Disney has added a warning label acknowledging the racist content in the movies “Aristocats,” “Peter Pan,” Dumbo,” and “The Swiss Family Robinson,” which will appear before those titles play on Disney+, The Hill reports.
The label, which is similar to the disclaimer that other companies like Warner Bros. have put on older titles, reads: “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 is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.”
The company goes on to specify that “Aristocats” includes “a racist caricature of East Asian peoples,” “Dumbo” has an “homage to racist minstrel shows,” “Peter Pan” “portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner,” and “The Swiss Family Robinson” includes actors “in ‘yellow face’ or ‘brown face’” to appear “as a stereotypical foreign menace.”
Disney notes that it decided not to remove the content because it presents “an opportunity to spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all. 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.”