Tintin Forums

That about sums it up, yes.

The court has made a decision, in favour of Tintin. Might not be over yet though, mr. Bienvenu intends to appeal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/feb/13/tintin-not-racist-belgia n-court

The Guardian is currently running a reader poll: Is a Belgian court correct that Hergé's Tintin in the Congo is not racist?

It's a bit of a misleading, oversimplistic question, if you ask me. I believe the court were deciding whether or not the book should be banned, rather than the straightforward question of whether it is racist. The court ruled that the book was never intended to incite racial hatred, or in their words "that neither the story, nor the fact that it has been put on sale, has a goal to ... create an intimidating, hostile, degrading or humiliating environment."

The comments on The Guardian page are quite interesting, but few seem to know about Tintin or, to be frank, care.

Here is one comment that bugs me for the poster's complete lack of knowledge about the series:

Most of Herge's characters are one-dimensional stereotypes. As Tintin travels the world this invariably means people of many nationalities are unflatteringly depicted. But it is perhaps worth noting that the Europeans are not exempt from this - think Captain Haddock and the Thompson twins.

I think much of the series includes deeply problematic content for a modern audience, especially for children. Surely a bit of a rewrite is called for. - from user montgomery123

I sincerely hope people like him aren't in the position to actually "rewrite" not just Tintin but other pieces of literature that are deemed improper in the present climate.

I noticed in my local well known UK high street book store that all the Tintin books were in the children's section apart from one. I found a copy of Tintin in the Congo hiding in the more teenage/adult Graphic Novel section. This book store must still think that the book is still controversial. I was tempted to put it back where it belonged with all the other Tintin books. Afterall Egmont chose to publish and translate the version of the book with the redrawn 'rhino' pages. So there is no exploding Rhino although I know that that isn't the main controversial issue. Tintin in America has live cows being minced and yet that is still on the shelves in the children's section. I really don't understand why this book store chose to separate this book from the others. Surely Egmont didn't just publish this book for the young adult/adult market, did they?

This article pretty much explains it all: Top-shelf Tintin: Children's cartoon hero placed under wrapper over racism fears of Congo book

Much of it was due to human rights lawyer David Enright, who claimed that it was racist etc. and was backed by the Commission for Racial Equality. They may have claimed a victory, but I've heard that their complaints actually boosted sales!

Thank you for the link mct16. The article even mentions the book store I was referring to. The book 'could get into the wrong hands' made me chuckle.

I rather think it will always be controversial. Why would you think that it had ceased to be so – I mean, there's a highly publicized case in the Belgian courts just now.

Thus perpetuating controversy, I would feel.

That has never been the major source of controversy, and as the replacement page is the one to be found in all markets barring France, it hasn't been much of an issue overseas.

Because it is racially sensitive?
Because it has been at the heart of several disputes, surrounding the way it depicts the Congolese in the thrall of Belgian colonialism?
Because it was the only one of the series that Methuen could not bring themselves to publish, on ethical grounds?
And when Egmont did do so, they felt it necessary to include a warning both inside and outside the book?

They tell you right on the book that it is for a collector's market, and they have kept it to hard-back so that it isn't sold in the "pocket-money" range.
It is certainly seen as part of a mature, graphic novel approach to comics, standing apart from the series.

That's rather sad, to me.
I'd certainly be averese for young children to see it as an appropriate way to treat racial diversity, and would have been quite happy if Egmont had never bothered to publish it.

You think it would have been fair if this single book in one of the most popular comic series in the world was only available to non-English speakers or bi-linguists?

Yes.

I'd have happily seen Hergé let it go out of print, everywhere, as happend for far more parochial reasons with Soviets.

"Fairness" to comic-book fans seems like a paltry consideration in face of unfairness to anybody because of the colour of their skin; if Congo has added one cintilla of pain or discomfort or awkwardness to the life of just one man, woman or child, then it really isn't worth it.