# Smurfs. Communists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 9, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880 "2003-12-09T07:38:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/1 "2003-12-09T07:38:45Z")
In my World Area Studies class last year, our teacher gave us an article to show us how to see how reliable a source is. The article he gave us was about how the smurfs are communist propoganda. While we ultimately decided that the article had little credibility, it was still hard to ignore some of the points he brought up. So what do you think? Are the smurfs communist? ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/2 "2003-12-09T07:49:18Z")
Nah, the Smurfs are _Nazis_. They march around in formation to songs. They dabble in the occult. Their one female is blond-haired (the rest of them probably have crew cuts under those tiny hats). The existence of one female makes me wonder if there isn’t a selective breeding program going on. And their arch-enemy smacks of more stereotypical Judaism than Watto from Star Wars. …wait, wait…do kids even _know_ what Smurfs are these days? I thought they went extinct in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/3 "2003-12-09T07:56:27Z")
I thought the beef the offenderati had with Watto was that he was a ‘stereotypical Arab merchant’. With wings. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/4 "2003-12-09T08:19:58Z")
The very capitalistic Mushroom Village has, I think, a good reply to that silly conspiracy: [http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-article016.html](http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-article016.html) > [@](#): > > The Smurfs as a Paradigm for Communist Society > Written by Eric Lott in Spring, 1995 for a speech class and published on his personal web page September 27, 1997 > > Before anyone gets upset, let me say that the author of this article told me “it is intended to be a humorous piece, but as with most humor, there are small grains of truth in it, otherwise it wouldn’t be funny.” So, do not take this too seriously. We have been trying to research the history behind this “theory” but the author tells me he had no other sources and came up with this idea himself. This article has never appeared in print, but was published on the author’s personal website in 1997. We believe that this idea arose independently among more than one person - I would appreciate any information anyone might have about other articles or web sites that put forth this idea… [http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-article015.html](http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-article015.html) > [@](#): > > Peyo, a sobriquet acquired because an English cousin could not pronounce his nickname, Pierrot, began his career in 1947 with a medieval page-boy character called Johan. The boy’s adventures were serialized in the Belgian dailies, La Dernierè Heure, in 1947, and in the youth columns of Le Soir, in 1951 and in 1952. Johan was soon joined by a companion, Pirlouit, and the Smurfs were born as extras in one of their stories. > > The blue dwarfs were discovered living in a mushroom-house village deep in the forest. Their special way of talking, replacing key words by SMURF, became the delight of Belgian children who, to their parents’ consternation, would imitate it. > > By 1959, the Smurfs became Peyo’s central characters. The Smurfs became popular, but it was not by design, so many times a character that was supposed to be a background one suddenly takes over a series, (For Thimble Theater it was Popeye) I do think magic is what explains the seemingly egalitarian society of the Smurfs. (AFAICR so do many other fantasy societies before Peyo too) Try to see if your teacher has any explanation on why there is a Money Smurf among them! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/5 "2003-12-09T08:46:56Z")
My own personal thought: 1)There always has to be a rebel 2)They want to cover the conspiracy 😛 3)The money smurf is chastised for his greed (capitalism bad, communist good) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/6 "2003-12-09T08:59:04Z")
I thought they were an autonomous collective. I have no shame. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/7 "2003-12-09T09:20:20Z")
Since the Smurfs were not originally the main characters, that shoots down many of the points in that conspiracy. The world of Johan, the pageboy (and the Smurfs too!), was filled with kings, princes, and peasants. This “commie Smurf” theory was just a joke that some batty people took seriously. > **[Peyo](https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/peyo.htm)** > > Peyo was a Belgian comic artist with worldwide fame as the creator of 'The Smurfs' (1958-   ). These funny blue dwarfs, known in French as 'Les Schtroumpfs', first appeared as secondary characters in Peyo's medieval adventure comic 'Johan... But, I do admit it is a funny conspiracy, as long as one does not take it seriously: [http://www.geocities.com/chickenheadrecords/conspire.html](http://www.geocities.com/chickenheadrecords/conspire.html) Besides the “commie Smurfs” check other TV conspiracy silliness: He-man: white supremacist! Gilligan as a genetic engineer! The Brady Bunch eugenics program! :eek: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/8 "2003-12-09T12:43:54Z")
I thought it was just a cartoon about a bunch of little blue people, not to be taken seriously. Apparently I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/9 "2003-12-09T14:33:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GIGObuster \* > > Try to see if your teacher has any explanation on why there is a Money Smurf among them! 🙂 I really hope that this isn’t the only thing I learn today. I don’t see them as being commie, but then again I was a kid when they were on. ---
**Author:** ![flonks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ab097/32.png) [@flonks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flonks)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/10 "2003-12-09T18:00:12Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by ResIpsaLoquitor \* > And their arch-enemy smacks of more stereotypical Judaism than Watto from Star Wars._\* Which stereotypical Judaism? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/11 "2003-12-09T19:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Commie Smurfs BAND NAME!!!11!1!!! ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/12 "2003-12-09T22:02:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Which stereotypical Judaism? There’s more than one? Anyway, it’s been years since I’ve seen Gargamel, but I’m pretty sure he had a raspy voice and was always after gold. (Maybe he was trying to change the Smurfs into gold; I forget.) I’ve also seen people mumble about his cat being named “Azrael,” which is a little too close to “Israel,” although that might be pushing it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/13 "2003-12-09T22:11:10Z")
Hey, maybe THAT’S why Papa Smurf wears red!!! 😃 (Azrael, I’m guessing may come from Aazael?) ---
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/14 "2003-12-10T01:14:08Z")
That was in the article too, he wears read for communism and his beard represents lenin i think… The reason for m aking it a childrens cartoon the article said was something like teaching the kids at an early age about how greed is bad and sharing is good, so they would grow up with that idea, the name smurf was supposed to be like smith, so they would equate themselves to the smurfs. disguising it as a cartoon makes it register int he subconcious, and older people would just disregard it as childs play ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/15 "2003-12-10T02:36:54Z")
Mmm, I do hope you already realized that even the author said that the article, was not supposed to be taken seriously… ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/16 "2003-12-10T02:59:02Z")
Dialectical Materialism Smurf? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/17 "2003-12-10T03:30:01Z")
Anarchosyndicalismurfs? :dubious: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/18 "2003-12-10T05:14:18Z")
Yeah, but what about all the Smurf merchandise? How would that fit in with the rise of the proletariat? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/19 "2003-12-10T05:41:01Z")
I see what you mean **guin**! Taking merchandising into account, it looks like they are not willing to go beyond the restrictions of the status quo! Also, we should not forget that in an episode, they helped a prince return to his “rightful place”. They do maintain existing social structures! So in reality, the philosophy they have is…. _Positivism_urf!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880/20 "2003-12-10T05:57:38Z")
Sorry about that **Guin** , I forgot to _capital_ize your name! [sub]Wishing you an early “Merry Christmas” to you![/sub] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smurfs-communists/217880.md?page=2)