Disney accused of racism… by Disney. The children clink glasses.
After having put a warning at the beginning of certain animated films, Disney goes further and completely withdraws the possibility of seeing these same cartoons with a “child” profile. As for adults, it is essential to read the following ten-second message:
“This program includes dated representations and / or negative treatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were out of place at the time and still are today. Rather than removing this content, we would like to acknowledge its damaging influence so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes, engage in dialogue and build a more inclusive future, all together. Disney is committed to creating stories on inspiring and ambitious themes that reflect the tremendous diversity and cultural and human richness around the world ”.
In short : “We are not going to censor ourselves because we prefer to keep track of our mistakes, but we prefer to prevent”. It is not a bad posture in our opinion. Censorship is never the solution.
The films concerned and why
But which films are affected and why should they absolutely be removed from the sight of children?
– In The Lady and the Tramp it is the scene of the Siamese cats which is concerned: malicious, deceitful, with an accent that Michel Leeb would not have denied.
– In The Aristocats, it is the Asian jazz player who plays the piano with chopsticks (it would be surprising if it was the somewhat precious English geese or their alcoholic uncle Waldo).
– In Dumbo it’s a little more “American-American” since if in the original version, the birds have an African-American accent, it is imperceptible in the original version. Another problem is that the leader of the birds, Jim Crow, is the namesake of a racist caricature and a series of segregationist laws.
– In Peter Pan, the representation of Amerindians is very caricature. Once again, this is more of an American-American problem since with us, this cliché is not perceived as racist.
– In The jungle Book, it’s King Louie the lazy monkey with his African-American accent caricature
We are currently talking about films released between 1941 and 1970. Of course, customs have changed, and Twitter is infected with hysterics with blue hair weighing 55 kg who “cancel” the “boomers” and the “fascists”, but there is worse…
– In Aladdin (released in 1992), it’s a mystery… The narrator with an “Arab” accent who wants to sell junk to the viewer at the beginning of the film?
– In Toy story 2 (1995!), It is a story of sexism. In the post-credit scenes where Stinky Pete is seen stroking a Barbie’s hand and saying “You know I’m sure I can get you a part in Toy Story 3“. Removed from the reissue on Blu-ray, this scene is apparently present on Disney + … but with an adult account.
Is it all necessary?
But the question is “do children really realize the stereotypes that are being conveyed?” “. I do not think so. For them, the two Siamese cats are simply “the bad guys” and they are very unlikely to associate them with Asians (Siam is the old name of Thailand). As for the clichés about African Americans or Native Americans, they are simply irrelevant with us: we do not have American Indians at home (and we do not have to repent, because we do not have them. not massacred) and stereotypes about blacks are not the same. And what about the joke in Toy story 2 which was withdrawn following # MeToo… It may be found out of place, but do you really think the kids will understand the hint?
For those who have not followed, Disney Plus is a channel that allows you to watch the best of the Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Fox programs (The simpsons) or National Geographic documentaries. Available at only € 6.99 / month (or € 69.99 / year), this channel will be joined by the Star platform on February 23, 2021. On the latter, you will find more “mature” content such as the series of films Die Hard, Alien VS Predator, Deadpool, Family Guy, etc. Until July, it will suffice to be a Disney + subscriber to enjoy it for free, so now is the time …
