Disney+ Removes ‘Dumbo’ And ‘Peter Pan’ From Children’s Profiles Over Negative Stereotypes
Disney+ has removed several movies from children’s profiles because they have negative stereotypes. Some of the films pulled include Dumbo, Swiss Family Robinson, The Aristocats, and Peter Pan. The streaming platform also added a warning message before the movies when they are viewed on adult accounts. The message says, “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and they were wrong now.” In a statement, the company also detailed what parts of the movie were offensive.
Disney States “We also want to acknowledge that some communities have been erased or forgotten altogether, and we’re committed to giving voice to their stories as well,” Disney wrote. “We can’t change the past, but we can acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward together to create a tomorrow that today can only dream of.”
Disney examples of racist scenes :
In Dumbo, Disney said that a musical number performed by crows paid “homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations.” Another song in the movie, The Song of the Roustabouts, shows “faceless Black workers toil away to offensive lyrics like “When we get our pay, we throw our money all away.”
In Peter Pan “portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions.”
In Aristocats, Disney explained that the “cat is depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth.”
Do you think it was right for Disney + to remove the movies from children’s profiles?
