The title card for Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs. The character designs for "So White" and her seven friends are examples of the racist darky iconography typical of Hollywood animation during the first half of the 20th century. As a result, Coal Black and ten similar cartoons have been removed from circulation and are little known today among mainstream audiences.

The Censored Eleven is a group of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons that were withheld from syndication by United Artists in 1968. UA owned the distribution rights to the Associated Artists Productions library at that time, and decided to pull these eleven cartoons from broadcast because they are based around racist depictions of Blacks and are deemed too offensive for contemporary audiences. The ban has been upheld by UA and the successive owners of the Looney Tunes catalog to this day, and these shorts have not been officially broadcast on television since the late 1960s. Image File history File links 1943-wb-coal-black-title-card. ... Image File history File links 1943-wb-coal-black-title-card. ... Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (working title: So White and de Sebben Dwarfs) is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres on January 16, 1943 by Warner Bros. ... This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... Looney Tunes opening title Looney Tunes is a Warner Brothers animated cartoon series which ran in many movie theatres from 1930 to 1969. ... Merrie Melodies end title Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. ... Print Syndication is a form of syndication in which news articles, columns, or comic strips are made available to newspapers and magazines. ... The current United Artists logo (a variant was used during the 1980s). ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Associated Artists Productions was a distributor of theatrical features and short subjects for television founded in 1953 and headed by Elliott Hyman. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

Controversy

Many cartoons from previous decades are routinely edited on in international television (and on some video and DVD collections) today. Usually, the only censorship deemed necessary is the cutting of the occasional racist joke, instance of graphic violence, or scene of a character doing something that parents and watchdog groups fear children will try to imitate (such as smoking, drinking alcohol, ingesting pills and dangerous chemicals freely, playing with fire, and abusing animals). For example, one classic cartoon gag, most prominent in MGM's Tom and Jerry cartoons, is the transformation of characters into a blackface caricature after an explosion or an automobile back-fire. Such small amounts of objectionable material only require relatively minor cuts in the cartoon to make it palatable to censors, in spite of objections and sometimes boycotts by fans. Censorship is defined as the removal and withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ... Because racism carries connotations of race-based bigotry, prejudice, violence, oppression, stereotyping or discrimination, the term has varying and often hotly contested definitions. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... A Back-fire or backfire is an explosion of a cars exhaust, which creates a loud noise and which can sometimes even result in the emission of flames from the vehicles tailpipe. ...

However, in the case of the Censored Eleven, racist themes are so essential and so completely pervasive to the cartoons that the copyright holders believe that no amount of selective editing can ever make them acceptable for distribution.

Of the cartoons included in the Censored Eleven, animation historians and film scholars are quickest to defend the two directed by Bob Clampett, Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs and Tin Pan Alley Cats. The former, a jazz-based parody of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is frequently included on lists of the "greatest" cartoons ever made, while the latter is a hot jazz re-interpretation of Clampett's now-classic 1938 short Porky in Wackyland. In a Usenet message on the newsgroup rec.arts.animation writer and author Michelle Klein-Hass wrote: Robert Emerson Bob Clampett (May 8, 1913–May 4, 1984) was an animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (working title: So White and de Sebben Dwarfs) is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres on January 16, 1943 by Warner Bros. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 animated feature, the first produced by Walt Disney Productions. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Porky in Wackyland is a 1938 animated short film in which Porky Pig goes hunting through a surreal Salvador Dalí-esque landscape to find the Do-Do Bird. ... Usenet (USEr NETwork) is a global, distributed Internet discussion system that evolved from a general purpose UUCP network of the same name. ... A newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. ...

". . . some even look at Clampett's Jazz cartoons and cry racism when Clampett was incredibly ahead of his time and was a friend to many of the greats of the LA jazz scene. All of the faces you see in Tin Pan Alley Cats and Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs are caricatures of real musicians he hung out with at the Central Avenue jazz and blues clubs of the '40s. He insisted that some of these musicians be in on the recording of the soundtracks for these two cartoons." -- message posted on February 24, 2002

When he obtained distribution rights to all pre-1948 Warner Bros. cartoons in 1986, Ted Turner vowed that he would not distribute or air any cartoons from the Censored Eleven. February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Warner Bros. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Since Time Warner bought Turner Broadcasting, and with it, the cartoons in 1996, this policy has largely been upheld, but has also shown signs of weakening. A total of twelve Bugs Bunny films were not aired on Cartoon Network during its "June Bugs" marathon in 2001, for example, but in 2003, Warner Bros. began to release DVD collections of classic cartoons entitled Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection with one of the cartoons (Frigid Hare which was banned for depicting a stereotypical Eskimo trying to kill a baby penguin) featured on the set uncut and uncensored (though this cartoon was shown on Cartoon Network around the time of Chuck Jones's death in February of 2002, but there were cuts made, except during "The Chuck Jones Show"). Also in 2003, Cartoon Network animation documentary show "ToonHeads" had a one-hour special centered on World War II-era cartoons and two WWII-era Bugs Bunny shorts (Herr Meets Hare shown in full and Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips shown in clips in a short montage about the grotesque depictions of Japanese people at the time) were shown. Time Warner Inc. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Bugs Bunny is an Academy Award-winning fictional animated rabbit who appears in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated films produced by Warner Bros. ... Cartoon Network (commonly referred to as CN) is a cable television network created by Turner Broadcasting which primarily shows animated programming. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Looney Tunes Golden Collection is a yearly series of four-disc DVD box sets from Warner Brothers Home Video, each containing about 60 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts. ... Frigid Hare is a 1949 Warner Bros. ... Herr Meets Hare is a 1945 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. ... Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres on April 22, 1944 by Warner Bros. ...

While none of the shorts included on the disks are part of the Censored Eleven, many of the cartoons that were included were routinely censored on television, but were included uncut on DVD. Furthermore, each DVD from Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 opens with a foreword by Whoopi Goldberg, where she warns the audience about some of these shorts, stating that - although the behavior was and is not acceptable - the cartoons depicting this are a vital part of history, and should not be forgotten. The Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4 collection includes a similar disclaimer, only it was written on a gold card and merely summarized the point that while the cartoons are considered offensive today for what they depict, they're not going to be shown censored because editing out the racist depictions (and denying that the racism of the era ever happened) is worse than actually showing them. Whoopi Goldberg performing stand-up at a benefit for Rainforest Action Network. ...

Despite the efforts of UA, Turner, and Time Warner, many of the Censored Eleven are available on bootleg video. Jungle Jitters and All This and Rabbit Stew are now in the public domain, and frequently turn up on home video releases and video searches on the Internet. An assortment of bootleg recordings A bootleg recording (or simply bootleg or boot) is an audio and/or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist, or under other legal authority. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The home video business rents and sells videocassettes and DVDs to the public. ...

Censored Eleven list

The cartoons in the Censored Eleven are:

1. Hittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land (1931, directed by Rudolph Ising)
2. Sunday Go to Meetin' Time (1936, directed by Friz Freleng)
3. Clean Pastures (1937, directed by Freleng)
4. Uncle Tom's Bungalow (1937, directed by Tex Avery)
5. Jungle Jitters (1938, directed by Freleng)
6. The Isle of Pingo Pongo (1938, directed by Avery)
7. All This and Rabbit Stew (1941, directed by Avery)
8. Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943, directed by Robert Clampett)
9. Tin Pan Alley Cats (1943, directed by Clampett)
10. Angel Puss (1944, directed by Chuck Jones)
11. Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears (1944, directed by Freleng)

Friz Freleng directed the largest number of cartoons on the list (4 total), followed by Tex Avery with three, and Bob Clampett with only two cartoons to make the list. Rudolf Ising, like Chuck Jones, only has one cartoon on the list. Angel Puss is the only cartoon directed by Chuck Jones on the list, and the only Looney Tunes cartoon. The rest are Merrie Melodies. Hittin the Trail for Hallelujah Land is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Rudy Ising (uncredited), produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres on November 28, 1931 by Warner Bros. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hugh Harman (1908–1982) and Rudolf Rudy Ising (1903–1992) were animators best known for founding the Warner Bros. ... The Censored Eleven is a group of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons that were withheld from syndication by United Artists in 1968. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Isadore Friz Freleng (August 21, 1906[1]–May 26, 1995) was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... The Censored Eleven is a group of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons that were withheld from syndication by United Artists in 1968. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (Wednesday, February 26, 1908 – Tuesday, August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during the Golden Age of Hollywood. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... All this and Rabbit Stew is a one-reel animated cartoon short subject in the Merrie Melodies series, produced in Technicolor and released to theatres on September 20, 1941 by Warner Bros. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (working title: So White and de Sebben Dwarfs) is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres on January 16, 1943 by Warner Bros. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Robert Bob Clampett (May 8, 1913–May 4, 1984) was an animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... The Censored Eleven is a group of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons that were withheld from syndication by United Artists in 1968. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Chuck Jones in 1976 Charles Martin Chuck Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

Several more cartoons have been removed from circulation since this list was created (but aren't added onto the Censored Eleven list, though most of the cartoons censored do contain extensive blackface gags and/or black stereotypes), such as Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising's Looney Tunes featuring blackface caricature Bosko, and the Inki series of cartoons by Chuck Jones, as well as numerous World War Two-era cartoons concerning the Japanese such as Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips. Two cartoons directed by Tex Avery during his stint at MGM are often included in cartoon compilations that list the Censored Eleven: Uncle Tom's Cabaña (1947) and Half-Pint Pygmy (1948), even though they're not Warner Bros. cartoons. Hugh Harman (1908–1982) and Rudolf Rudy Ising (1903–1992) were animators best known for founding the Warner Bros. ... Bosko Poster from 1930 Bosko is an animated cartoon character created by animators Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising. ... Inki Inki is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres on April 22, 1944 by Warner Bros. ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (Wednesday, February 26, 1908 – Tuesday, August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during the Golden Age of Hollywood. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

See also

• Blackface
• Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat
• Standards & Practices

This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... Title card from the 1941 cartoon Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat. ... Standards and Practices is the name traditionally given to the department at a television network which is responsible for the moral, ethical and legal implications of the program that network airs -- in the vernacular, the censors. Categories: Stub ...

External links

• The Censored Eleven at Golden Age Cartoons
• The Censored Eleven from The Straight Dope
• The Censored Eleven on IMDb