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DISNEY’S NEW STREAMING service has added a disclaimer to Dumbo, Peter Pan and other classics because they depict racist stereotypes.
The move comes as Disney Plus seems to be an instant hit, attracting 10 million subscribers in just one day.
“This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions,” the disclaimer reads.
Companies have been grappling for years with how to address stereotypes that were in TV shows and movies decades ago but look jarring today. Streaming brings the problem to the fore.
In Dumbo, from 1941, crows that help Dumbo learn to fly are depicted with exaggerated black stereotypical voices. The lead crow’s name is Jim Crow, a term that describes a set of laws that legalized segregation. In Peter Pan, from 1953, Native American characters are caricatured. Other Disney movies with the disclaimer include The Jungle Book and Swiss Family Robinson.
Pocahontas and Aladdin do not have it, despite rumblings by some that those films contain stereotypes, too.
On personal computers, the disclaimer appears as part of the text description of shows and movies underneath the video player.
Disney’s disclaimer echoes what other media companies have done in response to problematic videos, but many people are calling on Disney to do more.
The company “needs to follow through in making a more robust statement that this was wrong, and these depictions were wrong,” said Psyche Williams-Forson, chairwoman of American studies at the University of Maryland at College Park.
Yes, we’re at a different time, but we’re also not at a different time.
She said it is important that the images are shown rather than deleted, because viewers should be encouraged to talk with their children and others about the videos and their part in our cultural history.
Disney’s disclaimer is a good way to begin a discussion about the larger issue of racism that is embedded in our cultural history, said Gayle Wald, American studies chairwoman at George Washington University.
“Our cultural patrimony, in the end, is deeply tethered to our histories of racism, our histories of colonialism and our histories of sexism, so in that sense, it helps to open up questions,” she said.
Wald said Disney is “the most culturally iconic and well-known purveyor of this sort of narrative and imagery,” but it’s by no means alone.
Universal Pictures’ teen comedy Sixteen Candles has long been decried for stereotyping Asians with its Long Duk Dong character.
Warner Bros faced a similar problem with its Tom and Jerry cartoons that are available for streaming. Some of the cartoons now carry a disclaimer as well, but it goes further than Disney’s statement.
Rather than refer to vague “cultural depictions,” the Warner Bros statement calls its own cartoons out for “ethnic and racial prejudices.”
“While these cartoons do not represent today’s society, they are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed,” the statement reads.
At times, Disney has disavowed a movie entirely.
Song of the South, from 1946, which won an Oscar for the song , was never released for home video and hasn’t been shown theatrically for decades, due to its racist representation of the plantation worker Uncle Remus and other characters. It isn’t included in Disney Plus, either.
Disney and Warner Bros did not respond to requests for comment.
Sonny Skyhawk, an actor and producer who created the group American Indians in Film and Television, found the two-sentence disclaimer lacking.
What would serve minority groups better than any disclaimer is simply offering them opportunities to tell their own stories on a platform like Disney Plus, Skyhawk said. He said that when he talks to young Indian kids, “the biggest negative is they don’t see themselves represented in America”.
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So what? Parents should be the guidance here. Simple as.
@Ciaran Farrelly: How are the parents supposed to know that guidance is needed if there isn’t a disclaimer?
@Ciaran Farrelly: The lady and the Tramp!! My daughter loved that film for years. So,Now!! We can’t watch these movies in case WHAT?? Too many people easily offended these days.
@Ciaran Farrelly: in fairness, if anyone has seen Song of the South, you’d probably agree that the warnings are warranted.. if you pitched they cartoon today, you’d probably be arrested.
@The digenous: you CAN watch the movies. They’re available on Disney+
@The digenous: who said you can’t watch them there on the service in their original form no edits or censoring it’s just that they say in advance hey we know it could offend you you’ve been warned. Nobody’s stopping anyone from doing anything don’t be such a drama queen
@Jake Kelly: They’re not warnings. They’re political postures by a multinational company who use child labourers to manufacture their products. Why are they doing it in 2019 and not 1999 or even 2009? Because they’re pandering to followers of a devisive political narrative.
@Peter Cavey: I can’t remember the film, because I was so young.. but I definitely watched song of the south as a kid, and enjoyed it. There absolutely was a time it was available on VHS
@Mirabelle Stonegate: YouTube the movie and watch it again with adult eyes.. it’s shocking!
I’m offended.
@Ah hold on now: And I would have got away with being offensive, “If it wasn’t for those pesky kids”. Am I allowed to say ‘pesky kids’? Scooby Doo’s a Bitch!! It’s True,but can I say that ?
@Ah hold on now: I’m offended that you got offended before me. I wanted to be the first to be offended about this on behalf of a stranger that might be offended…
@Nioe: I was walking home tonight and I saw a bloke robbing my next door neighbours garden gate…I said nothing!! I was afraid he’d take offence.
@Nioe: it’s not about who got offended first it’s about whose wins the offended victim trophy
Also kids should be warned that Donald duck is naked from the waist down most of the time. Except when he gets out of the shower he wears a towel.
Because of the warning I need my safe space now .
What about Darby O Gill and the little People does that show the Irish in a good or bad way ?
Millennial snowflakes and the pc Brigade yet again, Jesus what has become of society when you’ve people like this who constantly find offence with ridiculous things, stop the world I want to go back to the days when people were normal
@Jonny: ok boomer
@Jonny: A minor disclaimer before an old movie. I think you’re the only snowflake here pal.
@Jonny: are you really blaming all millennials for this? I’m a millennial myself, and whilst I’m ok with some stuff being made more PC.. for the most part, I’m totally not. I’ve zero issues with racial stereotypes in things, based on how old something is, like Dumbo, or the era of the setting, like hairspray. It more takes something like the love boat to make me uncomfortable, mainly because, the way one male character pursued a female one reminded me that I have been treated in the same manner multiple times and left me feeling dirty. I’d never call for the original to be banned.. but I personally would want warnings that that show makes a mockery of sexual harassment.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Do you get that, in the same way that you as a woman who has experienced sexual harassment find that depictions of such harassment can make you uncomfortable, people who have experienced racism and racial stereotyping may find that racist and stereotypical depictions of their race make them similarly uncomfortable?
@Jonny: You are totally correct the little snowflakes are offended by everything in life has to be the most useless generation of all time.
@Shanners: Jesus wept
@Fergus: yeah whatever you think mate
@Mirabelle Stonegate: I suppose you find offence with old James Bond films, Only fools and horses and the likes as well do you.. Society what the hell happened
@Jonny: C’mon Jonny, do explain how this negatively affects you or society in a negative way.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Good lord princess snowflake get a life it’s a TV show grow a thicker skin. Unbelievable.
@tgemainman: so… I should what? Laugh at the fact that I came close to being assaulted sexually. Haha yeah, raping women is just so hilarious, isn’t it? I should always laugh at women being harassed by men, right? I mean, it’s funny because it only ever happens on tv. What is shown on tv never happens in real life.
/s
@tgemainman: I have a fine thick skin, however, what I was watching was very close to how I had been treated the night before, which left me terrified. Or should I be allowing all men into my bed, despite not wanting them there? Because that’s what you are callin* snowflakey.. me being upset at being sexually harassed and nearly assaulted, then being expected to laugh at that type of behavior hours later.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: Maybe it’s best if you stepped away from watching Kids TV programmes full stop if it is taxing you so much.
@Derek Walsh: if it makes a mockery, sure. If treated in a decent manner, nope. I would like a warning on the love boat that it mocks and makes light of, and encourages, sexual harassment of women.. but I wouldn’t expect a warning on something like the hand aids tale, because it highlights how terrible such things are.
Similarly, I’d be ok with a warning on a film like blazing saddles, but wouldn’t agree with it on say, hairspray. Again because of how they differ in treatment of race. And I love both those films, btw.
@tgemainman: Are you saying 8m wrong for being upset at being sexually harassed and almost assaulted? Because that’s what it seems like. That I’m a snowflake because I don’t like men assuming they can sleep with me without my permission.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: My god you really are an example of everything wrong with your generation what an absolute tool you are. Seriously stop watching TV. Wanting warnings all around ridiculous.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: I seriously doubt anyone would want to sleep with you slit their wrists maybe.
@tgemainman: So… I’m in the wrong for being upset at being sexually harassed and almost assaulted? Is that really what you’re saying? How SHOULD I have handled it, then, oh great wise one??
And you know… most times, rapes and sexual assaults have nothing to do with finding the victim attractive. They’re about dominating and exerting power over the victim.
Absolutely unreal stuff. Leftie liberal right and wrong brigade have the world gone to pot.
Bambi taking one for the team is the worst thing to happen since the texas chainsaw massacre!
No comment
The permanently outraged being outraged by this.
Disney: yes hi hello there are characters in this film that the animators intentionally depicted in a racist light because it was made in a very blatantly racist time in America when this sort of thing was normal and ok and we are acknowledging that and giving you this warning so you know we acknowledge they’re racist!
The journal readers: they didn’t mean it to be racist!!!!!
@Karl Harvey: Tourists: yes hi hello the buildings you’re about to visit and the roads you’re about to walk on were built by labourers who worked 6 days a week, had no health care and lived in slums. The conditions today are totally different but you’re too stupid to recognise that so this notice has been posted on every brick and cobble.
@Daniel Rea: That’s a pretty poor analogy. The buildings themselves don’t highlight or glorify poor working conditions. You can use and enjoy the building without seeing any support for such behaviour. But you can’t watch Dumbo without seeing unflattering stereotypes of black people.
@Derek Walsh: shocking stuff altogether
@Karl Harvey: the people at the time weren’t being racist, as far as they were concerned. They were ensuring everyone was depicted correctly per societal norms, which certain people clearly being inferior to others. Yes, we now understand that as racist, but racism wasn’t such a widespread concept back then.
@Derek Walsh: That wasn’t my point. There isn’t a need for a warning before these films. Today there are black people in positions of power and cultural influence, therefore these stereotypes don’t pose a risk of people believing in them and in fact highlight the progress that’s been made. It would be like having a warning before episodes of the Donna Reed show about gender sterotypes. Everyone recognises these are outdated through objective experience. It’s absolutely worth analysing historic racial sterotypes, but a warning is different from an invitation to discuss historical injustice.
Jfc these comments do not depict Irish people well. Embarrassing.
@Freezepeach: You’re right. Not all Irish people subscribe to identity politics.
@Daniel Rea: identity politics? Calm down there now warnings of racism in a child’s movie has nothing to do with identity politics. These comments sound like a load of hillybillys scorning at progression because their tiny brains are not functioning well enough to understand it. It is embarrassing.
@Freezepeach: hillbillys? Your in the wrong country mate we dont have any here…;)
@Freezepeach: Are you actually implying Disney would stream racist material, with or without a warning?
@Freezepeach: it’s the journal. Business as usual
@Freezepeach: they do depict Irish people. I have been called a snowflake when I mentioned I would appreciate a warning on stuff that mocks and trivialises sexual harassment and assault of women. I recently ended up watching such a thing hours after being sexually harassed and almost raped. A warning would have allowed me to walk away from the people watching the show, rather than ending up stuck watching it, feeling ill.
Its unettling how far we have to go to sanitise and white-wash history…oops..probably cant say white-wash now either or your name will be blackened..oh wait..
@Tadhg Lane Snr: They’ve done a very minor thing to avoid completely whitewashing their racist history. They only say that some of their depictions are “outdated” which suggests that they were once fine. Compare and contrast WB’s disclaimer “These depictions were wrong then and they are wrong today.”
What are you all going mad about? It’s only a disclaimer. They’re not changing the movies. They’re being considerate of the fact that maybe children and parents of ethnicities other than caucasian might want to watch the movies and letting them know in advance that there may be outdated stereotypes. If you have a problem with that then you clearly have bigger problems yourself
The world HAS gone mad!!!!
@Diogenes: the difference being that the cartoons are not Jim Crow era material
When I watch these
@Mike Murphy: films with my kids I dont think of a stereotype its just a cartoon with characters for the kids to enjoy
@Mike Murphy: white guy sees no stereotypes, really?
@Keelan O’neill: The irony of you singling out the colour of his skin
@Keelan O’neill: unlike yourself I dont see anything racist in a cartoon….its something for the kids to enjoy characters made up of all shapes and colours
@Keelan O’neill: how do you know he’s white?
@Keelan O’neill: did you just imply a racist stereotype?
LOL. How will the eternally offended cope?
I’ve reached peak Disney. They completely milked the reboots this year. And know they want a slice of the streaming services. They’ve ruined the stairways franchise. What them muck up the MCU next.
@Thefallguy: Stairway to Heaven was the only good entry in the stairways franchise.
Disney doing this on their DVD’s for years. Just most people skipped over it at the start of the DVD. It’s not new.
@Cormac Flanagan: The taking offence at it is new though. As boomers and older Gen X-ers age they seem less and less able to cope with even the most minor cultural shifts.
Warner Bros have been doing this for years. Stop taking the ‘PC fone mad’ bait.
Enough with all this! I’m sick of this snowflake stuff. I can nearly put money on it that 99% of the people who are supposed to be offended by this aren’t actually offended at all.
Somebody please think of the children
Joined the service to test it for the free week. Good so far. Lady and the Tramp was good cant be the classic though .
Somebody please think of the children
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