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Disney Plus Has Added Disclaimers About "Outdated Cultural Depiction" To Certain Movies

Watch out for "outdated cultural depictions" in movies like The Jungle Book and Dumbo.

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Disney+ is out now, and there are hundreds of movies and TV shows to check out on there from across Disney's history. They span the many decades of the studio's output, with numerous classics dating back to the first half of the 20th century. Of course, society's attitudes towards things like race, gender, and unhealthy lifestyle choices have progressed considerably over the years, and as a result, Disney has added new disclaimers to certain titles to advise viewers of potentially offensive content. While the content will remain in these films, Disney is noting that attitudes have shifted.

The disclaimers appear ahead of some of Disney's much-loved animated movies, including Dumbo, The Aristocats, Jungle Book, Fantasia, and Lady and the Tramp. Following a general plot depiction, they state "this program is presented as originally created," then most cases, "it may contain outdated cultural depictions." The disclaimer on Pinocchio gets more specific: "contains tobacco depictions." Check it out below:

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While the disclaimers don't get into details about these "outdated cultural depictions," it’s not hard to guess what they are if you've seen these movies. Peter Pan features the notorious song "What Makes the Red Man Red," while the crows in Dumbo, the chopstick-playing Siamese cat in The Aristocats, and King Louis in The Jungle Book have all been accused of perpetuating racial stereotypes over the years.

However, although the Fantasia disclaimer states that it's the "original version," this isn't strictly true. The minor character of Sunflower the centaur was removed from the film in 1969 and has not been seen in any version since, due to her clearly racist depiction. As for the most notorious movie in the Disney vault--1946's Song of the South--you won't be surprised to learn that it's nowhere to be seen on Disney+.

For more on Disney+, check out our guide to the best movies from the 1980s and 1990s to watch on the service, plus a look at the cartoons from your childhood you can watch right now.

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