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Monday, November 19, 2007 
Schulz, Charles M. The Charlie Brown Dictionary
Knuckle Toes hunted down an old book for a friend of ours, and before he had even shown up to receive his impromptu gift, a group of us dived into it and read all the way up to the letter S. I knew that I had to have my own copy, so I found one and ordered it from Amazon.ca the next day.
I was born at the tail end of 1972, and the political climate was obviously somewhat different when this book was written in 1973 than it is now. It always surprises me the level of caucocentrism that was deemed acceptable during the early part of my life. I do not remember it. Of course, that is not surprising, especially since I grew up white, middle class, Christian, and physically average. By dint of my birth, I was privileged out of any greater awareness of perceived difference and its implications for those othered by their colour, culture, religion, gender, and all the other many attributes that are used to include and exclude individuals à la mode.
But really, what can be said about The Charlie Brown Dictionary's definition of black? In a world in which Africville, Nova Scotia in Canada was expropriated between 1964 and 1969 and the state of Mississippi in the United States took until 1995 to officially outlaw slavery, Schulz's (I assume) subconscious support of a race-based class system (I am pointing a finger at the phrase "little black friend [emphasis mine]") is not surprising, and it is also not surprising that this book not only passed in the eyes of editorial staff but also in the eyes of the paying public throughout the several years of its publication. (My edition was printed as a textbook and is stamped on the inside cover with "Property Of / Ridgecrest School / Jordan School District" for the '73-'74 school year.)
I did not intend to go down this oh-so-serious road when I started this entry, because this book is rife with race and gender misinformation that is laughable in its anachronistic presentation, by which I mean to say: it's so out-of-date and ignorant that it's funny. See?
Lucy is serving Snoopy, and he deems her servitude extra good because she is pretty. Also, she has been good enough to don her proper serving attire: a french maid outfit. A young girl taking a role submissive to that of a dog while dressed in one of porn's first favourite costumes is funny, no?
Now I am going to watch some Tyra Banks and loosen my brain up some. It is obviously wound a bit tight.
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Reader Comments (10)
Despite Snoopy's salacious musings on servitude, he has the most bemused expression on his face. Like he's wondering if the outfit is a joke.
I wonder if all Americans should serve their country by dressing up as maids. It would be a nation of domestic servants and delivery boys! Ah hah - oh wait, never mind.
I used to have this book. I bet my Mom still has it in a box up in the attic.
I think I'll be spending some time looking through boxes in the attic when we go visit her this holiday season.
We (choke) bought this book at the school fair - the school library was casting it off - my husband was so happy to get it! 'Look, Jess! Cass's first dictionary! Peanuts were so cool!'
Obviously I need to read the darned thing. (And I think my husband may be a nerd.)
Hey, the Palinode's back! Cool!
Well, that book pre-dates me (just) but it is amazing how far things have come. I recently had to explain the term 'African-American' to my 4 year-old, I don't even know where she heard it, and she just looked at me and said "everybody is the same on the inside mom - it doesn't matter if you're pink or brown or yellow or white or purple." Let's hope when she's grown everyone will think that way....Purple?
Tyra will a)loosen and b)make you feel overly sane. So yes, do that.
I am so glad to see someone blogging about Africville. I was so shocked at how the city behaved, and it marked an end of pride and the beginnings of the city on drugs.
I had a discussion with some clients recently, and they didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
Some folks are born entitled, and will die that way.
Well, even though I love Snoopy and the gang, I have my reservations about Mr. Schulz... especially after reading about the hard time he gave Lynn Johnson when she killed off Farley the dog in her strip.
Wow, I am way too involved in comics, obviously!
Palinode! I think you've got it all wrong...Snoopy is looking rather bemused because he's wondering why he isn't being served by Charlie Brown's little black friend.
My paternal grandmother was racist, she just didn't know it at the time. normalcy is a fluid thing in society.
Draw:
Linus used a pencil to draw a picture of Lucy.
Linus has drawn Lucy without a mouth, as he would like her to be, quiet.