In light of The Walt Disney Company's recently launched Stories Matter initiative, the House of Mouse continues to reflect upon its past work and act with the guidance from a third-party advisory council on how to treat some of its classic animated films when presenting them to younger audiences. In its latest move, Disney+ has removed access on kids profiles to several titles that typically some with content advisory notices.
Among the films identified were animated classics such as Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Aristocats. These three titles are some of the most high-profile Disney films that feature "negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures," according to the advisory board. Previously, these movies would simply include an advisory notice ahead of them, but now they are totally removed from the Kids Profile.
The Stories Matter initiative has clear examples of some of the negative depictions in each title, including the cat in Aristocats, which is "depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth." The site also recognizes in Dumbo the "crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations." And for Peter Pan, the film "portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions."
It wasn't only animated films removed from Kids Profile. The 1960 live-action movie Swiss Family Robinson was removed for its pirates who are "portrayed as a stereotypical foreign menace."
All four of these movies are no longer available to stream on Disney+ profiles that are set up specifically for children. As the company's online help center explains: "Titles with a content advisory notice related to negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures have been excluded." The company also notes:
Local ratings and cultural sensitivities can mean that there may be some variations in the availability of specific titles when using Kids Profile in different regions.
These movies are still accessible through standard Disney+ accounts with a disclaimer playing before them that 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."
Disney recently announced plans to update its Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World to address criticism over the ride's outdated and insensitive depiction of foreign cultures. Splash Mountain, which is based on the controversial film Song of the South, is also being reimagined with a new Princess and the Frog theme.