Disney continues to sever ties with Song of the South.
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," the song that originates from Disney's 1946 movie Song of the South, has been pulled from the Magic Happens parade at Disneyland, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials confirmed to the outlet that a lyric from the song was removed from the parade soundtrack without specifying why.
Presumably, though, it's for the same reason Disney is overhauling Splash Mountain: because Song of the South has been condemned for utilizing racist tropes. The film takes place on a Georgia plantation in the Reconstruction-era South, and one of the main characters is a Black man, Uncle Remus, who works there and sings "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in 2020 that Song of the South is "not appropriate in today's world," and the NAACP has said it "helps to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery" by giving "the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship." In "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Uncle Remus sings about "what a wonderful day" it is. The Magic Happens parade now features a Peter Pan song in place of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," the Times reports.
Disney's log flume ride ride Splash Mountain was based on Song of the South and features the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." But the company announced in 2020 the ride will be retooled as Tiana's Bayou Adventure based on The Princess and the Frog, which features Disney's first Black princess. Splash Mountain closed at Disney World earlier this year, though it is still open at Disneyland.
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Google: A monopoly past its prime?Feature Google’s antitrust case ends with a slap on the wrist as courts struggle to keep up with the tech industry’s rapid changes
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacyFeature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
Freakier Friday: Lohan and Curtis reunite for 'uneven' but 'endearing' sequelThe Week Recommends Mother-and-daughter comedy returns with four characters switching bodies
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Lilo & Stitch: is Disney's latest live-action remake its worst yet?Talking Point The studio's retelling of the 2002 original flattens its fuzzy blue protagonist – but could still be a box office smash
