Capitalist Propaganda: “Yankee Dood It”
From 1956, a Looney Tunes piece that ends up slipping in a plug for capitalism, “Yankee Dood It“:
After a good five minutes of goofy cartoon antics, the Shoemaker eventually pops the question:
“But I want to stay in business. How can I do it?” Whereupon the helpful elf gives him an earful of free-market know-how.
Were this cartoon made today, I fear the answer would be “give a few hundred thousand dollars to Barack Obama in the form of ‘campaign donations’ that don’t trigger the reporting requirement, don’t give your executives bonuses that are ‘too big’, and for heaven’s sake, DON’T GO TO VEGAS!”
(8 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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June 22nd, 2009 at 4:48 pm
While we’re doing Capitalist propaganda, came across another awesome cartoon from 50+ years ago on redstate:
http://www.redstate.com/aceintx/2009/06/19/i-never-knew-anything-like-this-existed-this-should-be-required-viewing-for-every-politician-and-voter-in-this-country/
via youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB6p5QPVhPI
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Was the whole Sylvester plotline even necessary in this one? I think not.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I love those old Merrie Melodies.
Oh, but cjtony97. it’s much better with the Sylvester – always getting stymied.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I’m gonna go overboard and declare that Sylvester is a metaphor for government interference in the free market.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:08 am
Thufferin’ Thuccotash!
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:48 am
Doug, I liked that video as well. And I love the irony in that a lot of these videos hold up the automobile industry as the pinnacle of capitalism.
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:00 am
cjtony97 – before they were eaten alive by arbitrary government standards and government-backed unions, car companies WERE the pinnacle of capitalism.
If these cartoons were made today, they would feature consumer electronics.
Thank God the government doesn’t set standards for computer chips, and what a coincidence how rapidly the technology keeps improving
June 23rd, 2009 at 10:57 am
Harvey – Exactly, they screw up EVERYTHING they get their hands on. The wife and I spent a weekend recently in Philadelphia. We were told during the walking tour that the Federal banking system was established during George Washington’s tenure. I was shocked to find that the constitution didn’t make it unscathed out of our first president’s term in office. Truly disheartening.
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:13 am
True, but incompelte. Federal banking was established and killed twice before becoming a permanent fixture:
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/bus/A0856839.html
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:40 am
Good stuff. Thanks for the lesson.
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
“But I want to stay in business. How can I do it?” “Well Mr. Nike, you would cut costs considerably if you built factories in Communist China, Communist Viet Nam, Islamic Indonesia, where the labor force has been brutalized for so long that when you pay them $3.00 per day,bunk them in company dorms, and have them shop at the company store, it will be an upgrade in their living standards. Just sign right here Mr. Nike.”
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:47 pm
“But I want to stay in business. How can I do it?” “Well Mr. Thneed, if you hire our marketing firm, our international conglomerate of witchdoctors, mind control innovators and evil jedis will so inundate the ignorant masses with your product message that they’ll be clamoring for it. Think of it! You Need A Thneed! See, catchy slogans are all you need in today’s world. I bet we could even elect the Junior Senator from the state of Illinois, hell make him black, maybe Muslim, questionable birth situation, it doesn’t matter! Just a catchy slogan, like “Hope and Change!”, Have him flash his pearly whites and read from the Teleprompter, and we can even get a Socialist elected!
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
The US shoe industry was centered in Massachusetts, and at the time this was made it was protected from competition by a heavy tariff endorsed by their Senator, young John Kennedy. I think I remember him changing his mind about it later. Anyway, it ain’t in Mass anymore.