Disney will add warnings about racist content in its cartoons

Disney + will add notices on several classic films from Walt Disney Animation and the live-action catalog, which feature controversial characters and possible racist representations, in the light of our age, on some historical cartoons of the '900. The Aristocats, Dumbo, The Jungle Book, Lady and the Tramp e Peter Pan, as well as the live-action adaptation The Swiss Robinson, have all been marked.

As part of The Walt Disney Company's “Stories Matter” initiative, the studio is reviewing its film library and adding content notices that acknowledge “negative representations or mistreatment of people or cultures”. Last year, Disney + received a pre-launch backlash for its intention to simply remove controversial scenes from its adorable old movies, like the "Jim Crow" raven from Dumbo (1941). Critics accused the studio of trying to purify its past, while others were in favor of cutting out the tacky scenes. The films in question therefore received slightly vague pre-viewing notices: “This program is presented in full version as originally made. It may contain outdated cultural representations. "

This isn't the first time Disney Animation has faced outdated content that "has become" too offensive to audiences. The original version of Fantasy fabric The “Pastoral Symphony” segment (1940) hit the screens with the young black centaur character who served others, had the body of a donkey instead of a horse, and resembled racist caricatures of the time. (Hays' office, however, forced the animators to cover the other centaur's breasts.) The character, nicknamed "Sunflower," was abruptly left out in the 1969 reissue.

The new Disney + notice reads:

“This program includes negative representations and / or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and they are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to recognize its harmful impact, learn from it and stimulate dialogue to create a more inclusive future together.

"Disney is committed to creating stories with inspiring and ambitious themes that reflect the rich diversity of human experience around the world."

The Stories Matter website analyzes examples of films that receive warnings and the negative depictions they contain. In short:

• The Aristocats (1970) labels the Siamese cat (voiced by an accent-influencing white actor) depicted as a racist caricature of the peoples of East Asia playing the piano with drumsticks.
• Lady and the Tramp (1955) has the same problem with Siamese cats Si and Am (voiced by Peggy Lee), as well as other canine characters depicting exaggerated ethnic stereotypes.
• Dumbo The ravens and their minstrel pay homage to the blackface vaudeville era and this time around the fact that their leader is named after the apartheid laws in the southern United States is addressed in detail.
• The jungle book (1967) King Louis is depicted as an ape-like character singing jazz (voiced by Louis Prima), considered an offensive caricature built on racist stereotypes of black / African Americans.
• Peter Pan (1953) is marked for his mocking and appropriative, stereotypical portrayal of the natives and Peter's repeated use of a racial slur against them.

The new content warnings are enforced with help from the African American FIlm Critics Association, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, GLAAD, IllumiNative, National Association of Latino Independent Producers, RespectAbility and other organizations serving as Disney's advisory board.

Find out more www.disney.com/StoriesMatter