latifa]

I see. So the Smurfs aren't dirty commies.

[Elmo]

"But ya, I've heard stuff about them SMURFs (An acronym for "Socialist Men Under Red Father")"

Although wildly irrelavent "golf" is an acronym for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.....fascinating eh?

[Blackberry]

Originally posted by [email protected] 15 2005, 06:51 PM
The patriarchy of Papa Smurf is so strong that whenever he's out of the village things begin to go wrong. Is this an example of a functioning communist society? No, it's the example of a Leninist socialist society who is assumed not to function without the guidance and wisdom of the state, who not only plans the production and distribution, but manages most of it as well.
I recall in one episode that some of the Smurfs asked Papa Smurf who the next leader would be. Papa Smurf stated that it would be Baby Smurf, and there was no questioning of that.

If I can remember correctly, Brainy Smurf (thought to be Leon Trotsky) was not very happy about it, though! Incidentally, he was the most ridiculed Smurf in the show.

[The Forum Idiot]

Yea, and apparently Vanity represents gay people. Bit stereotypical to say the least.

Also SMURF and GOLF could stand for many things:

Stupid Men URinating for Fun

Great OLd Fuckheads

Standard Making UnfaiR Fuckers

etc

etc

[guerillablack]

Socialism Makes Universe Revolve Further South


Yup. Who was gay in smurfs?

[dso79]

Some claim that the Smurfs are in fact Nazis/Klan-members!

http://www.evl.uic.edu/caylor/SMURF/aryan.html

[Elmo]

The one with the flower in hes hat was the gay dude, some what obviousley.

And thinking about it soceity would crumble without wise influence so someone must be in charge, except papa smurf takes absolutely no material benefits from being the smartest in smurf land whatever its called. There has never been civilisation where no one is at the top, and never will be. Smurfs are the best example and the symbolic resembalances are undefiable.

[R_P_A_S]

I dont remember much. since last time I watched them I was like 6. where the Smurfs Communist? or Whats the deal. I've heard rumors.

[Delirium]

seriously!

no they were not communists, at best they were some sort utopian socialists.

i really dont think that smurfs had any political ideology anyway.

[RebelDog]

They were state socialists with a vanguard (Papa Smurf) hoping to move to communism in the future but this wasn't possible while capitalism (Gargamell) was around and hostile. I wonder how they are getting on thesedays, they have probably started some free market reforms.

[Comrade Marcel]

This is on the internet, called "Socialist Men Under Red Father" and meant to slander communism...

http://www.google.com/search?q=socialist%2...=utf-8&oe=utf-8 (http://www.google.com/search?q=socialist%20men%20under%20red%20father&sourceid=mozilla2&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)

and these...

http://www.google.com/search?q=smurfs%20co...=utf-8&oe=utf-8 (http://www.google.com/search?q=smurfs%20communist&sourceid=mozilla2&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)

[ack]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11 2006, 08:27 PM
I dont remember much. since last time I watched them I was like 6. where the Smurfs Communist? or Whats the deal. I've heard rumors.
Basically.
They had no form of currency.
They all wore the same thing, symbolizing equality.
Papa Smurf wore red and a Marx beard.
Every Smurf had a job in the community.
The evil wizard, Gargamell, wanted to turn the Smurfs into gold, symbolizing Capitalism.

[R_P_A_S]

so who made this cartoons? and is that why they were pulled off the air? I mean they dont even show re-runs.

[Janus]

so who made this cartoons?
Some American guy launched the Smurf cartoon show butit was a Belgian who made them up.


and is that why they were pulled off the air?
No, it had to do with ratings.

[R_P_A_S]

ok so honestly. were they political? obviously the cartoons were ment for kids. but was there a messege there?

[Janus]

but was there a messege there?
I don't think it was intended to be but that some people just like to overanalyze things a bit. There are some strange coincidences though for sure.

[RebelDog]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 06:22 AM

but was there a messege there?
I don't think it was intended to be but that some people just like to overanalyze things a bit. There are some strange coincidences though for sure.
I think you are probably right. People try to find a meaning in everything and sometimes, if not most of the time, there is no meaning. At least not a deliberate one.

[ack]

I think it's just the producer attempting to plant the seeds of good work ethics and morals into the younger generation. But maybe I'm reading into it. Maybe it was just a cartoon about a group of little blue people.

[RevSouth]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smurf_Communism
If you look at the wikipedia article, there are quite a few similiarities, but coincidences do happen. Smurfs was before my time, for the most part, but damn, it sounds like they had it good.

[Rollo]

The smurfs were not ment to be communists, they were made that way to remove the complications of politics and economy from cartoons without creatign a abd example.

[Si Pinto]

:lol:

I can't believe were having an informed debate on the political ideologies of The Smurfs.

You guys crack me up :lol:

[Jesus Christ!]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Kmarx.jpg=http://www.agtri.com/uploadedimages/papa%20smurf.JPG

and

http://www.fundanin.org/trotsky.jpg=http://www.playfulplushtoys.com/miva/graphics/00000001/brainy.jpg


Obviously.

[Lenin II]

I'm sure you guys have heard this before, but I used the search feature and didn't see a thread on it. Here is an essay I found saying that the Smurfs were a Marxist fable. Read it and comment, I want to hear what you think.

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/...sociosmurf2.htm (http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/3117/sociosmurf2.htm)

[luxemburg89]

its a good essay - with some really interesting ideas, watching the smurfs will never be the same again :D - far more interesting now.

[Pawn Power]

This has been discussed quite a few times here. Search it up if you are really that intrested.

Why does this stuff always end up here, the Smurfs are neither liturature of a film?

[Janus]

Merged.


Why does this stuff always end up here, the Smurfs are neither liturature of a film?
Well, comics can be classified as a form of literature

[Nulono]

At first I was skeptical, but the more I thought the more I realized: the Smurfs live in an ideal commune, and the main villain is practically the embodiment of capitalist greed!

[Sean]

Christ, not this again...:rolleyes:

[LOLseph Stalin]

There has honestly been way too many of these topics. :rolleyes:

[MarxSchmarx]

There has honestly been way too many of these topics. http://www.revleft.com/vb/../revleft/smilies/001_rolleyes.gif

Yup. Merged all threads I could find on this matter dating back to 2005.

[LOLseph Stalin]

Yup. Merged all threads I could find on this matter dating back to 2005.

Thanks so much! Maybe that'll stop others from making the same topic again.

[Nulono]

It's probably not a coincidence; they tried to think of an ideal society, and ended up at a commune!