Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty
Disney was well aware that some of its iconic content it is offering on Disney+ was insanely problematic, and at first, announced it would address with a vague warning. Now, the house of the mouse is cleaning that message up with a new warning label.
Right around the time Disney+ was set to launch back in November 2019, Disney announced it would warn viewers with a label about the racist content in some of its older movies so it wouldn’t have to remove it. The message was met with some criticism because some felt the company’s wording about the content in question was hazy at best.
“This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.”
It would seem that Disney has gotten the message and is now issuing a new unskippable warning label before several of its movies and shows warning of racists stereotypes.
Per Polygon:
“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it, and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.”
Disney fans will see the message appear before movies like The Aristocats, Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Swiss Family Robinson. It will also include a URL to a Disney website called Stories Matter and will explain why the depictions of the characters in the movies are wrong and harmful. The warning will also live on the landing pages for those films as well.
This is Disney’s latest effort to right some wrongs. The company also announced that it would be “reworking” its iconic Splash Mountain ride based on one of its most problematic films, Song of the South, that has been criticized for its depictions of African Americans. The ride will now feature characters from the Princess and the Frog, Disney’s first animated feature to have a Black princess.
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Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty
