When you think of Disney, it probably brings back innocent childhood memories, but now, its new streaming platform has added warnings to some of its movies. The concern is that younger generations may find some of the classics racist. Advisory warnings prelude some of the movies on Disney+, explaining that the film may contain outdated cultural depictions or that its characters may be smoking.
Looking back, there are some cringeworthy racist moments.
“Dumbo” contains racist stereotypes of African Americans in the form of black crows who use jive slang. “Jim Crow” - the lead crow - was also a term used to describe racial segregation laws in the U.S. “The Jungle Book” also contains African American stereotypes.
“Sunflower” in the movie “Fantasia” is an offensive black centaur seen waiting on her white brethren.
“Lady and the Tramp” contains stereotypes of Asians. The characters are animated with exaggerated accents and slanted eyes. The same goes for “The Aristocats.”
“Peter Pan” features scenes depicting an indigenous tribe with embarrassing Native stereotypes including the musical number "What Made the Red Man Red."
Overall, reactions on social media have been mixed.
There’s one movie you won’t find on there at all. Disney+ opted to exclude the 1946 movie “Song of the South” due to its portrayal of Post-Civil War African Americans.