Advocacy groups fear a disclaimer added by Disney Plus to outdated portrayals of minorities raises more questions than it answers.
Digital Trends reports the disclaimer has been added to such films as The Jungle Book and Peter Pan.
It was not added to Aladdin which has been criticized by Middle Eastern and Arab groups.
It reads “this program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.”
The late deejay Casey Kasem and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) successfully convinced Disney to change offensive lyrics in Aladdin’s introductory song Arabian Nights.
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“They had meetings to talk about their concerns about how it was stereotyping Arab culture and how they wanted to get one line of the song changed,” Guy Aoki, founder of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), told The Hollywood Reporter. “I know that they would be very disappointed that there is not even a disclaimer to acknowledge that there are some questionable things in that film.”
Lady and the Tramp and another Disney animated animal film, Aristocats, both feature cats that mock Asian Americans. Both will stream on Disney Plus with the disclaimer, according to Madness Hub.
“It would be helpful if they were more specific as to what’s the problem because I think people can learn from this,” said Aoki. He would like to see extra commentary added to films explaining the reasons behind the disclaimer.
Pocahontas is among the films that did not receive a disclaimer.
“Is it inaccurate? Yes. Is it stereotypical? Yes,” Ian Skorodin of the Native American non-profit, the Barcid Foundation, said to the Hollywood Reporter. He also praised Disney for its casting of Native American actress Irene Bedard as the voice of Pocahontas.
Others also praised Disney. Azita Ghanizada, founder of MENA (Middle Eastern North African) Arts Advocacy Coalition, has been critical of Aladdin. But she also called the disclaimer “the first step to correcting things that might not have been thought about 10, 20, 30 years ago when these [films] were being made.”
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