Parents Television Council Commends Disney for Removing Nudity From Splash

While Disney+ has been part of the streaming service landscape for months now, viewers are still discovering some hidden gems — and bizarre surprises. One of the latter got attention earlier this week, when it was revealed that the Disney+ edit of Splash goes to some awkward lengths to edit out female nudity. A viral clip showed that the streaming service superimposed CGI hair over Daryl Hannah’s butt, with some genuinely bizarre results. While the choice has drawn a lot of scrutiny online, it apparently does have some fans — namely, the Parents Television Council. On Wednesday, the PTC put out a statement commending Disney+ for the censorship, arguing that it helps keep the streaming service truly “family-friendly”.

“Disney+ has a distinctive advantage over other streaming services in that its business model was designed to be family-friendly,” PTC president Tim Winter said in a statement. “We are grateful to Disney+ for wisely ensuring that nudity in the original film, Splash, was edited. Making those edits does not make the film unrecognizable or unwatchable. Instead, the edits serve to ensure that children who may watch the film aren’t confronted by nudity, and ultimately this makes Disney+ a trustworthy streamer for families.”

“As Disney+ continues to add new content, we want to encourage the company to keep its commitment to families to provide a safe, family-friendly environment – something that is even more crucial as children are spending more time with digital media during quarantine,” Winter’s statement continues. “While the company has promised not to include R-rated content, we ask Disney to go a step further to protect children by adding parental controls and content filtering options. These two steps would make Disney+ even better for families.”

While it’s easy to see the PTC’s point, some would argue that the censorship of Splash causes more problems than it solves. For one thing, the CGI used to remove the nudity looks awkward and haphazard, with many drawing parallels to the “digital fur technology” used in Cats. Some have also questioned why female nudity was scandalous enough to be censored on Disney+, while other pieces of content on the streaming service feature Hulk’s naked butt or The Mandalorian slicing somebody in half with a door.

Granted, this certainly isn’t the first time that Disney+ has altered its content, between reportedly removing f-bombs from Adventures in Babysitting and Free Solo, and adding the dreaded “Maclunkey” line to Star Wars: A New Hope. It also has had some issues with potential upcoming original content, with both the Lizzie McGuire revival and the Love, Simon spinoff Love, Victor (which has since moved to Hulu) have ignited controversies for reportedly not being “family-friendly” enough.

What do you think of the Parents Television Council’s response to Disney+’s censorship of Splash? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!