National Geographic

[tinhuviel]

I'm looking at a book that stays in the lobby here at Telesuck. It's a hardback compilation of the issues of National Geographic from 1916. Never have I read such biased, bigoted, prejudiced literature before. Example:
The caption underneath two very unflattering photographs of Australian Aborigines says "South Australian Blackfellows: These savages rank lowest in intelligence of all human beings."

Hello? These "blackfellows" weren't running about destroying their environment! What rates intelligence, eh?

Here's another, regarding Mexican peasants. I can't believe it!
"The Mexican peon knows that he is born to serve, as did the old southern darky, and caste or class distinction is emphasized on all occasions."

And how about this for religious propaganda:
"Every authority on Haiti agrees that vaudoux, or voodoo, worship exists there, and that it is probably a survival of African fetichism. It is agreed by all authorities that now and then in the frenzy of the snake dances the worshippers refuse to be content with anything less than a sacrifice of the "goat without horns" - a living child." cue ominous music here

Sheesh....

Comments

[falkenna.livejournal.com]

Horrified! I had no idea that an "intelligent, scholarly" mag could be as blatant as that, even in 1916!

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

disgusting n'est ce pas?

[furnacechant.livejournal.com]

Kind of puts things in perspective for all the people whining about political correctness over unintentional slights nowadays...Sad that people were ever so ignorant, though. And that really was the accepted scientific view of the time---I at one time had an old Encyclopedia Britannica from the mid-20s that had the same kind of thing with ranking the various African tribes according to their intelligence...which was of course implied to be lower than that of white folks. Makes you wonder what kind of stupidities will eventually be uncovered about our own modern science, doesn't it?

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

I shudder to imagine how future cultures will view us, that is if we don't blow ourselves to bits and end it all now.