Disney+ Adding Disclaimer to Movies With Racist Depictions

Leading up to the launch of Disney+, many people were concerned about the content in a handful of older Disney classics. Films like Dumbo, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp had their fair share of racially-charged tropes and many had wondered if the House of Mouse would keep the specific scenes in the versions of the films released on Disney+. Now the OTT service has launched, it can be confirmed Disney hasn’t removed the vast majority of racist depictions. Instead of cutting them out of the film, the service has launched a disclaimer in each of the movie’s respective descriptions. For the most part, any movie with the aforementioned content has a disclaimer that reads, “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.”

Admittedly, Disney has been inconsistent in its rulings; take Fantasia as an example. In the Disney+ version of the movie, the centaur Sunflower has been removed, keeping in line with any release of the animated feature since 1969. Aladdin, on the other hand, remains in its original form. Despite many believing the original animated included several instances of racist tropes, the movie didn’t receive the above disclaimer or warning.

The platform itself has been a major focal point for Disney over the past 16 months and it’s unclear what steps the company will take to resolve some of the earliest criticisms, especially pertaining to this topic. “Disney+ marks a bold step forward in an exciting new era for our company — one in which consumers will have a direct connection to the incredible array of creative content that is The Walt Disney Company‘s hallmark,” Iger said about the platform in a statement earlier this year. “We are confident that the combination of our unrivaled storytelling, beloved brands, iconic franchises, and cutting-edge technology will make Disney+ a standout in the marketplace, and deliver significant value for consumers and shareholders alike.”

Disney+ is now live on most major devices. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do that here. What have you been watching on the service so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

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