Stereotypes In Disney Cartoons

Thus, the hostility towards zoot suits continued and the anti-zooter sentiment was expressed stronger in 1943. One of the most notable forms of cultural propaganda during the war was the Warner Brothers, Disney cartoons. A YouTube video broadcasts the cartoon episode: “Spirit of ‘43” (1943) which displays the associations that the media created of the zoot suits. In this episode, Donald Duck, depicted in a sailor uniform, contemplates what to do with his paycheck. An elderly patriotic duck dressed in a kilt and with a Scottish brogue encourages him to save the money to support the war. However, another duck dressed in a zoot-suit attempts to encourage him to spend his money on entertainment, and thus he invites Donald Duck to “The Idle Hour Club.” Donald Duck is trapped between his two options, until he discovers that the duck in the zoot suit adopts a fascist appearance. He acquires a Hitler mustache, a swastika bow tie, and finally the club doors become swastikas. Finally, Donald Duck punches the zooter and he decides to save his money to pay his taxes for the war. (Disney, 1943) Thus, the following Disney cartoon demonstrates how the media influenced the public to believe that zooters were unpatriotic and

I claim that the Zoot Suit riots demonstrate signs of this collective mind as well. The stereotypes that whites held of Mexican Americans contributed to the hatred of the style. From my perspective, the persecutors of the Zoots all had the collective objective to commit acts of violence against the minorities. It is not that they believed that the style indicated violence and corruption of the community it was that Mexican Americans disturbed the distinction of the “white race”. In addition, the zooters implemented a style, which threatened the culture of the whites. All these factors, lead towards the hostility of the Zoot suit style and the