LOS ANGELES (US) – Content advisory notices have appeared in classic Disney animated movies such as “Peter Pan,” “The Aristocrats” and “Dumbo” warning viewers that they contain stereotyped portrayal of people of colour.
This is viewed as Hollywood’s latest attempt to tackle racism. The advisories are in the form of a short graphic on the Disney + streaming service having some of the old classics.
“This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures,” reads the advisory.
“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,” it adds.
The firm said the advisories are part of an effort to review its library content.
In the 1953 film “Peter Pan”, the hero calls the Native people as “redskins”. Disney said the dancing in headdresses by Peter and the Lost Boys is a “form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples’ culture and imagery.”
When it comes to the 1970 film “The Aristocats,” the advisory mentions that one of the felines “sings in poorly accented English voiced by a white actor and plays the piano with chopsticks.”
The other movies with warnings include “The Lady and the Tramp,” “Swiss Family Robinson,” and “The Jungle Book” from the 1950s to the 1970s.
