As a kid, I have always been a huge fan of Disney videos so when I came upon this video, I was shocked! I mean, when you’re a kid and watching cartoons- you don’t think about certain things or pay attention to them since we aren’t really aware of the ‘hidden messages’. Some of the scenes that are shown in this video are so racist not only towards Blacks but towards Hispanics. So check this video out and see what you think.
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Great link and post…i’m especially interested in how the media shapes our perceptions of different ethnic groups. I am an international studies major and my final project will most likely be on how cinema and other forms of media gives americans false perceptions of the middle east and how this influences our foreign policy and even our current involvement there…
That being said, here’s a link the introduction of aladdin, if anyone wants to see how that movie, which i’m sure we all loved when we were young, puts ideas in children’s heads about the middle east being foreign and exotic and faraway and full of backward people wearing turbans.
Here’s the link i fanyone wants to watch the first few minutes of aladdin:
And here’s a line from the song…
“It’s barbaric, but hey it’s home”
WOW!!!! Thanks for posting this Sandra. I was a big disney fan as a kid, unbeknownst that I was being made a mockery of on TV. I don’t understand how some people can say racism does not exist when it seems to permeate every inch of society….including children cartoons!! I can only hope that the next generation are more tolerant of each other and there will be bigger strives in uniting together despite their differences.
You know, it is amazing how much the media can get away with. As kids you don’t realize what is being said, you just laugh at things like this because you don’t know any better. Besides it’s Disney and Disney would never do anything like that. Yea right!! There are so many sumbliminal messages in these movies it is unbelievable. It’s just horrible how they make every ethnic group look so stereotypical. The media feeds in to stereotypes without thinking about what they are showing us first.
Thanks for posting this Sandra. I had not notice up until now and I find it insulting because they were movies that we all loved to watch. I have two links that are similar to your video, but just offers more insight(scenes) on the matter.
Here are the links:
I am just wondering if you still look at “Disney” the same way as you did before watching this video.
this was a great video. i’m honestly surprised that they didn’t elaborate at all on the Crows. They’re from the movie “dumbo” and the name of the song that they’re singing is “when i see a elephant fly”… the whole song is full of incorrect grammar, which just reinforces the stereotype of ignorance among African Americans. i also thought it was interesting that the people who made the video cut the clips with what seemed to be clips from minstrel shows of people in Blackface at certain points. i was also surprised that there wasn’t anything about “Song of the South” that movie has actually never been released for home video… and the man who played Uncle Remus (a black man) wasn’t allowed to attend the movie premiere in Atlanta, Georgia for the sheer fact that he was black. i’ve actually found this interesting for awhile as i have four young nieces & a young nephew who love watching old Disney movies. it’s something i didn’t notice when i was younger, but at the age of 20 i start to pick up on things i never thought anything of when i was little. thanks for posting this!
oh & also Sheri, on the DVD release of Aladdin, they changed the line from “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” to “where it’s flat and immense and the heat is intense” … even the drawing of the features in the characters of Jafar (bad guy, definite middle eastern features) to Aladdin (protagonist, could be a white guy with a tan…)
sorry, i watch a lot of Disney. hah
It is amazing that I never picked up on these stereotype. I am a huge disney fan and my daughters are as well. i have so many old disney that i have passed down to my children. Now I am curious to sit and watch them and actually pay attention to the details. thanks
I came across this post because it links back to a post I put up of Disney movies…
Whereas I agree 100% that these clips are completely stereotypical, you do need to remember that they were created in a time where that was somewhat accepted. Take a look at most movies made around the same time and I’m betting you’ll find similar stereotypes. (I’m not saying it’s RIGHT, mind you!) And it does sound like they’re trying to correct things where they can without totally re-creating the movie.
If I’m not mistaken, there aren’t any recent Disney movies in that clip..? I certainly hope they’ve learned their lesson and don’t make the same mistakes in newer movies.
Disney’s downfall is that their movies are loved by generations, so they tend to stick around … and thankfully, we, as a society have evolved!