Disney+ blocked kids under seven from watching Peter Pan, Dumbo and The Aristocats over concerns they show racist stereotypes, which left parents stunned over the news, the Sun reported on Sunday.
Disney+ claimed that Peter Pan portrayed offensive stereotypes which were inappropriate to those under seven.
The Aristocats and Dumbo were also removed from the children's section, as they were believed to breach content guidelines, recently put in place.
Families were left dumbfounded after trying to watch the films on Disney’s £5.99-per-month service.
“I wanted to watch Peter Pan with my daughter, but I couldn’t find it anywhere,” one of the parents said. “Then I realized they had all gone – they had been removed from the kids’ accounts. It was shocking.”
The reason behind blocking Peter Pan, released in 1953, might be because it features a Native American tribe whose members are referred to as “redskins.”
On the other hand, the 1970 animation ‘The Aristocats’ has a Siamese cat character, called Shun Gon, whose slanted eyes and prominent teeth have been described as a caricature of East Asian people.
Meanwhile, the cartoon depiction of Dumbo, released in 1941, has been accused of ridiculing enslaved African-Americans on Southern plantations.
There was a scene during the film, sees faceless black labourers work, along to offensive lyrics such as, “When we get our pay, we throw our money all away.”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75mur1xF7U[/embed]
The concerns over issues, surrounding racial stereotype, were in relation to Peter Pan, The Aristocrats, Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp and The Jungle Book.
Disney+ implemented a warning graphic that ran for 12 seconds at the beginning of flagged films, rather than writing it in movies’ descriptions.
“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures,” it reads.
“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 persity of the human experience around the globe.”
This decision was made by a group of external experts who were brought in to assess if the content “represented global audiences.”
The films are still available on adult accounts; however they come with a disclaimer.
“This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,” the disclaimer indicates.
“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.”
The Disney website stated that they cannot change the past, but they “can acknowledge it, learn from it and move forward together to create a tomorrow that today can only dream of.”
A spokesman for Disney is yet to make a comment.
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