The first adventure of the blue elves in theaters, released in Brazil in August 2011, had a great box office. But are the Smurfs interested in money? The theory that the design created in 1981 preached socialist ideas was the subject of a sociopolitical essay by writer J. Marc Schmidt in the book Secrets of Popular Culturefrom 2008, and has been around the web for years.
Check out the details of the theory and what those responsible have to say about it.
Together we will win
According to Karl Marx, the main socialist theorist, the biggest problem of capitalism is private property, which causes the division of men into social classes. The Smurfs don’t have that problem: everything belongs to everyone. The community works together to meet everyone’s needs, such as housing and food. Although some have greater responsibilities, such as the Skilled and the Sturdy, there are no social prejudices between them.
fool’s gold
If there is no private property, there is no need for purchases – or money. One of the comic book albums that originated the cartoon even tried to introduce the “Finance Smurf”, but the monetary system created by him generated poverty and discord. After everything went back to normal and the lesson was learned, that Smurf never appeared again…
equality is blue
Marx defines two social classes: the capitalist minority, with the means of production, and the proletariat, which survives by selling its workforce. For the Smurfs, they don’t exist: each one has a defined role and everyone is important. And they dress identically, reinforcing the notion of equality. Papa Smurf would be an analogy to Karl Marx: he wears a beard and the color red (symbolic in communism) and reached leadership through his wisdom.
dispensing the divine
Marx also believed that in order to achieve real communism, it was necessary to abolish all forms of religion. And, in Smurf Village, there are no priests and monks. None of the episodes portrays the worship of any deity – and, although they celebrate Christmas, the blue ones do not seem to know the religious content of the date.
Dollar in the eyes
The villain Gargamel wants to use the Smurfs in a potion that creates gold – which would make him a metaphor for capitalism, a system in which (according to the communist mentality) personal ambition takes precedence over respect for others. Still in this line of reasoning, the drawing criticizes the witch by portraying him always lonely, with nothing good in life.
panty blue
Marx also claimed that female oppression was a result of capitalism. And, in fact, the only female among the Smurfs, Smurfette, was created by the (alleged capitalist) Gargamel, as a tool to confuse his little rivals. She came out ugly, dark and mean, but Papa Smurf used magic to make her blonde and good.
After all, Nazis?
Book accuses Smurfs of being totalitarian.
French professor Antoine Buéno launched last year Le Petit Livre Bleu (“The Little Blue Book”), in which he claims that the village is the archetype of a totalitarian society, with Nazi traits.
Papa Smurf would be a dictator, and Gargamel a caricature of the Jews – big nose and crazy about money. Villainizing him would be a sign of anti-Semitism. Smurfette would represent the ideal of the Aryan woman.
THE WORD OF THE RESPONSIBLE
ME made 11 calls and sent 7 emails to the Belgian producer Peyo, which owns the rights to the characters, but received no response. In an interview with afternoon newspaperVéronique Culliford, daughter of the creator of the Smurfs, said that the thesis is a “great nonsense”: “We never had anything to do with the Communist Party”.