Why are pirates portrayed as good guys in kid's show?

[Aiko_E_Lara]

When they're literally high jackers and thieves in the sea.

This is what modern pirates look like

Updates

+1 y

From the word itself "pirates" came from the word "piracy". If they aren't performing piracy then they aren't pirates. They're called explorers. They're misleading people. So imagine you're in a cruise ship with a kid saying "I'm a pirate". That would be the same as a kid saying "I'm a highjacker" in a plane.

[DevilsAdvocator]

Well, for one, those historical pirates who they glamorize the most, in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, were raiding and high-jacking ships which were transporting either slaves for the slave trade or cargoes of products which were grown on slave plantations, so there's that. Plenty of former slaves joined pirate crews when their slave ships or plantations were raided; and tons of others were given free passage to safe haven settlements, becoming Maroons.

Roughly one-third of the 10,000 pirates during the golden age of piracy, between 1650 and 1720, were former slaves who'd been liberated in pirate raids; for context, there were only around 21,000 free blacks in total, across both North America and the Caribbean in 1700, meaning that a full one-sixth of the free black population were pirates, and it's estimated that the majority of free blacks at this time were only free because of those pirate raids against the slave ships and slave plantations.

If the trader ships are trading humans as livestock, and profiteering off of the products of human misery; then doesn't that make them the bad guys, the villains? And doesn't that make those who interfere with and disrupt that evil trade, by hijacking those vessels, raiding the slave camps, liberating their cargoes, freeing the slaves from their prior status as human livestock, and unhesitatingly accepting them aboard as equal members of their crews without any racist prejudices or discrimination against them; how can they NOT be the good guys, the heroes?

[October808]

Yep this is true. What is also true is that after Britain saw that it couldn't control them Britain's government hired its own pirates to harrass French and Spanish fleets disguised as pirates.

[DevilsAdvocator]

@October808 Er- you do know that 'pirate' is short for 'privateer'? As in, privately contracted mercenaries who were paid by governments back in Europe to raid other nation's ships and settlements? Modern day 'pirates' like the ones in your picture, from Somalia, aren't actual pirates- they're merely sea bandits. A more accurate modern analogy situation to historical pirates would be if modern day European governments in places like the Mediterranean, or the USA in Florida and Baja California, started contracting private security companies to traverse those waters, hunting down human and drugs trafficking operations, commander any of the traffickers' ships, and in the case of people smugglers, liberate their cargoes by escorting them back to designated migrant processing facilities. Those security companies' employees would be actual 'pirates'.

[October808]

I know that those Somalis are just drug runners. I also know that not all pirates were mercenaries for the British government and others.

[DevilsAdvocator]

@October808 And for those who weren't contracted mercenaries, they weren't 'pirates'; the proper term for them was 'buccaneers'.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

@October808 The word "pirate" came from the word "piracy" which is stealing.

[DevilsAdvocator]

Well, I'm talking mostly about privateers, who were the pirates who feature most heavily in popular culture. And these were private individuals commissioned by governments to carry out quasi-military activities, who sailed in privately owned armed ships, robbing merchant vessels and pillaging settlements belonging to rival countries.

[DevilsAdvocator]

And by the way, the word 'pirate' actually comes from the Greek word 'peiratēs', which is literally translated as "one who attempts/experiences/endeavors"; the same source word from which 'peril' is derived. Originally, it had nothing to do with theft, stealing, or even naval exploits- just with risk, hazard and danger. For others, and/or themselves.

[cirno]

@DevilsAdvocator this is really intresting to read about there's a lot more to pirates than what we see in movies

[quinlan]

lol you're so ignorant. The word "pirate" doesn't come from the word "privateer". Who told you that? Seems like you're basing your opinions of what a pirate is based on a falsity. Somalian pirates are indeed pirate. The fact that you define pirate based on having an extra large ship rather than the act of piracy is childish. I'm going to guess you're somewhere between elementary and middle school age?

[DevilsAdvocator]

@quinlan Like I explained, the word 'pirate' actually comes from the Greek word 'peiratēs', which is literally translated as "one who attempts/experiences/endeavors"; the same source word from which 'peril' is derived. Originally, it had nothing to do with theft, stealing, or even naval exploits- just with risk, hazard and danger. Prithee tell, how old might you be, "103 year old"?

[Sevenpointfive]

i think it's the idea of overthrowing the monarchy that put them in their position. sure they're thieves, but they had little choice. if it was starving and prostituting or risking your life for a better life i'd probably become a pirate too to stick it to the government.

[Sevenpointfive]

call them what you want... adventurers, expeditioners, treasure hunters were mostly the same thing if they were not in service to the crown then they were branded pirates and were to be shot down and sunk. what's the alternative? don't sink, loot and say hey this makes sense.

i can't back any of that up but it's what i believe.

[Madison2001]

Because It's just a show/cartoon, you see the bad things turn into good, sometimes you see the protagonist as an evil character but he is the good guy. These things happen all the time in the novels, shows, cartoons, stories... etc
For example, Pirates of the Caribbean..

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Well here's a mistake. They just went with the flow when they were supposed to be just called explorers.

[Madison2001]

They consider it as a fictional character , there might be good and bad pirates. Just like there are other fictional character that can be good or bad ( wizards in harry potter, some are shown as good and some are shown as bad ) . Also since we're talking about pirates, check One piece I'm sure you know it. The protagonist of the story is considered as a good pirate bedside his crew and they're getting rid of the bad pirates over the time.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

From the word itself. "Pirates" who demonstrates piracy. Pretty misleading. They aren't the ones who actually explore and look for treasures but rather explorers. Again that's one mistake they made.

[Madison2001]

Probably they are not taking it seriously and just making it for the people's enjoyment

[Madison2001]

There are movies about hackers who help people and make good things instead of bad , i think these characters have 2 sides, not necessarily just bad side.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

That wouldn't really make them necessarily misleading because they are actually talking about hackers not something else portrayed for hackers.

[The_White_Queen]

Same reason medieval knights or gunsligging cowboys are, romantic stories full of adventure.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Because they aremedieval knights or gun slinging cowboys. Pirates are literally those who hijacks big ships not those who explores and look for treasures.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

From the word itself pirates, who demonstrates piracy. They are showing explorers not pirates.

[The_White_Queen]

Well what do think knights did. They killed they raped, the pillaged etc. The quick on the draw gunslinger was originally an invention of East coast new york writers, mostly they shot and stabbed each other in the back in the old west. Stole cattle, massacred native Americans, raped etc.
Anyway what I'm saying is piracy espicially from the age of sail is romances. I mean have you not seen pirates Of the Caribbean?

[Aiko_E_Lara]

They're suppose to serve the king. Good or bad king it doesn't matter. Piracy is never good

[The_White_Queen]

Pirates often served a king or a pirate king. Knights served a lord, often they had no Lord. A knight was the local rapist, thug and theif all rolled into one

[quinlan]

There's a big difference between what some knights may have done versus a full on pirate. To be a pirate, you by definition have to be a doing something immoral/illegal. To be a knight, you don't have to by definition do anything illegal/immoral. Now, if a knight does something immoral, that is not because they are a knight, therefore they must do immoral acts. School teachers rape and murder but what defines being a school teacher isn't rape and murder.

[Harmseygrace]

Because it's just make believe. It's supposed to be fun.

[DamnSam]

Pirates are not just criminals... they invented the first democracy with the elections of a captain... also the first pension/care system if you lost an arm or something similar...

I could ask why bankers in the news always shown as good people?

Tv isn't history, its entertainment... nothing else... or did you think the teletubbies came from a real place

[Aiko_E_Lara]

From the word itself "pirates" came from the word "piracy". If they aren't performing piracy then they aren't pirates. They're called explorers. They're misleading people.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

So imagine you're in a cruise ship with a kid saying "I'm a pirate". That would be the same as a kid saying "I'm a highjacker" in a plane.

[October808]

Those are hijackers. If you watched Black Sails you'd see that the British Empire tried to control everything and everyone. You were a second class citizen if you weren't born into money and looked down and discouraged from rising to your station because of it. Naturally I would side with the pirates. But not the ones in that picture. They're a disgrace.

[boggboss]

Because they where exciting and people like to glamarise history

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Wouldn't they just use colonizers instead?

[boggboss]

No because they is still debate over if how they did it was morraly correct

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Pirates are litterally the ones who sneak up on huge boats and steal them. They're not the ones who explore.

[boggboss]

Your saying this like I don't already know this

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Well you acted like you don't know it

[boggboss]

Plus making colonizers the protagonists would paint indiginist people as bad guys which no one would be happy about

[boggboss]

How I stated how people like to glamarise history showing I know how pirates are portrayed is vastly incorrect yo how they where in history

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Or they could just be called explores instead. But what the heck.

[boggboss]

Yeah they could change the name but most people don't care enough about it to want it

[October808]

They don't sneak up. They show their flag, ask if you want to surrender peacefully and hand over some of your loot. That being declined then they raid the ship but they certainly didn't sneak up on them.

[AynonOMouse]

Just like bears are made to be cuddly stuffed animals for kids when in reality a bear would eat them.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Because those are bears and bears are cute. Those "pirates" in kids show aren't exactly pirates but explorers

[ZeonWolf69]

Pirates are the robin hood of the sea. Duh. Good guy

[quinlan]

But is robin hood really a good guy? Seems like another example of people glorifying crime. I guess Aladin is the same way. And if it was steal or die starving, I'd steal, too. Obviously there is nuance, but when you have a kid show saying "a good pirate doesn't steal", you're a bit delusional at that point.

[jakeofalltrades]

its normally the idea of freedom that is focused on. the idea that pirates can go where they want and do as they please is very appealing to people

[quinlan]

Yes, it's appealing to be able to go and do whatever you want. Wouldn't it be great if you could go around stealing and raping and not get in trouble? That's not a good excuse for teaching this to children. Freedom is not an absolute moral good. I mean, serial killers are free in the same way as pirates. Should we teach kids to be serial killers?

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Then they're not talking about pirates. They're talking about explorers.

[ItsAMeA]

Because in case they're still real. You wouldn't want a bunch of angry pirates after you, would you? I know I sure wouldn't!

[standardguy]

Because Satan that is the mentor of TV chiefs wants the bad guy seem good guys and vice versa. And this has to start at childhood.

[Ray_Lala]

Because there is no such thing as good or bad everything is relative.

[Gavyn]

So it wasn't bad that Ted Bundy slaughtered people because he thought it was ok?

[Anonymous]

not all pirates are created equally. Jake > Captain Hook.

[Anonymous]

They're "cool". Just like Dinosaurs and robots you know. Pirates are free and go whereever they want and take what they want. Pretty much what children want to do.

[quinlan]

The whole point of children's shows and parenting is to teach kids that they can't do all those things. The sole job of a parent is preparing them for the adult world. Kids' shows generally are supposed to help with that.