Disney removes some titles from Kids profile for depicting racist stereotypes

Disney Plus’ Kids profile no longer features titles such as Peter Pan, Dumbo, The Jungle Book, Aristocats, The Lady and the Tramp and Swiss Family Robinson.

The content removal is seen as Disney's efforts to reconcile with its past (Disney)

Disney has removed several titles from Disney Plus Kids profiles as part of its efforts to tackle racist stereotypes and negative depictions, reports Polygon.

Some of the titles removed from Disney+ Kids profiles are Peter Pan, Dumbo, The Jungle Book, Aristocats, The Lady and the Tramp and Swiss Family Robinson among others. These titles are however available on the regular Disney+ profiles.

Disney last year launched a “Stories Matter” campaign, which aimed to bring more diversity and inclusion on its platform.

“We can't change the past, but we can acknowledge it, learn from it and move forward together to create a tomorrow that today can only dream of,” the company says on its platform.

Even as Disney is unlikely to remove such titles from its library, the company has begun to put advisories on identified titles.

“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe,” the advisory added.

The Stories Matter also delves into possible problems with some of the titles. In the case of Dumbo, it says crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing copy and mock enslaved Africans on Southern plantations.

On Peter Pan, it admits, “The film portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions. It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as "redskins," an offensive term. Peter and the Lost Boys engage in dancing, wearing headdresses and other exaggerated tropes, a form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery.”