Oggy and the Cockroaches: Racism against Indian/South Asian even in Cartoons
I recently noticed something in Oggy and the Cockroaches that bothered me more the more I thought about it.
In this scene:
https://youtu.be/-UDzTVhGW9s?si=77p72BI7OUN9Z9Hn&t=304
(and the Hindi dub version here:
https://youtu.be/YCte9X5fNDY?si=DRgmN4NSi_PioHvY&t=676)
The background music used when the character smells something bad is clearly styled like sitar–tabla “Indian stereotype” music. It’s not random.
For kids watching, especially repeatedly, this subtly creates an association:
“bad smell” → “Indian-style music” → “India/South Asia”
I’m curious if others noticed similar moments in this show (or other cartoons) where “Indian-style” sounds are used as a joke signal for something unpleasant or inferior. Is this accidental cartoon language… or something worth calling out more seriously? 🤔
