Interesting, but uncomfortable

Curiously, as late as the 1980's, this cartoon was being shown on Saturday morning's "Popeye And Pals", the local children's show in my area. Children were guests in the television audience and I often wondered what they would have done if any of the children had been Japanese. I can only think of three possible explanations of how this cartoon escaped censorship during that time: 1) It was being shown in the deep south, 2) the 80's were a very conservative era, and 3) The producers may not have even been paying attention to the content of the cartoons.
Personally, as a child, when I first saw this cartoon, I was more dismayed by the sheer violence of it than the racism. The scene where the Japanese soldier kills himself by swallowing explosives seemed particularly shocking to me and, at the time, I did not even understand the historical significance of such an act.
Although this cartoon is certainly a fascinating piece of history from both America and Popeye, the problems of the blatant and vicious racism cannot be ignored. Although America was at war with both Germany and Japan, it seemed that the Japanese were more dehumanized as a whole race than the German people. While German enemies were "Nazis", Japanese enemies were just "Japs". Such racism in the name of patriotism becomes disturbing when one thinks of the detainment camps that Japanese Americans were placed in, and it becomes illogical when one considers that there were heroic Japanese American soldiers fighting for America's freedom.
Ethnic humor was certainly common in decades past because standards were different, but when it came to war, the ethnic humor took on a malicious tone that is simply too intense to be overlooked these days.
A classic film, but definitely not for everyone or everywhere. (All color copies should be destroyed on sight).

A pity it's not more widely available for viewing

Just as other early films and cartoons that may be offensive to some members of today's audiences, Your A Sap, Mr. Jap is from a different era. It is a reflection on a period of time in U.S. history that cannot just be simply ignored and dismissed today as a time when people were narrowminded and racially prejudiced. We were at war with Japan when this cartoon was first made and released. It is a part of the culture of the time during which it was made and no one who views it today would look at it as being relevant to the world as we know it now. It is a well made cartoon and is no more offensive than much of what is purported to be presented as "entertainment" these days. We live in the age when AIDS and other STDS are a genuine and viable threat to our society. Yet, television, motion pictures, music and magazines are all not only irresponsibly sending a message to young people that premarital sex, promiscuity, homosexuality, premarital cohabitation, adultery and teenage pregnancy are all not only socially acceptable, but go to great lengths and expense to do so. This is politcally correct? This particular Popeye cartoon seems quite tame and innocent by today's highly questionable "standards"!!

H.H.Sebranek

Classic Popeye, mumbling his way through WW2. We learn that our hero voted for Herbert Hoover! If the tone seems a bit nasty and racist, keep in mind that we had thought the Japanese were our friends (more or less), right up until Dec. 7, 1941! You may also mant to bone up on Japanese propaganda from the same era. C'mon, live a little! We can't be PC all the time!