Disney+ has removed several "classic" movies from children's profiles because they feature scenes that include racist and stereotypical representations. The move comes after the streaming service added warnings to the films, including Peter Pan, Dumbo, Swiss Family Robinson, and Aristocats.
Disney explained their reasoning for pulling the movies from children's profiles on the "Stories Matter" section of its website.
"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 provided examples of racist scenes from each of the films. 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."
Disney said that 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."
The movies will still be available under regular Disney+ profiles and will include a content warning.
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