You're a Sap, Mr. Jap

The "ABCD Powers" were the nations Japan saw as a threat in the Pacific: America, Britain, China and the Dutch. Words and music by James Cavanaugh, John Redmond and Nat Simon Performed by Carl Hoff; vocals by The Murphy Sisters. Recorded December 23, 1941

The 1942 film “You’re a Sap, Mr. Jap” was removed from circulation first by Paramount, and now by Time-Warner due to the negative (though historically important) portrayal of the Japanese. As with most of the wartime propaganda cartoons owned by Time-Warner (with the exception of Herr Meets Hare (1945), Russian Rhapsody (1944), Blitz Wolf (1942) and one or two others), this one is not likely to see a public airing anytime soon.

[Robert Reynolds] This short was the first short released by Paramount Famous Studios and was one of several done by the studio showing Popeye engaged directly against the enemy, most often the Japanese. While Warner Brothers, Disney and, to a lesser extent, other studios, did shorts often depicting Germans as foils, the majority of Famous Studios efforts focused on the Japanese. Given Pearl Harbor and Popeye's naval ties, this is quite understandable. This is an average short. Seein' Red, White an' Blue and Spinach For Britain have aged better. But it's still worth watching. Recommended.

Copyrighted just hours before Congress declared war, "You're A Sap, Mr. Jap" ascended from the ashes of Pearl Harbor and typified music immediately following the attack. The brash lyrics coupled with the Murphy Sisters' buoyant vocals make this Carl Hoff number a hard pill to swallow. More an example of propaganda fluff than chart-topping pop fare, the music industry hastily churned out such material, only to have it forgotten just as quickly by American audiences. Be they harmless banter, scornful commentary, or tasteless stereotypes, musical strikes against Japan abounded and conveyed the jingoism of a country thrust into another world war.