context: before I saw Happy Feet yesterday I happened to come across this clip on novaslim’s blog about an actor, Danny Hoch, who auditioned for a part on Seinfeld as Ramon, the hispanic pool guy and his experience reading for the part.
I’ll repost the comment I left there because the experience of listening to very young children laughing only at the lines voiced by “non-anglo” penguins still doesn’t sit well with me…
I dont think it helped that I viewed the above clip this morning before watching Happy Feet today. This film also features a character named Ramon with a “Spanish” accent, voiced by Robin Williams. Robin Williams also voiced a penguin who was what I would describe as a blend of Barry White and blustery Baptist Minister, which is a riff off his off the cuff shtick.
What didn’t sit right with me was that all of the comic relief characters had “ethnic” accents. (ironically the lead’s American-ish parents were voiced by Aussies Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman)
with a theater full of preschool giggles at every accented remark, it felt like an indoctrination of young minds on a massive scale, teaching them that different cultures are funny…
what’s interesting is how the commeters of the clip on YouTube (pre-Michael Richards meltdown) found fault with Hoch, with a go-along-to-get-along and accents are funny vibe.
Technically the movie was visually stunning.