Sunday, February 3, 2008

Not All Cartoons Are For Children (or are they?)

In the early 1970’s the dope-smoking, comedic duo known as Cheech & Chong recorded a strange, but significant, tale of a ghetto child reared on the sport of basketball. It was later animated in 1974. The clip would eventually inspire a remake by comedian Chris Rock and singer Barry White (as a duo).

I remember this short from my childhood, though I’m not sure where from. It could have been broadcast on television with my Saturday morning cartoons. Maybe that’s what makes it a bit disturbing, the fact that it might have slipped in with the mainstream. It’s obviously offensive and racist in nature but, at the same time, presents the satirization of one minority group by another at a specific time. Interesting, no?




The short is its own vehicle but can also be found within the following features:

California Split by Robert Altman

And my favorite...

Being There by Hal Ashby

4 comments:

Donna Lethal said...

I forgot all about this! I LOVED Cheech and Chong. I still can't believe that Chong went to jail. WTF?

Mavis Martini said...

It's like a FAT ALBERT dream sequence! How is this in "Being There"?

Mr. Sophistication said...

It's in the first act. I think Chance is watching it on TV, maybe in the limo, and then the music continues.

Donna Lethal said...

Great trivia question: "What links together Cheech and Chong and Peter Sellers (answer: not drugs!)"