Yes, it seems that not even Disney is free from being racist occasionally.
Sure, you could chalk most of these up to “being a different time” but I dunno… seems pretty dicey.
1. King Candy In “Wreck It Ralph”
So let’s set aside the fact that King Candy is a flamboyant, wrist waving and cowardly character (which is an over the top stereotype for gay people to begin with).
Let’s talk about the moment where Ralph picks him up, shakes him and calls him a “Nelly Wafer”.
Nelly and Wafer are two derogatory terms for gay people, making this moment pretty homophobic.
2. “Song Of The South”
Two words: Uncle Remus.
He’s a happy-go-lucky former slave that still lives on the plantation that enslaved him. Wait… what? He still lives on the plantation? Then why is he so bloody happy?
3. “Education For Death”
This one is a propaganda film by Disney, and it features little German boys growing up to be Nazis.
It’s particularly bad for German people, as not all of them are/were Nazis and not all agreed with Hitler’s policies.
4. “One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing”
You might not have heard of this movie, which is probably something Disney wants because they have some pretty bad stereotypes in it.
The Chinese spies played by white actors, in particular.
5. The Siamese Cats
Would you just look at these two offensive Asian stereotypes?
Using a gong in their song where they sing with over the top Asian accents. Jeez, you couldn’t be more offensive.
6. Opening Song of “Aladdin”
There were some pretty offensive lyrics in the opening song for Aladdin , especially the one that goes “they’ll cut off your ear if they don’t like your face.”
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Luckily, they took it out in the 2019 version.
7. “What Made The Red Man Red?”
Alright, Peter Pan , don’t pretend to be all innocent and childlike over there. You know what you did.
Lyrics like: Once the Injun didn’t know/All the things that he know now/But the Injun, he sure learn a lot/And it’s all from asking, “How?”
Shame.
8. Pedro The Chihuahua
Don’t think you’re out of the woods yet, Lady And The Tramp !
Yes, we know that the Chihuahua is named after a Mexican state, but there’s no need to give him exaggerated features and a Mexican accent.
9. The Crows
Everyone remembers the crows. They were bad stereotypes of black people (or at least they were presented that way).
Jim Crow? So black people are crows?
Real clever, Disney.
10. Der Furers Face
Another propaganda movie by Disney, this one featured Donald Duck working in a Nazi weapons factory. It also featured Hirohito with overly exaggerated features, yellow skin, and buck teeth.
If you hadn’t guessed: this is a stereotype for Asian people.
11. “The Little Mermaid”
Oh yes, there are two parts in The Little Mermaid that are pretty offensive.
First off, the whole movie promotes the idea that women are more attractive if they keep their mouths shut.
Second, there’s a fish called “The Blackfish” that’s big-lipped, in a sequin dress and belts loudly.
Some have equated this to an offensive portrayal of black people, and I can’t blame them.
12. Snow White’s Kiss
Not only is Snow White a woman forced to clean up after men, not only is the Evil Queen bent on destroying her because she’s prettier, but the Prince kissed her without consent!
13. The Song Of The Roustabouts
At first, this just seems like a song like “Hi Ho.” Just a song to get a couple of fellas through a hard day of work.
But then you dig a little deeper…
And realize the whole thing stinks of racism.
First off, all the characters in the song are black.
Which wouldn’t be all that racist (maybe the circus just overwhelmingly hires black people) until you realize none of them have faces.
As opposed to the white people who do.
And that’s not all folks! Check out the lyrics:
“Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike!
When other folks have gone to bed
We slave until we’re almost dead
We’re happy-hearted roustabouts.”
Black people singing about being slaves? Bad taste.
There’s more in the lyrics, but something tells me you get the point.
No wonder this scene was taken out of the live-action version.
This may have flown in 1941, but it certainly would not have been cool in 2019. That’s for sure.
14. African Natives From “Cannibal Capers”
I know this is going to be hard to believe, but a cartoon from the ’30s about African people has not aged well, not at all.
I know, I know, you’ve never heard that one before.
But it’s true.
The so-called “Cannibals” in this short are portrayed as skinny with round stomachs, big lips and guess how they talk.
If you said “by clicking” then you have either done this before or are deeply disturbed.
15. The Merchant From “Aladdin”
Yes, I know he’s played by Robin Williams and I know Robin Williams (rest his soul) changed your life in all sorts of different ways, and anyone criticizing any role he does is pretty much internet suicide…
There’s a big fat “but” coming, isn’t there?
But not only does he sing that aforementioned opening song, but his whole character just screams of Arabian stereotype.
A man who peddles cheap things on the side of the road, trying to swindle you the viewer? Does that sound like a particular race to you?
It shouldn’t. And yet, Disney attributes it to Arabians.
16. “Pocahontas” in general
As per author Rebecca Kay Jager: “The true Pocahontas story has a sad ending.
In 1612, at the age of 17, Pocahontas was treacherously taken prisoner by the English while she was on a social visit, and was held hostage at Jamestown for over a year.”
That’s the actual story of Pocahontas.
The one that Disney completely failed to mention.
But hey, it’s a kids movie, so they couldn’t show a teenage girl getting kidnapped and sold to some British dude.
That doesn’t really change the “Savages” song.
Or the fact that Native-American people are portrayed as people who can talk to trees and animals and whatnot.
The whole movie is just one big white savior movement and it needs to stop.
17. Setting of “The Lion King”
You may be thinking: “well hang on, how can Lion King possibly be racist? There are no humans in sight, and lions don’t have races!”
Well you’ve hit the nail on the head, pally.
Once again, Africa is portrayed in the media as one big wildlife reserve with no humans in sight.
Even though there are 1.2 billion people or 1/7th of the entire human population.
But we’ll let this one go since they probably just wanted to make it about animals.
18. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed
And let’s talk about the hyenas for a moment.
How could this possibly be problematic, we hear you ask. Is it going to be something about race? Something about Ed being mentally disabled?
Mostly Column A, actually.
Think about it, those three are the most sonically ethnicized (Bonzai sounding Mexican, Shenzi sounding black).
There is a huge problem in Hollywood with black and Hispanic people being cast as buffoons and this was another instance.
19. King Louie
Notice how most other animals in the jungle have a dapper English accent, but the monkeys and apes all talk jive?
Does any of that seem a little suspicious to you?
Not yet? Well, consider the following:
Not only is King Louie the only one who wants to be a “real person,” but the author of The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling, is the same guy who wrote “The White Man’s Burden.”
20. Animal Abuse
From Dumbo . But to be fair to this movie, as we were for The Lion King , that was probably the point.
But it definitely scarred a bunch of kids!
