Bahlactus has some words to say about the naming of heroes, specifically an old Marvel hero who inherited the unfortunate name of “Bucky” when he joined up with Captain America. Unfortunate because the character was black and there were racist connotations to the name:
I’m pretty confident the political correctness movement was in full swing by the late 80’s when this new sidekick appeared on the Comics scene. It’s likely that movement is what caused Marvel to acknowledge a campaign to change the name of this character due to it’s racial connotations. The bigger question meltin’ my noodle is why wasn’t Marvel clued about this beforehand??? Surely this type of lazyness gets no play in this millenium! There are going to be a lot of people out there reading who are asking what’s the big deal? My rebuttal would be, why wouldn’t this be a big deal???
January 6th, 2007 at 10:00 am
I think at the time people were too deeply offended by the replacement of Steve Rogers as Cap to pick up on this…
I liked the way the later name change, as shown in the linked post, addressed the issue head-on. “Battle Star” is a pretty dumb name though, and it doesn’t really make any sense. And if he was supposed to be Captain America’s partner (not sidekick) why did he still have such a wussy little shield?
January 6th, 2007 at 11:21 am
You mean, “Buck” O’Neil was actually a racist epithet that the late great Negro Leagues player wore with such pride?
I think there’s a bit of a difference between “Buckwheat” and “Buck” or “Bucky.”
January 6th, 2007 at 11:40 am
Elayne, it’s funny you bring up John O’Neill as I was reminded of him while readin’ Cap #334. I think the term used back in the day was “Black Buck” that really set it off.
Based on that, I’d have to disagree and say that there isn’t a difference between the name ‘buckwheat/buck/bucky’ when applied to a Black man.
January 6th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
On the one hand, it’s somewhat similar to a name with racist connotations.
On the other, it’s a revered name from the canon of a genre where it’s tradition that names are passed on to successors.
Sure, it ended up being awkward, and I understand it sitting the wrong way with some people, but I’m actually just impressed by how quick Marvel reacted to the criticisms.
January 6th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Elayne–
A lot of people wear racist epithets with pride, so I’m not sure that that’s the best position to take.
The word Negro was perfectly acceptable decades ago, but it isn’t necessarily something I’d want used in reference to me today.
Being that this Cap story was relatively recent, there is really no excuse for this beyond sheer ignorance (of the not knowing kind, not the willful kind, I hope), and that isn’t an excuse at all.
January 6th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Why NOW!!!!!!!!!
I dont understand it. This was something like 20 years ago!!!
Whats the point in bring it up now?? Whats next the old “Slap a Jap” covers from WW2??
January 6th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I was about 15 or 16 when “The Captain/John Walker” storyline was published and even then i remember thinking “What the hell??” when I saw the cover with the black Bucky. I actually convinced myself that Marvel was being satirical by the obvioius racial implications and that it was going to play a major part of the storyline!
January 6th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Avengingtitan, you ask why now? It’s actually related to a collection I’m building called “Dark Stars“. Get down with that link for more Comics clue on my collecting Black heroes & villians from MARVEL/DC mainline history.
January 6th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
I totally agree! And I’m going to stop eating crackers because they’re totally insulting me!
January 6th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Ignorance wouldn’t have been an excuse if they continued to use the name after it was brought to their attention. But once Marvel was aware of the problem the addressed it and did so in a way that taught me something. Up until that point in my life I was unaware that Bucky was a racial slur. And frankly I probably wouldn’t have known today that it was if Marvel hadn’t done what they did in the book.
January 6th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
I guess 20 year old irony is lost on some observers.
I always took the use of “Bucky” in that storyline in the same vein that “Geeks” now consider that term as a badge of defiant honor.
That was my view.
January 8th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
“Niggardly” has nothing to do with “nigger” outside of similar spelling but a teacher got suspended for using it.
Sometimes this country goes to far in the other direction.
January 8th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
IIRC, Mark Gruenwald genuinely had no idea about the word’s racist connotation. And considering this is the man who gave the world Jack Flag, I’m not surprised.
January 8th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
“Niggardly” has nothing to do with “nigger” outside of similar spelling but a teacher got suspended for using it.
Sometimes this country goes to far in the other direction.
I’m not really sure what your post has to do with the issue at hand, but what kind of person uses “niggardly” in a sentence when “stingy” or “miserly” would do just as well? It’s like calling a bunch of rowdy teens “ruffians and fell knaves.”
January 8th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
“Elayne, it’s funny you bring up John O’Neill as I was reminded of him while readin’ Cap #334. I think the term used back in the day was “Black Buck” that really set it off.
Based on that, I’d have to disagree and say that there isn’t a difference between the name ‘buckwheat/buck/bucky’ when applied to a Black man.”
It’s the same sort of thing. Similar sounding word that isn’t rascist. I’d draw you a picture if I could.
Comment by Bahlactus — January 6, 2007 @ 11:40 am
June 11th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Well, I am black and have an uncle named Bucky. Never thought of his name as a racial epithet. He’s never shown any indication that he thought of his name as such. Does this mean I never get to see the Black Buck Rodgers. Oh well, not missing too much there.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, IF ANY OF YOU HAD ANY IDEA ABOUT THE FREAKIN HISTORY OF CAPTAIN AMERICA, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT THE LAST SIDEKICK/PARTNER THAT CAP HAD WAS NAMED BUCKY BARNES, WHO WAS SUPPOSEDLY DEAD, DURING WW2, BUT WHO WAS TRULY CAPTURED BY THE SOVIETS, AND BECAME THE RUSSIAN AGENT WINTER SOLDIER. IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL BUCKY, AND THE BLACK BUCKY’S UNIFORM/COSTUME YOU WILL REALIZE THEY ARE THEY SAME, YOU GET A NEW CAP, YA GOTTA HAVE A NEW BUCKY, AND THERE IT IS IN NUTSHELL FOLKS, THEY DIDN’T MEAN IT AS A RACIAL SLUR, IT WASN’T MEANT TO OFFEND.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Bill, sweetie, there are some things you need to know:
1) Talking in all capital letters does not make you right or know more about Captain America than the rest of us.
2) Reiterating the history of Captain America’s sidekick in all capital letters does not mean that people who actually read the post and the linked post won’t notice that both I and Bahlactus acknowledged it, and everyone on this thread takes that knowledge as a given.
3) Commenting on an eight-month old post does not mean you’ll have the last word on the thread.