Disney has taken a crucial step of addressing racism when it comes to the content produced under their banner. Even though, the awareness against racism has been a major point of discussion for a while now, the popular Disney classics do have controversial content. As the platform decided to stream these old shows on Disney+ digital platform, they also made sure to acknowledge the problematic scenes through a disclaimer. Peter Pan, The Jungle Book and Dumbo are the latest additions. Walt Disney Announces Strategic Reorganisation of Its Media to Focus on Streaming During COVID-19 Pandemic.
The disclaimer reads as, "This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now." It also further says, "we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together".
Earlier, they had put out a shorter disclaimer for the classics from the era of 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. It read, "This programme is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions." Classics have witnessed a wrath in today's time due to the glorification of outdated belief systems. Disney+ dropped Song of the South from the OTT platform due to racism. Not just Disney+ but HBO Max also had to pull down Gone With the Wind for some time owing to racial discrimination. Nice move, Disney!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 16, 2020 04:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).