Tintin in the Congo

11 May 2010 - Belgian roving reporter Tintin, who earned worldwide recognition for his adventures in the company of a faithful dog and a drunken sailor is in trouble. Some time ago Tintin faced public scrutiny as he was dragged before a court in Belgium to be accused of racism and xenophobia. Lawyers told a judge in a Brussels civil court that Tintin in the Congo — the second book in the series — should be banned in Belgium or at least sold with a warning that it contains material likely to shock readers. The case was brought by Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo, 41, a Congolese accountant who says that the work, first published between 1930 and 1931, perpetuates colonial stereotypes. “This book contains unacceptable racist and xenophobic words which are designed to convey the idea that the black man is inferior,”. I had the book as a kid and maybe I was too young and naive to pick up the racist element, but I am in support of a good discussion about the content of book.