X

Disney Plus warns users of 'outdated cultural depictions' in old movies

Films like Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp, and The Jungle Book include the disclaimers.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials
  • Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
See full bio
Abrar Al-Heeti
lady-and-the-tramp

Some of Disney's older content may not sit well with today's audiences. 

 Walt Disney Studios

Times have changed over the span of Disney's decades of dominance in entertainment, and with Tuesday's launch of Disney Plus , the company is finding it must contend with the not-so-pretty elements of its past. 

As part of the new streaming service, Disney has added disclaimers to movies such as Dumbo, The Jungle Book and Lady and the Tramp warning of "outdated cultural depictions." A plot description for Dumbo, for example, ends with: "This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions."

dumbo-disney-plus-cultural-depictions.png

A plot description for Dumbo includes a warning about "outdated cultural depictions."

 Screenshot by Corinne Reichert/CNET

A handful of older Disney films have been criticized for incorporating racist stereotypes with characters like King Louie in The Jungle Book and the Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp. It was reported by some outlets that the studio would cut some controversial scenes, such as one from Dumbo featuring a crow named Jim Crow, but other outlets have said the scene hasn't been removed. Disney also "reinvented" the The Siamese Cat Song from the original Lady and the Tramp for the company's live-action remake.

One film customers won't find at all on DisneyPlus is Song of the South, which has faced criticism for its portrayal of African American characters.  

Disney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

First published Nov. 12.
Update, Nov. 13: Adds that Dumbo's Jim Crow scene reportedly hasn't been removed.