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    Categories: EntertainmentLife

Disney Updates Racism Warnings On Classic Cartoon Films


Disney updated warnings about stereotypes in classic animated movies such as Peter Pan, The Jungle Book and Dumbo.

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The advisories were the latest example of Hollywood’s campaign against racism, which comes in the form of a short graphic on the Disney+ streaming service.

“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures,” the on-screen advisories read.

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Source: Disney

“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.”

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The company stated on its website that these advisories were part of a review of its library content.

Source: Disney

Other classic films to carry the warning include The Aristocats, which shows a cat in “yellow-face” playing the piano with chopsticks, as well as Lady and the Tramp.

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The movie was added on the list for its perceived stereotyping of Asians courtesy of Siamese cats Si and Am, while a dog pound features canines with largely ethnic names and accents.

Source: Disney

In the 1953 adaptation of Peter Pan, viewers were warned about how the Native Americans were referred to as “red skins”, and that the movie’s depiction of dancing while wearing a Native American headdress was a “form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples’ culture and imagery.”

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Source: Disney

Meanwhile, the 1941 release Dumbo was heavily criticized for its references to racist segregationist laws in the deep south, and its use of affected African-American voices.

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Disney first added warnings about racism last November, but it was much shorter then.

“This programme is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions,” the disclaimer read in the past.

Source: Film Publicity Archive

Some of the Disney classics were completely overlooked, including the controversial 1946 film Song Of The South – a movie set on a plantation during America’s Reconstruction Era.

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The film was not given a DVD or video release in the United States due to its distasteful handling of race.