# This theory \[about Smurfs being Communists\] - is it serious or is it a joke?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 3, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155 "2009-11-03T12:09:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/1 "2009-11-03T12:09:33Z")
There’s this wacky theory that the Smurfs are comunist poison for the children:
[http://www.iamlost.com/features/smurfs/commies.shtml](http://www.iamlost.com/features/smurfs/commies.shtml)
Now it’s an elaborate piece of nonsense, but I can’t figure out whether the writer was a paranoid mccarthyanist or just having a laugh at the expense of antisocialist conspiracy theories.
Does that theory apply here that you can’t parody extremists because the difference will not become clear?
In other words: is this guy serious? 😕
Possibly it is not for GQ but I leave that to the appropriate people to decide or correct.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/2 "2009-11-03T12:21:40Z")
I can’t respond in a GQ relevant way to your original question. But I can point out that it is a perfectly good example of [Poe’s Law](http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe%27s_Law). All it takes is for one person to be confused.
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### Author:  [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/3 "2009-11-03T12:40:38Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> I can’t respond in a GQ relevant way to your original question. But I can point out that it is a perfectly good example of [Poe’s Law](http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe%27s_Law). All it takes is for one person to be confused.
Ah yes, that was the law I was thinking of earlier. Although, doesn’t Life of Brian partially disprove that theory?
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/4 "2009-11-03T12:41:49Z")
The Smurfs were invented by a Belgian, who was likely more group-oriented than many Americans. To Americans with the Old West notion that every person is for himself only, that any government or sharing is bad, well, I suppose that the more community-oriented European notions will be labelled “communist” or “socialist” and thus discaded.
In short: calling it “communist” is nonsense. Calling it “socialist” is probably more on target, but I’m not sure that has any significant meaning. Smurfs live in a sort of “hippie” commune, I suppose, that’s pretty much back-to-nature. So, one could argue that their environmentalists, as well.
In short, if the author was serious, he’s distorting beyond credence.
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### Author:  [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/5 "2009-11-03T12:48:16Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#):
>
> The Smurfs were invented by a Belgian, who was likely more group-oriented than many Americans. To Americans with the Old West notion that every person is for himself only, that any government or sharing is bad, well, I suppose that the more community-oriented European notions will be labelled “communist” or “socialist” and thus discaded.
>
> In short: calling it “communist” is nonsense. Calling it “socialist” is probably more on target, but I’m not sure that has any significant meaning. Smurfs live in a sort of “hippie” commune, I suppose, that’s pretty much back-to-nature. So, one could argue that their environmentalists, as well.
>
> In short, if the author was serious, he’s distorting beyond credence.
Yes, I know all that. Besides, children’s tv almost never cares about money because children don’t get excited by it.
But was the writer (the theory’s writer i mean) serious?
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### Author:  [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/6 "2009-11-03T12:49:58Z")
> **[Blue Gnome Group: Fixing the Gender Balance at the Smurf Commune](https://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/blue-gnome-group-fixing-the-gender-balance-at-the-smurf-commune-a-529492.html)**
>
> The colony of blue Smurfs is supposed to be the perfect realization of communism gone right, with the white-bearded, red pants-wearing Papa Smurf symbolizing Karl Marx. So where are all the girls?
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### Author:  [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/7 "2009-11-03T12:55:05Z")
Just goes to show that with sufficient abstraction, you can find the whatever you want wherever you look, even **s** ocialist **m** en **u** nder a **r** ed **f** ather.
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### Author:  [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/8 "2009-11-03T14:40:17Z")
Based on the title, the Smurfs are spreading distention. I know the little dudes had fat little bellies, but I don’ t think they were trying to promote overeating.
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### Author:  [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/9 "2009-11-03T15:12:27Z")
Wouldn’t their [Liberty Caps](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrygian_cap) suggest a more republican bent?
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### Author:  [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/10 "2009-11-03T16:01:12Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#):
>
> Wouldn’t their [Liberty Caps](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrygian_cap) suggest a more republican bent?
You beat me to it!
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/11 "2009-11-03T16:09:47Z")
Looks like an obvious parody to me. I don’t think an essay that contains the phrase “Scooby Doo … had long outlived its usefulness as a tool of totalitarian social control” is intended to be taken seriously.
In any case, this is probably better suited for Cafe Society than GQ. I have also edited the title to indicate the subject.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/12 "2009-11-03T16:27:40Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> I don’t think an essay that contains the phrase “Scooby Doo … had long outlived its usefulness as a tool of totalitarian social control” is intended to be taken seriously.
Rhat’s rut ru rink, Romrade.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/13 "2009-11-03T16:49:06Z")
Once upon a time, I wrote a staff report on this topic. It’s currently not in the online archive, so I’ll post the draft version here:
[spoiler]\*\*Cecil,
When I was an undergrad, I had a conversation with a grad student about our favorite cartoons. When I mentioned the Smurfs, she flipped out, said they were anti-Semitic, advocated Communism, and gave me the cold shoulder for the rest of the semester. What gives?
v/r
yih
\*\*
SDSTAFF Gfactor (with assistance from Valteron) reply:
\*Papa Smurf Character: [The Smurfs have] got their little colony group together where everybody hangs in their one little group and everybody’s right together and everything flows real well. But anytime any one of them tries to take off and do their own little individual trip . . . . that’s when Mr. Evil comes down off the hill and puts the stops on them.
* * *
Scooby Doo Philosopher Character: Smurfs are blue and . . . Smurfs are getting kids used to seeing blue people . . . kids see blue people, they like, relate to Smurfs, and they relate to blue people when Krishna comes about.
\*
```
*Slacker* (1991)
```
A semiotic _tour de force_, if we’ve ever seen one. There are several conspiracy theories about the Smurfs but none of them makes much sense. Do you suppose the Smurfs are anti-Semitic bit was the grad student’s way of . . . dumping you? Well, we might as well start at the beginning.
The Smurfs were born in 1958, when cartoonist Pierre Culliford, known as Peyo, gave them a cameo appearance in his popular Medieval cartoon series, Johan et Pirlouit, in _Le Journal de Spirou_. The episode was called, “_La Flûte à six Trous._” According to his publisher’s website, the Schtroumpfs, as they were called, were intended to be “secondary characters who were only to appear in the single episode.” Peyo had introduced the Johan character in 1952 and added Pirlouit (or Peewit, in English) in 1954. So the series was pretty well-established by 1958.
The Schtroumpfs caught on, and got their own series. Peyo who had other successful cartoons, eventually hired family members to run his empire. In America, the Schtroumpfs became the Smurfs, and became the phenomenon we know today.
Ok. So what are the theories?
The movie _Slacker_ (1991) depicts a college student interpreting the Smurfs as either a totalitarian utopia or a method of preparing children for the arrival of Krishna, by introducing them to blue people. This is probably the first Smurf conspiracy theory, and it was pretty clearly intended as sophomoric crap. The actors who explain it were, in real life, so drunk they could barely spit out their lines.
Another theory, most eloquently explained by Victor Fuste in the Stanford Daily has the Smurfs as “a child-oriented representation of a Marxist community.” The evidence for the theory includes:
1. Papa Smurf looks like Karl Marx and wears red.
2. The Smurfs live in an egalitarian community where property is communal.
3. Gargamel as an example of the “other” life. “His quest to eat the Smurfs - hardly a good source of nutrition - shows how capitalists find nothing as gratifying as annihilating a truly idyllic commune.”
4. S.M.U.R.F. stands for either “Socialist Men Under Red Father” or “Soviet Men Under Red Father.”
Obviously that last one ignores the fact that they didn’t start out as Smurfs; they were Schtroumpfs, which has a few extra letters. Beyond that, there’s no evidence that these parallels were intentional. The closest we could find was in Peyo’s biography. Apparently, when Peyo was negotiating with NBC and Hanna-Barbera for the production of animated Smurfs on American TV, he said he did not want them “Americanized” into “gum-chewers and Coca-cola drinkers”. This may indicate some contempt for popular American culture, but it hardly qualifies him as a Communist.
Another set of theories has the Smurfs has them as a source of anti-Semitic commentary. Gargamel is said to portray some typical anti-Semitic stereotypes of jews. He has a hooked nose, for example. But Peyo certainly couldn’t have intended to villify jews when he created the Smurfs. Remember, he only intended to do the one episode with the Smurfs, and Gargamel wasn’t in it.
Regarding, the Smurfs-as-KKK idea, the caps the Smurfs wear would not be associated with the KKK in the mind of any artist in Europe. They are Phrygian Caps[[National Symbols in France: The Phrygian Cap or Liberty Cap](http://www.languedoc-france.info/06141204_libertycap.htm)] Phrygian caps were a symbol of liberty in both the French and American revolutions and can still be found in seals and patriotic images of both countries. Their caps don’t look much like Klan hoods[[http://www.vermonthistory.org/precious/kkk.htm#contents](http://www.vermonthistory.org/precious/kkk.htm#contents)]. Moreover, the Klan is a white supremacist organization. It would be odd for the Klan to make blue people the good guys in its propaganda.
On the other hand there is one theory that does stand up. The Smurfs certainly incorporate some significant gender-stereotypes in the character of Smurfette. And it was on purpose. In a recent biography of Peyo, Hugues Dayez relates a story about Peyo’s negotiations with NBC about the upcoming animated cartoon of the Smurfs. Peyo apparently spoke little or no English. When the discussion turned to Smurfette, Peyo’s interpreter explains:
> [@](#):
>
> Peyo began by saying that she was “very feminine”. They asked him to be more specific, so he went on to say: “She is pretty, blonde, she has all the characteristics of women. . . " Knowing the feminist spirit in the USA, I diplomatically translated this as “all the qualities”. I was banking on the fact that Peyo did not understand what I was saying (in English) and the others did not understand what he was trying to say. So naturally they asked him to expand. So he kept on going with : “She seduces, she uses trickery rather than force to get results. She is incapable of telling a joke without blowing the punch line. She is a blabbermouth but only makes superficial comments. She is constantly creating enormous problems for the Smurfs but always manages to blame it on someone else.” I did my best to minimize the sexist nature of this description, but one of the participants at the meeting asked: “Would she at least be able, when the Smurfs are in danger, to take a decision that can save them?” When I translated this to Peyo, he looked astounded. “Come on now, do they expect me to make her a (female) gym teacher?” I obviously did not translate this remark.”
(translation by Valteron)
That’s pretty damning, if you ask us. The stuff about Marxism, anti-semitism, and KKK symbolism, simply lacks similar support.
References:
Belgium Federal Portal, Peyo (Pierre Culliford, 1928-1992), Cartoonist: [http://www.belgium.be/eportal/application?languageParameter=en&pageid=contentPage&docId=19251](http://www.belgium.be/eportal/application?languageParameter=en&pageid=contentPage&docId=19251)
Bollut, Gersende, Peyo l’enchanteur, _FRAMES: le webzine de l’animation et du cinéma_:[http://frames.free.fr/peyo.htm](http://frames.free.fr/peyo.htm)
Borofsky, Nate, “‘Sister’ on the Sidelines: ‘The Smurfs’ and the Antifeminist Backlash on Saturday Morning,” 1996: [http://www.nateborofsky.com/smurf.html](http://www.nateborofsky.com/smurf.html)
Dupuis Publishing, Les Schtroumpfs: [Editions Dupuis, éditeur de BD et beaux livres - Toute l'info et l'actu sur nos BD](http://www.dupuis.com/servlet/jpecat?pgm=VIEW_ALBUM&lang=UK&OUVRAGE_ID=963)
Dupuis Publishing, Peyo: [Editions Dupuis, éditeur de BD et beaux livres - Toute l'info et l'actu sur nos BD](http://www.dupuis.com/servlet/jpecat?pgm=VIEW_AUTHOR&lang=UK&AUTEUR_ID=92)
Fuste, Victor, “Karl Marx and Papa Smurf: Separated at birth?” _The Stanford Daily_, January 28, 2005: [http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2005/1/28/karlMarxAndPapaSmurfSeparatedAtBirth](http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2005/1/28/karlMarxAndPapaSmurfSeparatedAtBirth)
Haines, Jimmy, “Papa smurf is a communist!” — debunking popular myths, _Bright Red_, 2001:
[http://www.cpa.org.au/brarch/1smur.html](http://www.cpa.org.au/brarch/1smur.html)
[Iamlost.com](http://Iamlost.com), The Smurf Conspiracy Archives: [http://www.iamlost.com/features/smurfs/archive.shtml](http://www.iamlost.com/features/smurfs/archive.shtml)
Lambiek Comiclopedia, Peyo (Pierre Culliford): [Peyo (Pierre Culliford) - Lambiek Comiclopedia](http://lambiek.net/artists/p/peyo.htm)
Schmidt, J. Marc, Socio-Political Themes in The Smurfs, 1998: [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/3117/sociosmurf2.htm](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/3117/sociosmurf2.htm)
[Smurf.com](http://Smurf.com), Peyo, the father of the Smurfs, 1998: [http://www.smurf.com/infos/bio.html[/spoiler]](http://www.smurf.com/infos/bio.html%5B/spoiler%5D)
And here is the comments thread about the staff report: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=423149&highlight=smurfs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=423149&highlight=smurfs)
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/14 "2009-11-03T17:48:56Z")
I skimmed the second Smurf essay, but this stuff can’t be taken seriously.
> [@](#):
>
> What happened to the days of yore, when the Brothers Warner informed the country that “hunting wabbits” was the chief concern of the day?
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/15 "2009-11-03T19:20:32Z")
Pretty good, **Gfactor** , except for this:
> [@](#):
>
> Another set of theories has the Smurfs has them as a source of anti-Semitic commentary. Gargamel is said to portray some typical anti-Semitic stereotypes of jews. He has a hooked nose, for example. But Peyo certainly couldn’t have intended to villify jews when he created the Smurfs. Remember, he only intended to do the one episode with the Smurfs, and Gargamel wasn’t in it.
Whatever Peyo had in mind when he first created the characters is not the issue. The question is what were the creators of the _show_ intending? They are the ones who created Gargamel, and the ones who wrote the weekly episodes. So Peyo’s original concept doesn’t fully answer the question.
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### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/16 "2009-11-03T19:24:45Z")
I shall never think of the Smurfs in the same way having read the cartoon strip below. It actually made me lust after Smurfette!
**WARNING: Definitely NSFW**
[http://aarondoyle.olilolo.com/funnystuff/smurfsex.htm](http://aarondoyle.olilolo.com/funnystuff/smurfsex.htm)
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### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/17 "2009-11-03T19:32:30Z")
Whew, that was a close run thing. I edited the previous post the highlight the warning in red, reposted it and realized to my horror that it had parsed the link. Apparently when you edit you need to untick the parse box again. I didn’t know that! All fine now, thank god. This one would give your boss a heart attack. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/18 "2009-11-03T19:38:51Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#):
>
> I shall never think of the Smurfs in the same way having read the cartoon strip below. It actually made me lust after Smurfette!
>
> **WARNING: Definitely NSFW**
>
> [smurfsex](http://aarondoyle.olilolo.com/funnystuff/smurfsex.htm)
Speaking of NSFW Smurfs: have you seen the [Lost Episode](http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/papasmurf)?
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### Author:  [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/19 "2009-11-03T22:13:05Z")
> [@Irishman](#):
>
> The question is what were the creators of the _show_ intending? They are the ones who created Gargamel, and the ones who wrote the weekly episodes.
Gargamel was actually created by Peyo. He is in the early Smurf stories (which are, remember, a spinoff from Johan and Pirlouit in which he didn’t appear). But I believe he is pretty much the stereotype of the fantasy medieval witch or evil sorcerer. This stereotype might include some stereotypically Jewish characteristics (a hooked nose, for example), but I don’t believe Peyo did it consciously. Gargamel is just an evil wizard.
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### Author:  [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155/20 "2009-11-03T22:24:36Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#):
>
> This stereotype might include some stereotypically Jewish characteristics (a hooked nose, for example), but I don’t believe Peyo did it consciously.
Also the Passover story where he smeared Smurf blood over his door, and couldn’t explain why his matzoh had a blue tinge.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-theory-about-smurfs-being-communists-is-it-serious-or-is-it-a-joke/516155.md?page=2)