>>> Does anyone under 40 have even a vague sense of the Tar Baby story / Uncle Remus? I wonder..


It seems to me that the Tar Baby story has been replaced these days with Curious George stories. From Wikipedia:

"George, as adorable as he is most of the time, can be a real handful when the Man turns his back or leaves the house, as George's curiosity causes him to get into a series of predicaments and shenanigans."

A modern day metaphor, just like the stories of yesteryear.