GatorFarmer
Member
Most times with a conspiracy theory, it is best to be skeptical. Over the years there have been various theories that the Smurfs were Communists, etc and a few that suggested that they were Nazis. The latter tended to be a superficial analysis, but if you know a bit of history, it becomes a bit troubling. I now wonder if the Smurfs were meant to represent some sort of variant theory of Nationalist Socialist Utopia.
Consider...
Some say the Smurfs addressing each other as "comrade" aka Smurf shows they were Communists. But the Nazis had the same habit.
Attempts by the Smurfs to have something like democracy, where they by pass their leader always go badly. A strong leader of a communal village living in tune with nature is portrayed as the natural order. This was the theoretical model to exist in post war occupied Russia is the Germans won...small "green" villages.
The Smurfs are all one color. They wear identical uniforms. They are identified by stereotypes of class/occuption ie the worker, the engineer, the intellectual, the artist. All live as part of one community, under one leader, with the overall purpose being the good of the community. The primary identifier of a Smurf is...being a Smurf... loyality to their "volk".
Their enemy, Gargamel, seems to be drawn as an Anti-Semetic stereo type. He has a large hooked nose, he is dirty and unkempt. His house is unclean. It is hinted that he communes with dark powers. All that is the cassic image of the Jews as unclean "others" presented in Nazi cinema and propaganda.
Gargamel at first wants to eat the Smurfs, a reference to Medieval stories where Jews were alleged to steal and murder Christian babies, poison wells, and various other misdeeds perhaps. Later he wanted to kill them and turn them into gold. IE the capitalist wanted to enrich himself by the exploitation of the workers. Again, straight off a 1933 or so propaganda poster.
The Smurfs were not atheists ala Communists proper. Instead they followed some sort of quasi Pagan German nature based religion. They were beholden to Mother Nature and continually tried to follow or impose "the natural order", again the same as 1930s propaganda portrayals of Nationalist Socialism. This was the Nazis plan for Germany originally, to replace Christianity with a quasi pagan Germanic religion called the thingenstat. Opposition from German churchs caused this to be dropped.
Brainy Smurf, followed by a less intelligent Smurf, causes problems and thinks he can replace Papa Smurf but cannot. This represents an attack on intellectualism. Contrast this with the positive portrayal of Handy (the worker) and Carpenter (the practical engineer). A classic target of all manner of Socialism and the classic heroes.
Azrael, the cat, is named after the Hebrew Angel of Death.
Smurfette is originally created by Gargamel to distract and lure the Smurfs. When first created and "bad" she is a dusky featured brunette. Only later after Papa Smurf works his magic is she transformed into a blonde haired vixen.
As originally portrayed in comics, if Smurfs took ill with a particular illness, they turned black, lost all intellect and began to exihibit savage characteristics.
Johan, a German youth, virtually worships the Smurfs and tries to do all he can to assist them. This is despite adults not understanding or being corrupted...ie he represents the Hitler Youth.
Papa Smurf wears red, a color associated with Communism, but in fact very commonly used in Nationalist Socialism. In the 1936 propaganda film "Triumph of the Will", Rudolf Hess is seen introducing Hitler by exclaiming "Ein Fuehrer, Ein Volk, Ein Reich". One leader, one people, one nation. The exact portrayal of Papa Smurf. He is an autocratic leader, not to be questioned, all wise and embodying the will of the people. Having ideas contrary to his wisdom is portrayed as foolish and dangerous, the pursuit of the fool and the intellectual.
The similar Snorks, who live underwater are portrayed as being various colors, and tolerant of foreigners, but have a more chaotic and troubled society contrary to the society of the Smurfs.
Papa Smurf actually says, channeling Marx but also Nationalist Socialist philosophy, that the good of the many (of the Smurfs/Volk) outweighs the needs of the few... In fact, for a Smurf, the whole concept of that which is good is "Smurfy"...in German this would be "Volkisch"...or for the good slash harmony of the people.
Heil Papa Smurf! French sociologist compares the Smurfs to Nazis and Stalinists | Daily Mail Online a French professor noticed many of the same things, and wrote "The Little Blue Book" outlining how the Surfs seemed to embrace some sort of hybrid of Nationalist Socialism and Stalinism.
This is right up there with realizing that Ewoks eat their prisoners in casting 1980s childhood memories in a new light.
Consider...
Some say the Smurfs addressing each other as "comrade" aka Smurf shows they were Communists. But the Nazis had the same habit.
Attempts by the Smurfs to have something like democracy, where they by pass their leader always go badly. A strong leader of a communal village living in tune with nature is portrayed as the natural order. This was the theoretical model to exist in post war occupied Russia is the Germans won...small "green" villages.
The Smurfs are all one color. They wear identical uniforms. They are identified by stereotypes of class/occuption ie the worker, the engineer, the intellectual, the artist. All live as part of one community, under one leader, with the overall purpose being the good of the community. The primary identifier of a Smurf is...being a Smurf... loyality to their "volk".
Their enemy, Gargamel, seems to be drawn as an Anti-Semetic stereo type. He has a large hooked nose, he is dirty and unkempt. His house is unclean. It is hinted that he communes with dark powers. All that is the cassic image of the Jews as unclean "others" presented in Nazi cinema and propaganda.
Gargamel at first wants to eat the Smurfs, a reference to Medieval stories where Jews were alleged to steal and murder Christian babies, poison wells, and various other misdeeds perhaps. Later he wanted to kill them and turn them into gold. IE the capitalist wanted to enrich himself by the exploitation of the workers. Again, straight off a 1933 or so propaganda poster.
The Smurfs were not atheists ala Communists proper. Instead they followed some sort of quasi Pagan German nature based religion. They were beholden to Mother Nature and continually tried to follow or impose "the natural order", again the same as 1930s propaganda portrayals of Nationalist Socialism. This was the Nazis plan for Germany originally, to replace Christianity with a quasi pagan Germanic religion called the thingenstat. Opposition from German churchs caused this to be dropped.
Brainy Smurf, followed by a less intelligent Smurf, causes problems and thinks he can replace Papa Smurf but cannot. This represents an attack on intellectualism. Contrast this with the positive portrayal of Handy (the worker) and Carpenter (the practical engineer). A classic target of all manner of Socialism and the classic heroes.
Azrael, the cat, is named after the Hebrew Angel of Death.
Smurfette is originally created by Gargamel to distract and lure the Smurfs. When first created and "bad" she is a dusky featured brunette. Only later after Papa Smurf works his magic is she transformed into a blonde haired vixen.
As originally portrayed in comics, if Smurfs took ill with a particular illness, they turned black, lost all intellect and began to exihibit savage characteristics.
Johan, a German youth, virtually worships the Smurfs and tries to do all he can to assist them. This is despite adults not understanding or being corrupted...ie he represents the Hitler Youth.
Papa Smurf wears red, a color associated with Communism, but in fact very commonly used in Nationalist Socialism. In the 1936 propaganda film "Triumph of the Will", Rudolf Hess is seen introducing Hitler by exclaiming "Ein Fuehrer, Ein Volk, Ein Reich". One leader, one people, one nation. The exact portrayal of Papa Smurf. He is an autocratic leader, not to be questioned, all wise and embodying the will of the people. Having ideas contrary to his wisdom is portrayed as foolish and dangerous, the pursuit of the fool and the intellectual.
The similar Snorks, who live underwater are portrayed as being various colors, and tolerant of foreigners, but have a more chaotic and troubled society contrary to the society of the Smurfs.
Papa Smurf actually says, channeling Marx but also Nationalist Socialist philosophy, that the good of the many (of the Smurfs/Volk) outweighs the needs of the few... In fact, for a Smurf, the whole concept of that which is good is "Smurfy"...in German this would be "Volkisch"...or for the good slash harmony of the people.
Heil Papa Smurf! French sociologist compares the Smurfs to Nazis and Stalinists | Daily Mail Online a French professor noticed many of the same things, and wrote "The Little Blue Book" outlining how the Surfs seemed to embrace some sort of hybrid of Nationalist Socialism and Stalinism.
This is right up there with realizing that Ewoks eat their prisoners in casting 1980s childhood memories in a new light.
