9 Most Politically Incorrect Films in U.S. History

1.

Stepin Fetchit (get it?) was your run-of-the-mill old Hollywood actor of color, infamous in his adherence to the worst stereotypes during performances. In every film he'd appear in, his persona was that of a lazy, mentally-challenged, stuttering, shiftless black man. It could be said his later films, in which he simply appears to do his schtick for comic relief purposes, set the stage for black actors' roles for decades to come.

2.

"Little Tokyo, U.S.A." came out for one thinly-veiled purpose: to be a complete anti-Japanese, propagandist garbage-fest. It features an LA policeman uncovering a secret ring of Japanese terrorists. Then it's discovered practically the ENTIRE POPULATION of Japanese in America are terrorists of some sort, and immediate internment is necessary for the safety of our country.

3.

Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in the late 30s and early 40s did a couple of films together, consisting of pretty much no plot. They served--as most films from the time did--to bring elaborate song-and-dance stage scenes and flamboyant energetics to the screen. But both Babes in Arms and Babes on Broadway are strangely similar, not just for featuring both actors, but for their extended blackface routines. Rooney even does a Brazilian dance sequence in Babes on Broadway, in very offensive fashion.

4.

What a crap-fest in casting this film was. "The Conqueror," a big-budget film based on Genghis Khan, ended up being led by John Wayne. Not only were tons of white actors all over the screen in yellowface, but the film was also offensive when it came to sexual politics. Throughout the movie, Khan forces himself on many women, especially Bortai, kidnapped daughter of the Tartar leader (also played by a white woman with light hair). Producer Howard Hughes was so embarrassed by this film, it was said he spent over $12 million to try and buy back every copy available.

5.

Disney's "Song of the South" has never been released in the U.S. for good reason. Much like the film Gone With the Wind, SotS romanticized the old south, and served as a type of lamentation piece on life before the reconstruction era. SotS had mixed animated and live footage, hosted by a black man named Uncle Remus. Uncle Remus's job was to recount a number of African-American folktales to children whose family elders were once plantation owners. With legitimate reason, the NAACP was outraged. "The production helps to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery. Making use of beautiful Uncle Remus folklore, SotS unfortunately gives the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts."

6.

"The Good Earth" was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The movie that followed, however, was completely overshadowed by stereotypes and yellowfaced white actors. Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong was considered for the leading role of the wife, but that was scrapped. You see, there were actual codes that forbade these kinds of things. And Hays Code anti-miscegenation tenets rendered Wong's chances impossible. As a result, a film about struggling Chinese was led by white actors. The best praise that would come from this is toward makeup artist Jack Dawn, who managed (as best he could) to make the white lead actors look Asian.

7.

Some will always romanticize "The King and I." It seems kind of like a Beauty and the Beast-type fantasy, but that's exactly the problem. Banned in Thailand, the movie (and original production) is accused of displaying a severely warped image of Thai people, and King Mongkut in particular as an arrogant, ignorant tyrant. Even though actor Yul Brynner (who is of some Asian heritage) was cast as the King, he still was not of Thai descent. Then of course, you have the overall theme of the story. A high-class, white western woman is brought to the east to teach the children of an Asian ruler, which grants them a "real" education. And in the process, she "civilizes" the King himself.

8.

Mickey Rooney again shows up in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Because of him alone, this movie is considered one of the most politically incorrect films ever. Rooney plays Mr. Yunioshi, the annoying neighbor of the main character. And he pops in periodically only to add to comic relief, flailing his arms around and shouting racist lines. On top of this, he's always curling his lip to reveal gums, and wears a white hachimaki headband, the purpose of which is to further the stereotype that all Japanese are annoying, wear hairpieces to symbolize determination, and have bad teeth.

9.

Many years before Downey Jr. did blackface for comedic purposes, there was "Soul Man". Everything about the film itself seems completely unthinkable by today's standards. In it, we have a rich, young white guy who comes across magic "tanning" pills. Using these, his skin darkens to that of a black person, which is what he's after. Now he can qualify for a Harvard scholarship, reserved for African-American students... and have some fun living as a cool black kid. Once again, the NAACP admonished the film, stating it's ridiculous to portray any idea that someone could take a magic pill and understand what African-Americans have to go through.

10.

Mike Myers is no stranger to parody film and TV. Unfortunately, his role of Indian Guru Maurice Pitka only served to enrage the Hindu American Foundation as well as Hindu leaders.