Aladdin
From the very beginning, Aladdin gets off on the wrong foot. The song playing during the opening credits details what it’s like to live in the Arab world, explaining it’s a place “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” and that “it’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.” Of course, once people complained about the shameful stereotyping, the lyrics were changed for future editions of the movie.
Lady and the Tramp
The evil cats that wreak havoc on poor Lady’s abode speak with a lisp and have buck teeth (I didn’t realize cats could even have buck teeth) and narrowed eyes. Their features, along with the banging of a gong at the beginning of their song, couldn’t make the Asian-specific racism any more obvious.
There are plenty more examples that people take umbrage with—the crows from Dumbo, King Louie and his brethren from The Jungle Book, and the “Savages” song from Pocahontas, to name a few. And how about the fact that all of the heroes and heroines in Disney movies have American accents, regardless of their origins?
Some argue that this imagery reflects what’s acceptable in a certain era. However, considering that Disney’s most recent endeavor has already gotten some flack for its potentially racist plot points—the black princess turns into a frog for most of the movie, and she was originally called Maddy (close to Mammy, critics accused)—the corporation clearly has a few kinks to sort out when it comes to cultural sensitivity. I’m crossing my fingers for a great movie come December, because the little kid in me will always be a Disney fan at heart. But given Disney’s previous portrayals of non-Caucasian characters, I’m anticipating a great deal of backlash, too.
