Chick Tracts -- "Adapted for Black Audiences"

[Sophie]

Okay, here is the original tract, originally published in 2002.. "Somebody Goofed". And now here is a new alternate version, published in 2008: "Oops! (Adapted for Black Audiences)" They are the same exact story, same text, but different illustrations.

I suppose this is the IFB attempt at being "diverse" but doesn't it just strike anyone else as weird? Isn't having separate Chick tracts "adapted" for different races ultimately just a form of segregation?!

[Papa Bear]

Weird? Yes, but so is everything else about Chick Tracts!

[Persnickety Polecat]

Suicide is more common among blacks than it is whites -- some have even called it an epidemic amongst young black people -- for urban youths and upwardly mobile professionals. I find this tract to be insensitive at best, and yes, racist at worst.

[That'sWhatItSays]

My favorite Chick tract was always "Soul Story". Very gritty and moving.

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0069/0069_01.asp

It's out of print, I had some a long time ago....It just goes to show that Jack Chick has always tried to reach people in various ways. I think he's just trying to use different cultures to put a gospel message out there.

For the record, Chick isn't IFB. Ruckman mentioned that on a tape once. Chick and Ruckman were friends because of the KJV and evangelism, but Chick is actually non-denom, and I think he might be mildly charismatic as well.

[dramaturge]

Chick tracts showing diversity would be writing new tracts with a mutlicultural cast or writing new tracts that appeal to certain demographics, not taking an old tract and redrawing it with black people. Also, I found it interesting that the "Here come de judge" line was in the original white people one. That's...disturbing.

Also, people can be non-denominational and charismatic and still be fundy.

[Persnickety Polecat]

(09-03-2012 06:44 PM)Xian Pugilist Wrote:  I am not sure why its a bad thing to target an audience and use people and language they would feel familiar with. I'm so white I am pink. I managed a retail outlet in Houston. The mall was the center hub for 5 distinctively different cultures/nationalities/races.

I made sure I always had employees to represent the cultures. If a perfectly fin English speaking person came in and was looking, they were more comfortable with their own culture and would go to them for help naturally and with no malice.

So you had a diverse staff ... there's nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, it's *normal* and expected to have a staff that fairly closely represents the clientele.

As far as Black Barbie, the outcry had less to do with Mattel's inherent racism (it was, in all likelihood, an oversight, not a deliberate slight) and more to do with the fact that black children deeply internalize the messages society sends them. When they only see white dolls, only play with white dolls, that sends them a very powerful message.





ETA more information on the original study.

[Sophie]

if Chick just made multiracial tracts in the first place, there would be no need to "adapt" anything. But the fact is, if you look through all his older tracts, they're pretty much entirely made up of white people. I feel like he's trying to change the score now, but he's going about it in the wrong way.

[dramaturge]

PP, I've seen that clip before and read a bit about Dr. Clark's study. It breaks my heart every time. Sometimes I try to actively not take my position as a white person in our society for granted, but most days, I just glide through unable to imagine the small hangups that non-white people experience on a regular basis because the vast swath of our society is geared for the convenience of white people. It's just too easy to take that for granted.

Sophie, that was my exact feeling when I saw it.

[Historian]

Yeah, I'm not really bothered by the white/black change. If it was a positive thing–like Barbie–everyone would be mad that there's no "black chick tracts." And as XP said, it's not in itself racist to provide for people of different cultures and backgrounds, as all restaurants, stores and government offices do. Even the hospice where my mother died provided "understanding death" booklets for kids in whatever ethnic type you wanted. I'm sure they also didn't do that 50 years ago.

But the message of the story itself is very troubling. There's so many things wrong with it I don't feel like starting in on it here. It'd be preaching to the choir, anyway. I've not seen a lot of those Chick tracts, but that one seems the worst.

[Persnickety Polecat]

*sigh* Am I really *that* argumentative that every single post I make is considered an attack on the post to which I'm responding?

(09-03-2012 08:43 PM)Xian Pugilist Wrote:  Well, I agree with all of that and still think my point stands.

On a sad note, my briskit is done, tried the crock pot for it. Got the tender part right, that is about it. but, its edible and after smelling all day......

(09-03-2012 07:18 PM)Persnickety Polecat Wrote:  So you had a diverse staff ... there's nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, it's *normal* and expected to have a staff that fairly closely represents the clientele.

As far as Black Barbie, the outcry had less to do with Mattel's inherent racism (it was, in all likelihood, an oversight, not a deliberate slight) and more to do with the fact that black children deeply internalize the messages society sends them. When they only see white dolls, only play with white dolls, that sends them a very powerful message.





ETA more information on the original study.