MovieChat Forums > Peter Pan (1953) Discussion > Disney and Politcal Incorrectness

Disney and Politcal Incorrectness

posted 12 years ago by Don_Flamenco
11 replies | jump to latest

Personally, I've never been offended by old cartoons that may have been the norm at the time but by today's standards are considered grossly politically incorrect.

The most notable example is Song of the South, which has since earned an unofficial black listing and has been made clear will never make its way to DVD for the reason that its considered very offensive to African Americans by today's standards.

We recently got the new Peter Pan Diamond Edition as a gift for our daughter. She loves if as she does most Disney movies. It had been many years since I'd seem Peter Pan. One thing that I couldn't help notice is that it's depiction of Native Americans seems just as offensive as Song of the South's of African Americans.

When if comes to political correctness, or lack there of, how long before they either stop the double standard, or get over it all together, assuming that were talking about something that's not intentionally offensive? Hell, if I was Hispanic and easily offended, I'd be outraged by Speedy Gonzalez.

[–] norman891 12 years ago

"Song of the South" was made in 1946 and was a ground-breaking film for combining live action with animation. It's a shame that so many people will never have the opportunity to see this wonderful film. Again, it was made in 1946, and attitudes and relations betweenn th the races were quite different than they are now. I don't think it's right to ban such a classic film because attitudes were difeerent when it was made

The same would apply to the native American's in "Peter Pan". The movie was made in 1953 - back when cowboys were always the good guys & the indians were always the marauding savages. They are more charicatures of indians than like real people even.

Using that notion that, because an older film is offensive, it's amazing "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "In the Heat of the Night" haven't been banned right along with "Gone With the Wind". To be fair, WHEN a film was made has more to do with the treatment of minorities and should be taken into account before branding the film as "racist" and banning it, as it were.The civil rights movement didn't even begin until the 1960's -- films, tv shows, or any other art prior to that should not be punished and banned because of the different perspective.

"He who made kittens put snakes in the grass." -- Jethro Tull

[–] jaynemanfieldscar 12 years ago

well said.

also, people are just ignorant.. a movie HAVING racism in it does not make IT RACIST. funny how nobody thinks The Hunger Games promotes violence but it has violence IN it!

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[–] TheCheetahPeach 10 years ago

For the people who ignorant & thinks movies should be banned because they're " racist" the they should use the movies to see how racism is a bad thing and how things have changed since then and not have it banned because they are offended by something.

[–] boxerrebellion 10 years ago

Mockingbird actually has a message against that way of life, which makes it a different animal than Song of the South, BUT I do agree with you about the time a movie was made being very important... .sometimes it has more to do with the views portrayed than the time it represents.

[–] MetFanMac 12 years ago

Hell, if I was Hispanic and easily offended, I'd be outraged by Speedy Gonzalez.

Which is ironic because apparently Hispanics LOVE Speedy Gonzalez.
Also, you've got to remember that everything in Neverland is from a children's perspective, hence the pirates and mermaids and "injuns". I doubt children would be captivated by a 100% period-accurate depiction of American-Indian life. (For that matter, pirates almost never made anyone walk the plank.)

Supermodels...spoiled stupid little stick figures mit poofy lips who sink only about zemselves.

[–] silverred999 10 years ago

Oh man... It is a racist movie. People point that out without demanding anything but acknowledgement of the harmful stereotypes ad we get all pissed about it, and then complain that a commercial has too few white people in it.

[–] ZeoRangerFive 10 years ago

I was having a conversation with a friend recently about Sunflower in Fantasia and how people bitch and moan about how it shouldn't be in there because it's a negative stereotype for black people and it is but it's also altering the film. And then everyone complains about these movies are for kids and if they see the negative stereotype it will affect them. I call bullsh!t on that and I'll give you a great example, I was a child when I saw Peter Pan full of it's negative Native American stereotypes and guess what? It didn't affect me in any way, I don't think Native Americans run around and are uneducated or say "How" all the time or anything like that, cause I'm not stupid. Kids don't know what racism is, if they were to see Sunflower in Fantasia all they would think is "that's a funny looking character" not "oh my god, this is what all black people are like" just like I didn't say the same thing about the Native Americans in Peter Pan.

People need to get over their offendedness and just enjoy life.

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[–] silverred999 10 years ago

Dude it did affect you. You just wrote a comment ignoring the racisme and pain it causes.

[–] cheedo 10 years ago

No, she wrote a comment admitting the negativity and said she does not actually think Native Americans or black people look and behave that way. Read it again.

BUT THERE ARE NO GOATS HALFMAN

[–] TheCheetahPeach 10 years ago

When I was little me my sister and brother loved this movie & were part native Americans and we were never offended by this movie or even once thought that's how everyone thinks we are.

I didn't even know what racism was when I was little. One time someone I knew asked me about a friend I was playing with at school & I guess they saw us at recess or something & they asked me if she was black after school got out, I was like yeah and I thought to myself why does it matter? I was around 10 years and I was pretty clueless about racism then.

So no I don't think a little kid watching a kids movie effects them at all when it comes down to racism, unless they're the ones who are constantly getting picked on for their race.

[–] TheCheetahPeach 10 years ago

I'm Native American and I've never been offended by the "Indians" in this movie.