Political correctness: Disney pulls some movies from Disney+ Kids profiles
The films would no longer appear in the child's profile in the targeted search for them. With an adult profile, however, the titles are still available. However, a twelve-second notice appears there first:
This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.
"Homage to racist minstrel shows"
On “Stories Matter” Disney explains why, for example, In Peter Pan, Native people are referred to as "redskins," a slur against Native Americans. The main characters sing a song titled "What makes the Red man Red?"
Disney calls this a "form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery."
In Dumbo, one of the crows is named Jim Crow, the same name as the set of laws that enforced segregation.
He is voiced by a white actor and performs a musical number that pays "homage to racist minstrel shows," Disney says. In the same movie, faceless Black workers are shown laboring to offensive lyrics like "When we get our pay, we throw our money all away."
The Aristocats features a cat named Shun Gon with stereotypical East Asian features who plays the piano with chopsticks. He is voiced by a white person singing in a poorly accented voice.
"What message are we sending to little kids at the most vulnerable age, if characters are one-dimensional, stereotyped, sidelined, hyper-sexualized, or simply, not there at all?" asked Geena Davis, actor and gender equality advocate, in a video posted to Disney's webpage.
Disney acknowledges "that some communities have been erased or forgotten altogether, and we're committed to giving voice to their stories as well." The company did not further specify how it would work toward that goal.
"There is incredible power in seeing someone who's like you on screen," Davis said. "What children see sets the framework for what they believe is possible in life."
Sources: Junge Freiheit / NPR
On “Stories Matter” Disney explains why, for example, In Peter Pan, Native people are referred to as "redskins," a slur against Native Americans. The main characters sing a song titled "What makes the Red man Red?"
Disney calls this a "form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery."
In Dumbo, one of the crows is named Jim Crow, the same name as the set of laws that enforced segregation.
He is voiced by a white actor and performs a musical number that pays "homage to racist minstrel shows," Disney says. In the same movie, faceless Black workers are shown laboring to offensive lyrics like "When we get our pay, we throw our money all away."
The Aristocats features a cat named Shun Gon with stereotypical East Asian features who plays the piano with chopsticks. He is voiced by a white person singing in a poorly accented voice.
"What message are we sending to little kids at the most vulnerable age, if characters are one-dimensional, stereotyped, sidelined, hyper-sexualized, or simply, not there at all?" asked Geena Davis, actor and gender equality advocate, in a video posted to Disney's webpage.
Disney acknowledges "that some communities have been erased or forgotten altogether, and we're committed to giving voice to their stories as well." The company did not further specify how it would work toward that goal.
"There is incredible power in seeing someone who's like you on screen," Davis said. "What children see sets the framework for what they believe is possible in life."
Sources: Junge Freiheit / NPR
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