The “Ducktails” cartoon is pure bourgeois Reaganite propaganda

So I vaguely remember that he extorts Donald economically to force him onto adventures he doesn't want to go on (he's his landlord I think).

I couldn't remember for sure so I tried googling it, and this thread came up and it's so much worse than I thought. Scrooge McDuck gets the

CW (racism and colonialism)

https://www.reddit.com/r/ducktales/comments/oz1h9b/needs_some_info_about_the_terrible_things_scrooge/

Here's the top comment from that thread, it's the reason for the CW so I'm gonna spoiler it:

Uncles and nephews all the way down.. read 'How to Read Donald Duck'

The character is actually from comics by Carl Barks, where he first appeared as a Christmas Carol-inspired misanthrope, but became a regular character and evolved over time. While he isn't some anticapitalist propaganda villain, he is portrayed as a greedy and comically miserly exploiter of even his close relatives, but it varies depending on the author. I haven't seen Ducktales though.

In the DuckTales series, Scrooge has care of the nephews (as Donald has joined the US Navy and is away on his tour of duty), and, as a result, his darker personality traits are downplayed. While most of his persona remain from the comics, he is notably more optimistic and level-headed in the animated cartoon. In an early episode, Scrooge credits his improved temperament to the nephews and Webby (his housekeeper's granddaughter, who comes to live in Scrooge's mansion), saying that "for the first time since I left Scotland, I have a family".

Though Scrooge is far from tyrannical in the comics, he is rarely so openly affectionate. While he still hunts for treasure in DuckTales, many episodes focus on his attempts to thwart villains. However, he remains just as tightfisted with money as he has always been. But he's also affable and patient with his family and friends.

Scrooge displays a strict code of honor, insisting that the only valid way to acquire wealth is to "earn it square," and he goes to great lengths to thwart those (sometimes even his own nephews) who gain money dishonestly. This code also prevents him from ever being dishonest himself, and he avows that "Scrooge McDuck's word is as good as gold." He also expresses great disgust at being viewed by others as a greedy liar and cheater.

Wtf, lol. I believe he was a huge POS in the comics and previous cartoons. I think he has a rival in Ducktails that is pretty much him but somehow more evil.

its all right there in the theme song.

Life is like a hurricane here in Duckburg
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes, it's a duck-blur!
Might solve a mystery
Or rewrite history!

I guess, but it's not something that I ever thought about when I used to watch that show after school. The bullshit you'd see in sitcoms/hour dramas was more damaging, insidious and helped reinforce gross cultural attitudes. I.E you'll be stuck flipping burgers!

We don't say Reaganite anymore; we say Neoliberal.

Yeah, in retrospect I am with the begal boys. McDuck canonically starts his wealth in a coal field in Africa and does some time in the diamond industry

The modern Ducktales is great. It honestly has venture brothers vibes.

In the cartoons, Scrooge is kinda portrayed as right on the edge of acceptable conservatism. Sometimes he is a bit too greedy, and everyone resents him for it, or he takes a stupid risk for money that bites him in the ass. Other times, he's proven right. I think we're supposed to question Scrooge sometimes, as the Aesop can go either way with this show. I'd go so far as to say the central question of Scrooge's character is "How far is too far in the pursuit of wealth?"

Glomgold and Mark Beaks are 2 examples of "too far," with both reflecting different evils of wealth. Glomgold is pure greed untempered by any moral concerns, ever. Unlike Scrooge, who finds inherent value in work, Glomgold will take it any way he can.

Mark Beaks is similarly amoral, but, as a stand in for the rich techbro type, he has a desire to "improve" the world, but only in a way that serves his own capricious interests. Beaks is hard-working (or at least has a self-image of being such), but unlike Scrooge, doesn't listen to others.

It always amuses me that Don Rosa, the dude that made the most famous contemporary comics of Scrooge, like the ode to settler colonialism "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck", was able to make these comics just because he inherited his father's construction business. Even then, in the aforementioned comics, he makes fun of Rockerduck for inheriting all of his wealth, unlike our hardworking McDuck!

Later Rosa threw himself on the cross because Disney screwed him over on the copyright and royalties on his comics. I wonder if he ever saw the irony; the real-life McDucks ate their propagandist's face!

I preferred Count Duckula

Ducktails the band is okay but DuckTales the show is what you're talking about

Never forget : Scrooge McDuck is canonically a person who doesn't give a quack about consent (can't use r word)

what

Because I’m lazy, I had ChatGPT generate a Marxist critique of the show.

Enjoy:

A Marxist critique of DuckTales (1987 and its 2017 reboot) would analyze the show through the lens of class struggle, economic power dynamics, and the ideology of capitalism. Here are some key points to consider:

1. The Glorification of Wealth and Capitalism • The central character, Scrooge McDuck, is the epitome of a capitalist mogul: a billionaire who prides himself on amassing and safeguarding his wealth. His massive money bin becomes a symbol of greed and accumulation. • Scrooge’s wealth is presented as a product of hard work and ingenuity, but the series largely glosses over the systemic inequalities and exploitation often involved in such extreme wealth accumulation. For example, Scrooge’s backstory often frames his rise as a “self-made man,” ignoring broader structures like inherited privilege or colonial exploitation.

2. Exploitation of Labor • Scrooge often drags his nephews and others on dangerous adventures to retrieve treasures, essentially exploiting their labor without fair compensation. Despite their contributions, the nephews rarely seem to share in Scrooge’s profits. • The treatment of minor characters like Launchpad McQuack and Mrs. Beakley reflects class divisions. These characters provide essential services to Scrooge, yet their roles are subservient, and their economic conditions are rarely explored.

3. Adventure as a Justification for Colonialism • The show frequently involves treasure hunts in exotic locations, often with an implicit colonialist undertone. These quests often portray the plundering of ancient or culturally significant artifacts without regard for the cultures they belong to. • These storylines can be seen as a metaphor for capitalism’s tendency to commodify and extract value from marginalized communities and global South nations.

4. The Myth of Meritocracy • Scrooge is depicted as a paragon of the American Dream, reinforcing the myth of meritocracy. His success story implies that anyone can achieve great wealth through hard work, ignoring structural barriers like class, race, and systemic inequality. • Characters who challenge Scrooge’s dominance, such as Flintheart Glomgold or the Beagle Boys, are villainized. These figures might be interpreted as exaggerated caricatures of the working class or rival capitalists, which reinforces the narrative that those who oppose wealth accumulation are inherently “bad.”

5. Cultural Hegemony • DuckTales reinforces capitalist ideology by framing Scrooge’s wealth as a means of enabling adventure, innovation, and family unity. This depiction helps normalize the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and distracts from the inherent inequities of such a system. • The series rarely interrogates systemic poverty or class struggle in Duckburg, where the focus is consistently on the escapades of the wealthy.

6. Family as a Capitalist Unit • The family dynamic in DuckTales can be seen as a metaphor for capitalism’s reliance on the nuclear family as a means of social organization and reproduction of labor. The nephews’ loyalty to Scrooge mirrors the loyalty of workers to their employers under a capitalist framework.

Conclusion

From a Marxist perspective, DuckTales functions as a piece of cultural production that glorifies capitalism, normalizes wealth inequality, and reinforces hegemonic ideologies. While the show is entertaining and imaginative, it subtly perpetuates values that uphold capitalist structures and obscure the realities of class conflict and systemic exploitation. A critical analysis would encourage viewers to question these narratives and consider alternative perspectives on wealth, labor, and global power dynamics.

The Finnish Ducktales theme slaps tho

(It can not avail you, taco nazi, look alive and count on Lassie, knit and dance and bake a cake oh)