Anybody know where I can find the “racist” Disney movie, “Song of the South”?
Question by Miss Kitae: Anybody know where I can find the “racist” Disney movie, “Song of the South”?
Ooh, Song of the South is so-oo terrible! Poor Uncle Remus; he’s happy-go-lucky, he sings, he tells story, he tends to Johnny and Ginny…but wait! He’s a slave. And because of men like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, Disney will never, ever release this en-masse again. God forbid somebody see blacks and whites coexisting in harmony, they’d be out of jobs!
Now I understand that Song is unsettling because it portrays the idea of Romanticised slavery, that Remus and the children lived in harmony about as much as Scarlet and Mammie did in Gone with the Wind, that it’s too fantastical an idea that Remus and Johnny live in peace, because it’s a distorted view of post Civil-War blacks being happy and cheery and content living in their downwardly constituted societal caste, which is incredibly demeaning, not to mention insulting, but that’s really the point isn’t it?
Everyone’s offended because Uncle Remus is so happy.
But we can’t completely sign off on the idea that blacks and whites NEVER co-existed peacefully, it’s not such a fantastical idea because it’s neither totally true or completely false.
But if you really think about it, Song is hardly the worst, nor is it something worth being completely condemned. Look, Disney is hypocritical, racist and sexist on more than one level, and I’ve compiled some proof. This took some time to figure out, but bear with me, some of it makes sense.
*Dumbo; The crows are given very stereotypical “black” attitudes and speech patterns. Nope, they can’t be intelligent, they have to be loud, cocky and brash.
*Lady and the Tramp; The Siamese cats have slanted eyes, lisps, and buck teeth.
*Swiss Family Robinson; The pirates are Asian with really bad speech impediments.
*Peter Pan; Native Americans referred to as ‘Injuns’ (yes I understand this is a normal mistake for small children) and the vernacular includes the ‘ugs’ and ‘hows?’
*Oliver and Company; Tito’s role is that of the ‘stupid mexican’ lusting after a rich white girl. This was pointed out to me by a friend at work, points to her.
*The Arisocats; The Siamese cat has slitted eyes and plays “Chopsticks” on the piano with chopsticks
*The Lion King; During Scar’s “Prepare” song, the hyena’s march by in perfect lines, goose-stepping like Nazis. He conducts them from on high much like Hitler; the whole thing has a definent Nazi undertone.
*The Little Mermaid; Not as bad as the others, but the fish during “Under The Sea” play up a few different stereotypes; the “latina” fish is a saucy dancer, almost promiscuous acting.
*The Three Caballeros; Think of any and all stereotypes about Mexicans, Latinos, Spainards…
*101 Dalmations; Sexist. The truck driver (however justified the statement is) calls Cruella a “crazy woman driver!”
*Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty; Sexist. Wait around for a man to come and rescue you, forget any ideas you might have had about your life or what to do with it, marry the prince and live happily ever after. The message seems to be that a girl just has to be nice and look pretty and she’ll be taken away by the man of her dreams.
Really though, all ranting and BS aside…
All these movies have distinct flaws, yet all have been released or are being released and re-released like nothing is wrong, but Song harder to find than those damn WMDs. And if you really think about it, Jar Jar Binks is a much worse character than Uncle Remus, but you can get Episode One just about anywhere.
So…is there anyone aware of a place I can get Song of the South?
Best answer:
Answer by Safiyya2
I don’t think it has ever been released on DVD or video.
I saw it in a theater when I was a kid (around 1969/1970?). I didn’t think much of it at the time, although I understand now what the controversy is all about.
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