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DISNEY FANS CALL FOR REBRAND OF SPLASH MOUNTAIN, THE RIDE BASED ON CONTROVERSIAL
‘SONG OF THE SOUTH’


THE RACIALLY PROBLEMATIC MOVIE'S LEGACY HAUNTS ONE OF DISNEY'S MOST ICONIC
RIDES, AND PETITIONERS WANT TO CHANGE THAT.

Ryan Lattanzio

Jun 14, 2020 12:30 pm



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“Song of the South”

Disney

While Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that the controversial 1946 Uncle Remus
adaptation “Song of the South” will never stream on Disney+, that doesn’t mean
that the racially problematic movie, set in post-Civil War South, doesn’t still
haunt the Mouse House. That includes the ride Splash Mountain, first launched at
California’s Disneyland in 1989 before opening at Walt Disney World and Tokyo
Disney in 1992, and Disney fans are petitioning the company rebrand the iconic
log flume ride, whose characters, songs, and locations all come from “Song of
the South.”

The movie has long drawn criticism for its problematic portrayal of the
post-Antebellum South, as well as its racist stereotypes, and there are several
petitions on Change.org asking Disney to move the ride away from that painful
legacy. One of them is calling upon the company to re-theme the ride around “The
Princess and the Frog,” the 2009 animated hit that featured Disney’s first Black
princess.






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“There is a huge need for diversity in the parks and this could help fill that
need. ‘Princess and the Frog’ is a beloved princess movie but has very little
representation in the parks,” the petition says. “Tiana could be one of the
first princesses with a thrill ride, as well as giving her a much deserved place
in the parks.”

The petitions have arisen in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and in a
moment where America has been increasingly examining its inclusiveness.

“As you know, Splash Mountain is based on the film ‘Song of the South,’ which
Disney refuses to put into circulation because it glorifies slave culture and
the racist tropes used to portray black people during the minstrel period of our
performance history,” another petition reads. “With all the BLM protests going
on, I think it’s time for Disney to renovate the ride in both parks.”

Back in March, Bob Iger during a shareholder meeting said, “I’ve felt as long as
I’ve been CEO that ‘Song of the South’ — even with a disclaimer — was just not
appropriate in today’s world. It’s just hard, given the depictions in some of
those films, to bring them out today without in some form or another offending
people, so we’ve decided not to do that.”

Still, the movie’s legacy is hard to shake. After all, it is the origin of
“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.” Film historian Karina Longworth explored the movie’s
complicated history in depth in the last season of the podcast “You Must
Remember This.”

IndieWire has reached out to Disney for comment. For now, Disney’s parks remain
closed.

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our
Email Newsletters here.

This Article is related to: Film and tagged Disney, Song of the South



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COMMENTS

Kathy June 15, 2020 2:40 pm

THANK YOU! Well said!

Reply
Shawn3 June 15, 2020 5:42 am

Tbh, I wonder how many of the people who are so offended by the movie have
actually seen it. I’m not defending it, or criticising it, because I haven’t
seen it. But it’s interesting to note that there are people who’ve seen it
who’ll defend it.

Reply
Lisa June 15, 2020 3:22 am

In Splash Mountain there is nothing in it from the movie except the Bree Bear,
Fox & Rabbit!! No movies scenes at all or people!!

Reply
Darrell June 15, 2020 1:24 am

Song of the South is absolutely not a racist movie. If anything it is classist,
and shows discrimination against the poor white family more than any of the
African-Americans depicted. It teaches several good lessons for kids, including
you can’t run away from your problems, thinking on your feet, that you accept
people for who they are and that you must think before you act. Uncle Remus is
depicted as a kind and loving elderly gentleman in the community, someone the
young boy cares about enough to risk his own life to get him to stay. Something
that has been lost in much of our current African-American culture with the
destruction of the family unit.
Walt Disney did not put a date in screen because he believed people were smart
enough to know that this was after the civil war and that these people were free
and hired to work the plantation.

Changing Splash Mountain is just another chance to whitewash over our history
and pretend it never happened. Those that do not learn history are doomed to
repeat it.

Reply
Amy June 15, 2020 12:31 am

I agree Erin. I’m tired of this culture of being offended just to be offended.
Most people really don’t know why they’re offended. Walt Disney was extremely
upset at the academy for not letting the actor attend the awards even though he
was nominated. Everyone seems to focus on Disney and ignores the fact that
Hollywood has been extremely racist and sexist since the beginning and still is.
Disney was one of the firsts to give a main role to an African American and
there’s plenty of interviews to show that he gave them many opportunities the
rest of America wasn’t.
I myself grew up watching this movie and not once did I think anything bad about
African Americans. In fact I thought they were all loving and nice like uncle
Remus and the Cosby’s. I also only remember uncle Remus helping the white child
deal with really harsh parents and other things he was going through. I’m
thankful I have a uk copy. I really don’t think books and films should be banned
just because we’re embarrassed at our history. The art forms come from people
who didn’t think like us and need to be there for educational purposes. Besides
there’s so many myths about this movie because most people haven’t seen it. It
didn’t my generation any worse than the last or the next.

Reply
Benjamin June 14, 2020 11:42 pm

Coming from a different country I didn’t realise the portrayals of the
African-Americans in Song of the South were harmful stereotypes. There’s no
hatred or violence in the film. I own a UK VHS copy but I don’t think a lot of
people have seen the film and have just heard about it. But if people find those
stereotypes painful, Disney has no plans of acknowledging the movie in its canon
and no one gets the reference for the ride then why not change it?

Princess and the Frog seems like a fine choice. It seems like a win for
everyone.

And to add to the discussion of the actual film. Like I said I was blissfully
unaware that these were negative portrayals. I’d love to see Disney fully
confront this and try to educate. I’d love to see a documentary on Disney+ that
tackles this. To ignore it is like acknowledging it didn’t happen.

Reply
Erin Filipp June 14, 2020 5:50 pm

I frankly think rebranding the ride is a waste of time and money. It’s a great
ride the way it is. Regardless of the movie theme. I personally loved the movie
as a kid. Watched in the theaters as a child. I didn’t understand at the time it
was racist but a child would not know that. Disney Parks are already losing tons
of money as it is every day its closed. I’m not on the top of their priority
list. NO kids have seen the movie since the mid 80s because its been banned so
how would they know and Uncle Amos isn’t depicted in the ride anyway.

Reply


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