Disney fans and some employees are calling for the company to change the theme of its popular Splash Mountain ride, which is based on the 1946 movie 'Song of the South' that critics say is one of Disney's most racist films.
Splash Mountain was first opened in 1989 at Disneyland with the theme of"Song of the South," a live action/animation hybrid film that is set in the Reconstruction era after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
"Song of the South" was re-released in theaters 1986 but is not part of the deep vault of Disney films on its Disney+ streaming service. The company did not respond to TODAY’s request for comment for this story.in March that it was not included on Disney+ due to its"outdated cultural depictions."for perpetuating"a dangerously glorified picture of slavery" and has been panned by movie critics for its depiction of the antebellum South.to be a racist stereotype.
The Splash Mountain ride makes no mention of Uncle Remus but features the story of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox as well as the famous song"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah."about how he would re-theme the ride into"The Princess and the Frog" from"Song of the South." “The bones of the attraction are good, but I think it’s time for us to take a serious look at where our stories come from and how people of color are represented on screen and in the parks,” Chambers told TODAY.
"If, at the end of the day, a racist caricature is replaced by the first black Disney princess, I will feel like this was all worth it. I don’t believe Disney has ever had an attraction with black lead characters. It’s time to change that."in 2017 to instead feature men and women surrendering goods like art and clocks to the pirates.
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Disney fans say Splash Mountain, a ride inspired by 'Song of the South,' should be re-themedSplash Mountain, a popular ride at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, is based on the 1946 film 'Song of the South,' long criticized for using racist stereotypes. Fans want to keep the ride, but they're asking Disney to scrap all mention of the movie.
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