Speed: Apparently, if you let some people tell it, Dr. Seuss was a not-so undercover racist and liking his shit is racist. At least, that’s what Twitter and that librarian are telling me. Like, here’s the thing. I know he did some racist-ass shit in line with caricatures and whatnot, but I wouldn’t go as far to say something like “oh, The Cat in the Hat is a kids minstrel show.”
Drizzle: He was anti-racist.
Gingawd: Elaborate.
Drizzle: Several of his books openly say racism is bad.
Speed: But, again, he did draw some pretty out there shit. However, he got enlightened. You right.
Gingawd: But which ones?
Drizzle: All of his WWII work pretty much played with the idea that “racism is for idiots.” And, yes, I’m aware of his use of the “bucktooth” stereotype when portraying General Tojo and the Japanese. He’s a complicated man, like all men. But, his “America First” cartoon pointed out the absurdity of pointing a blind eye at Hitler.
Speed: I was more so talking about his Flit bug spray ads.
Drizzle: Right. He did so some racist shit–like, super racist shit–in his early years. Here are some examples.
He eventually flipped that around, though, after he got woke. There’s a great example that pretty much acts as a “fuck you” to his previous editor.