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Disney+ banned “The Aristocats,” and other popular films, from children. But why? The reason is to prevent young audiences from viewing racist content.
It turns out that Disney banned this film, and others, from children after a group of outside experts advised the content be changed to represent global audiences.
“The Aristocats” (1970), is blocked from the profiles of children under age seven. However, the movie is still accessible on adult accounts, but with a content warning.
Upon playing the film, the advisory reads: “The cat is depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits.”
Instead of removing the film from its collection, Disney hopes this warning will “spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all.”
About The Aristocats
“The Aristocats” is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe. It was a box office success, making 55.7 million dollars in the United States and Canada.
The animated musical comedy revolves around a family of aristocratic cats who live in a house occupied by Madame, their owner, and Edgar, the butler.
Edgar learns that Madame’s will is set up to leave her fortune to the cats first, and himself after their death. As a result, he decides to secretly get rid of the cats to gain the inheritance money.
After being kidnapped and dumped on the countryside, the family meets an alley cat who helps them find their way home.
Why Disney+ Banned The Aristocats
Eventually, the felines perform the iconic song: “Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat” with a group of music-loving alley cats.
One of the musical cats is a Siamese named Shun Gon, voiced by Paul Winchell, a white actor.
Siamese cats are an oriental/Asian cat breed that originated from Thailand. They are also one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat.
The Siamese cat in the movie is portrayed as a racist depiction of Asian people.
For example, Shun Gon has exaggerated stereotypical traits like slanted eyes and buck teeth. During the “Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat” scene, he even plays the piano with a pair of chopsticks.
He also sings in accented English: “Shanghai, Hong Kong, Egg Foo Yong, fortune cookie always wrong,” lyrics which mock the Chinese language.
More Disney Cats That Portray Racism
“The Aristocats” isn’t the only Disney movie which now has an advisory because of an offensive cat. In “Lady and the Tramp” (1955), the twin Siamese cats also have anti-Asian stereotypes.
For example, these Siamese cats also have slanted eyes, buck teeth, and sing with accented English. While Si and Ann sing “The Siamese Cat Song,” gongs and stereotypical Oriental music play in the background.
The twin cats are also deceptive and intimidating in the movie, which connects negative cat stereotypes to Asian people.
Why Other Disney+ Films Were Banned
Disney added content warnings to other classic films too:
- “Dumbo” (1941): For ridiculing enslaved African-Americans.
- “Peter Pan” (1953): For the “lost boys” dressing up like Native Americans and calling themselves “red skins.”
- “Swiss Family Robinson” (1960): For the pirates who appear in “yellow face” or “brown face” and are inaccurately dressed in an exaggerated way.
Disney said in a statement about their decisions: “As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are in the process of reviewing our library and adding advisories to content that includes negative depictions or mistreatment of people or cultures.”
Do you think it’s a good thing that Disney+ banned “The Aristocats,” and other films, from young children?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Resources
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065421/
https://storiesmatter.thewaltdisneycompany.com/
Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
