All is not rosy in the supposedly enchanted universe of Disney. Certainly, the studio gave us some of the most beautiful love stories of our childhood, but some of their masterpieces are no less shocking scenes. Although these cartoons are all public, they are not free from racist passages or unhealthy… A brief overview of Pinocchio has Peter Pan.
#1 Pinocchio
In the opinion of many spectators, the 1940 cartoon is one of the creepiest from Disney. We could even say that several toddlers were traumatized by the cruel story of Pinocchio… One scene is particularly controversial, and it resembles a gigantic nightmare. The hero joins a carriage full of rowdy boys bound for an amusement park called Enchanted Island. The situation gets out of hand when children become prisoners and are transformed into donkeys… This depiction of child abduction has probably kept several generations of parents up at night.
#2 Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland has largely sparked controversy due to its connection with graphic drug use. How can we not mention the Blue Caterpillar and his hookah, who speaks in riddles and blows smoke rings in the shape of vowels? There are numerous references to psychotropic drugs in Lewis Carroll’s fantastic tale and its Disney adaptation. But while it is one thing to read a book with references to psychedelic drug useit’s another to see them represented on screen, aimed at an audience of children.
#3 Pocahontas
Pocahontas, whose real story can be discovered here, does not really live a fairy tale in the film dedicated to her (she falls in love, of course, but with a man who despises her and her people). Critics of the film denounce the countless historical inaccuracies, and especially the racist representation of indigenous peoples. In one scene, the settlers sing a song called Savagesin which the natives are described as “vermin” and a “disgusting breed”.
#4 Dumbo
In 1941, release date of Dumbo, the films included overtly racist clichés against black people. This Disney masterpiece is no exception. In a sequence as memorable as it is controversial, crows whose leader is called Jim Crow begin to sing. In France, this detail could go unnoticed, but not to the eyes and ears of Americans. Indeed, this name refers to a racist song from 1832 (performed by a white man with his face and hands painted black) which subsequently became a derogatory expression designating black people living in the United States as well as a set of racial segregation laws in the United States. In Dumbo there are even white actors who dub the voices of the crows, using their version of jazz slang.
#5 Peter Pan
Released in 1953, Peter Pan is a great classic, in which Wendy and her brothers are taken to Neverland by the “spirit of youth” who gives its name to the film. Apart from the obvious qualities of the story, stereotypes about Native Americanswhich were normalized at the time, are considered very offensive today. Indigenous peoples are portrayed as savages and ignorant. In the song What Made the Red Man Red (What Made Red Man Red), they are described as primitive, cruel, sexist and uneducated. The public is openly invited to make fun of these nativesthe red man having turned red because a Native American once blushed when a woman approached him, and “they have all blushed since then“So many disguised insults against Native Americans.
Source: hitek.fr
