Disney Plus Streaming will not offer 'racist' Song of the South film

[TSwizzle]

there will be a notable absence from Disney Plus: the 1946 film Song of the South, which has long been a controversial title for Disney because of how it depicts the lives of African-American plantation workers in the southern states after the civil war. The company has also decided to cut a scene from Dumbo that is considered racist. Song of the South grossed $65m at the US box office but was never released on DVD in the country, partly because of criticism about its depiction of the lives of Uncle Remus and other former slaves on a plantation as idyllic.

Teh Gruaniad

I've never seen the movie "Song of the South" but I have heard and seen the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". Would it be so controversial to allow this movie to be seen ? Would it be too much for the snowflakes ? Probably.

 

[Politesse]

there will be a notable absence from Disney Plus: the 1946 film Song of the South, which has long been a controversial title for Disney because of how it depicts the lives of African-American plantation workers in the southern states after the civil war. The company has also decided to cut a scene from Dumbo that is considered racist. Song of the South grossed $65m at the US box office but was never released on DVD in the country, partly because of criticism about its depiction of the lives of Uncle Remus and other former slaves on a plantation as idyllic.

Teh Gruaniad

I've never seen the movie "Song of the South" but I have heard and seen the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". Would it be so controversial to allow this movie to be seen ? Would it be too much for the snowflakes ? Probably.

I sincerely hope that, if you saw it, its racist reputation would not be confusing to you.

 

[James Brown]

"I've never seen something, but what's the big deal about it" ?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

there will be a notable absence from Disney Plus: the 1946 film Song of the South, which has long been a controversial title for Disney because of how it depicts the lives of African-American plantation workers in the southern states after the civil war. The company has also decided to cut a scene from Dumbo that is considered racist. Song of the South grossed $65m at the US box office but was never released on DVD in the country, partly because of criticism about its depiction of the lives of Uncle Remus and other former slaves on a plantation as idyllic.

Teh Gruaniad

I've never seen the movie "Song of the South" but I have heard and seen the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". Would it be so controversial to allow this movie to be seen ? Would it be too much for the snowflakes ? Probably.

You can always watch Breakfast at Tiffanys to get your fix.

 

[marc]

Saw it long ago as a kid, when the controversial stuff would go over my head. Do remember the tar baby scene, which I’m sure is definitely out today

 

[Copernicus]

I can see why the scene is offensive, although it is iconic for those of us who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s. The film was actually first released in 1946, the year that I was born. Those were the days when overt racist rhetoric was common, albeit controversial. For the sake of informing those who never saw the  Uncle Remus actor singing this song, which was pervasive throughout my childhood, here is a recording of just the song. You can judge for yourself how offensive and racist it is.

[YOUTUBE]6bWyhj7siEY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Politesse]

It really is quite a sweet little film, and I can easily believe that it was well-intentioned. But sometimes it is best to leave things in the past. I don't believe for a second that anyone is actually clamoring to have it released on streaming for any reason other than political grandstanding. If you and your kids want to watch a sweet, mostly harmless partially animated film from the era, Fun and Fancy Free was put out the year before and features Mickey and Friends in the middle section, so even kids of the modern age will have something to latch on to. It was the very last film in which Walt himself voiced Mickey, and is well worth a watch, and like Song of the South, Melody Time and many other cheaply produced montage films released in the post-war years, ultimately helped the company build the capital to create some true masterpieces over the next half decade, including the enduring classic Cinderella in 1950, and Peter Pan in 1953.

But of course, appreciating period art and rescuing old Disney films from obscurity on merit alone isn't your real goal... is it?

 

[Copernicus]

It really is quite a sweet little film, and I can easily believe that it was well-intentioned. But sometimes it is best to leave things in the past. I don't believe for a second that anyone is actually clamoring to have it released on streaming for any reason other than political grandstanding. If you and your kids want to watch a sweet, mostly harmless partially animated film from the era, Fun and Fancy Free was put out the year before and features Mickey and Friends in the middle section, so even kids of the modern age will have something to latch on to. It was the very last film in which Walt himself voiced Mickey, and is well worth a watch, and like Song of the South, Melody Time and many other cheaply produced montage films released in the post-war years, ultimately helped the company build the capital to create some true masterpieces over the next half decade, including the enduring classic Cinderella in 1950, and Peter Pan in 1953.

But of course, appreciating period art and rescuing old Disney films from obscurity on merit alone isn't your real goal... is it?

Actually, it kind of is. Do bear in mind that Uncle Remus was part of an old oral tradition that had more to do with the cultural legacy of African Americans than white supremacy. Suppressing it may seem like the best path to take, in light of modern sensitivities over racial politics, but we probably ought to try to preserve something of the historical reality that spawned these stories. It may not be the case that it is always "best to leave things in the past". People do need to try to understand exactly what happened in the past in order to understand why things turned out to be the way they are in the present.

 

[Politesse]

It really is quite a sweet little film, and I can easily believe that it was well-intentioned. But sometimes it is best to leave things in the past. I don't believe for a second that anyone is actually clamoring to have it released on streaming for any reason other than political grandstanding. If you and your kids want to watch a sweet, mostly harmless partially animated film from the era, Fun and Fancy Free was put out the year before and features Mickey and Friends in the middle section, so even kids of the modern age will have something to latch on to. It was the very last film in which Walt himself voiced Mickey, and is well worth a watch, and like Song of the South, Melody Time and many other cheaply produced montage films released in the post-war years, ultimately helped the company build the capital to create some true masterpieces over the next half decade, including the enduring classic Cinderella in 1950, and Peter Pan in 1953.

But of course, appreciating period art and rescuing old Disney films from obscurity on merit alone isn't your real goal... is it?

Actually, it kind of is. Do bear in mind that Uncle Remus was part of an old oral tradition that had more to do with the cultural legacy of African Americans than white supremacy. Suppressing it may seem like the best path to take, in light of modern sensitivities over racial politics, but we probably ought to try to preserve something of the historical reality that spawned these stories. It may not be the case that it is always "best to leave things in the past". People do need to try to understand exactly what happened in the past in order to understand why things turned out to be the way they are in the present.

I have no objection to history education, even on very sensitive topics. This is not necessarily accomplished by watching old movies uncritically or without context.

Disney has indeed tried to suppress the memory of this film in many contexts, which has not worked and probably is not a great plan anyway. But, I don't see the decision not to stream this movie on their website as an example of suppression. Deciding to redistribute a movie on a new medium is both a social and and economic decision, and they do have a right to try and define their current brand.

 

[marc]

This is not necessarily accomplished by watching old movies uncritically or without context.

True. We have a DvD set of classic WB cartoons. At the beginning of which is a message from Whoopie Goldberg warning that a number of the cartoons contain stuff that is considered offensive today. I'm glad they did that, providing the original versions of the cartoons, and acknowledged that some of the jokes are pretty cringe worthy today.

 

[DrZoidberg]

there will be a notable absence from Disney Plus: the 1946 film Song of the South, which has long been a controversial title for Disney because of how it depicts the lives of African-American plantation workers in the southern states after the civil war. The company has also decided to cut a scene from Dumbo that is considered racist. Song of the South grossed $65m at the US box office but was never released on DVD in the country, partly because of criticism about its depiction of the lives of Uncle Remus and other former slaves on a plantation as idyllic.

Teh Gruaniad

I've never seen the movie "Song of the South" but I have heard and seen the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". Would it be so controversial to allow this movie to be seen ? Would it be too much for the snowflakes ? Probably.

I also think it's racist. But it is part of our shared cultural heritage. It has cultural significance precisely because it's so whitewashes (lol pun) the US slavery past. It's interesting how this was a mass market film clearly just ignoring the black population, because they were poor and in a capitalist market, therefore their opinions and feelings didn't matter. Watching this film is educational and an important lesson, precisely to help educate us AGAINST racism.

Pulling films like this because of racism is just Nazi book burning all over again. It's pure evil. We've created an Orwelian dystopia where we are our own secret police. It's truly a horrifying world we've created.

 

[thebeave]

So, what exactly are the incidents in the film that make it racist? The bar for what constitutes racism these days is so low, it really makes me wonder if its much ado about nothing.

 

[TSwizzle]

I also think it's racist. But it is part of our shared cultural heritage. It has cultural significance precisely because it's so whitewashes (lol pun) the US slavery past. It's interesting how this was a mass market film clearly just ignoring the black population, because they were poor and in a capitalist market, therefore their opinions and feelings didn't matter. Watching this film is educational and an important lesson, precisely to help educate us AGAINST racism.

I haven't seen the movie but I have read a few commentaries about it. I read a commentary that thought it was actually a more positive message than a racist message. And then I also saw a commentary from someone who had a different view that it was very racist in the way blacks were portrayed. I guess I would need to see it for myself to have a meaningful opinion on the movie itself.

Pulling films like this because of racism is just Nazi book burning all over again. It's pure evil. We've created an Orwelian dystopia where we are our own secret police.

I agree with you here.

It's truly a horrifying world we've created.

I don't think "they" are done yet.

 

[ideologyhunter]

They've also withdrawn Mickey's Lynching Bee (1931), which was Oscar-nommed for the song "Mouse Gonna Get Ya".

 

[Politesse]

there will be a notable absence from Disney Plus: the 1946 film Song of the South, which has long been a controversial title for Disney because of how it depicts the lives of African-American plantation workers in the southern states after the civil war. The company has also decided to cut a scene from Dumbo that is considered racist. Song of the South grossed $65m at the US box office but was never released on DVD in the country, partly because of criticism about its depiction of the lives of Uncle Remus and other former slaves on a plantation as idyllic.

Teh Gruaniad

I've never seen the movie "Song of the South" but I have heard and seen the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". Would it be so controversial to allow this movie to be seen ? Would it be too much for the snowflakes ? Probably.

I also think it's racist. But it is part of our shared cultural heritage. It has cultural significance precisely because it's so whitewashes (lol pun) the US slavery past. It's interesting how this was a mass market film clearly just ignoring the black population, because they were poor and in a capitalist market, therefore their opinions and feelings didn't matter. Watching this film is educational and an important lesson, precisely to help educate us AGAINST racism.

Pulling films like this because of racism is just Nazi book burning all over again. It's pure evil. We've created an Orwelian dystopia where we are our own secret police. It's truly a horrifying world we've created.

What film has been "pulled"? If you owned a copy of this movie yesterdsy, you still do today. They haven't removed the film from their streaming service, they just haven't republished it in the new format. How is this anything remotely like a book-burning?

 

[ronburgundy]

there will be a notable absence from Disney Plus: the 1946 film Song of the South, which has long been a controversial title for Disney because of how it depicts the lives of African-American plantation workers in the southern states after the civil war. The company has also decided to cut a scene from Dumbo that is considered racist. Song of the South grossed $65m at the US box office but was never released on DVD in the country, partly because of criticism about its depiction of the lives of Uncle Remus and other former slaves on a plantation as idyllic.

Teh Gruaniad

I've never seen the movie "Song of the South" but I have heard and seen the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". Would it be so controversial to allow this movie to be seen ? Would it be too much for the snowflakes ? Probably.

One thing is clear, Disney making a decision about what to do with their own property is too much for alt-right snowflakes to handle.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I haven't seen the movie but I have read a few commentaries about it. I read a commentary that thought it was actually a more positive message than a racist message. And then I also saw a commentary from someone who had a different view that it was very racist in the way blacks were portrayed. I guess I would need to see it for myself to have a meaningful opinion on the movie itself.



I agree with you here.

It's truly a horrifying world we've created.

I don't think "they" are done yet.

Yeah, it is probably easy to say that if one knows little about cinema history and all of the movies with ‘questionable’ content. Heck, Temple’s The Littlest Rebel is probably the most objectionable of them all and yet manages to not be racist at all.

 

[bilby]

I also think it's racist. But it is part of our shared cultural heritage. It has cultural significance precisely because it's so whitewashes (lol pun) the US slavery past. It's interesting how this was a mass market film clearly just ignoring the black population, because they were poor and in a capitalist market, therefore their opinions and feelings didn't matter. Watching this film is educational and an important lesson, precisely to help educate us AGAINST racism.

Pulling films like this because of racism is just Nazi book burning all over again. It's pure evil. We've created an Orwelian dystopia where we are our own secret police. It's truly a horrifying world we've created.

What film has been "pulled"? If you owned a copy of this movie yesterdsy, you still do today. They haven't removed the film from their streaming service, they just haven't republished it in the new format. How is this anything remotely like a book-burning?

It's not so much like 'book burning' as it is like not stocking an obscure and infrequently borrowed book at the conveniently located branch library, and instead telling anyone who happens to ask for it that they will need to order it in from the central library instead.

Not a single person who sets out with the desire to watch this movie is being prevented from doing so; But they may need to exert slightly more effort to see it than remaining on their couch pushing buttons on their remote control.

The only interesting thing about this thread is that it highlights just how lazy right wingers have become about their rights - both in terms of standing up for them, and in terms of defining them and understanding their scope.

The people with the fewest problems in the history of humanity are inventing non-issues to be enraged about - and anyone who suggests that their rage is childish and misplaced, and that they might instead think about a real problem is a 'snowflake'.

 

[DrZoidberg]

So, what exactly are the incidents in the film that make it racist? The bar for what constitutes racism these days is so low, it really makes me wonder if its much ado about nothing.

I've seen it several times. I like the film. The racism hits you in the face like a tonne of bricks. It's the whole tone of it. It's extremely condescending towards black people. Across the board. As if blacks are savage children of nature. Remus can talk to animals, so the "magical negro" trope. It's got pretty much every possible racist trope in there.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/SongOfTheSouth

But I still like it. I like musicals. This film makes me happy. I'm able to find the racism offensive, yet still enjoy it. Because that's what normal people can do. Normal people don't seem to have trouble telling fact from fiction.

 

[DrZoidberg]

I haven't seen the movie but I have read a few commentaries about it. I read a commentary that thought it was actually a more positive message than a racist message. And then I also saw a commentary from someone who had a different view that it was very racist in the way blacks were portrayed. I guess I would need to see it for myself to have a meaningful opinion on the movie itself.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is a musical. Musicals are by their very nature twisted and sugar coated versions of reality. So in context the racism is actually fine here. It's so racist that it turns into a parody of racism. Which I think is fun. In the same way as it's fun to see Brent suffer in Ricky Gervais' Office.

But you need to like musicals. If you don't, then don't watch it.