Splash Mountain- a safe post

[RedHotMama]

I had just typed this comment on a Splash Mountain thread that was going downhill quick. Before I posted it, the thread was removed. Moderators, if you want to remove this, too, I completely understand. But I have another take on Song of the South that I wanted to share.
If anyone comments on this, please keep your head and think twice. (Calling anyone a racist who disagrees with you is against the rules!)

Splash Mountain is only a problem if Song of the South is really an evil story.
I'm wondering how many of those who want it changed have seen the movie. Or are they simply jumping on the bandwagon and think it's bad because someone told them it is?
I've seen it, although it's been years, and think it is a sweet story. Yes, the blacks are shown as a lesser class. They all work for a white family, and they live in small, inferior homes. But that is our history. I don't think it should be erased or forgotten. If black people are to be portrayed from that time and place, this is what it looked like. Well, this is the most positive that it could have looked like; some had it much, much worse.
What I took from the movie was the incredible contrast between the "big house" and the community where the blacks live. Uncle Remus's house is warm, and welcoming, fun, and comfortable (not physically, but emotionally). It is a place where one can learn and be honest, and be yourself. It is safe and loving. The boy's mother and grandmother love him, but their house is formal, and overly strict. They don't listen and they don't teach, only command.
Uncle Remus is the hero of the story. He is extraordinarily patient, long-suffering, kind, loving, and humorous, too! He is a leader and teacher. He chooses to be happy and maintain his self-respect in difficult circumstances. Everyone loves and respects him. I saw him as a role model. He's the one we're rooting for.
There is a power struggle that happens in the movie, between the mother and Uncle Remus. They both are honestly trying to do the right thing. They even love and respect each other, I believe. They just see things differently. And, if I remember correctly, they come to an understanding at the end. Don't we need more of that in the world today, not less?
So yes, if you take this movie as the shallow description of showing blacks beneath whites, yes it does. But look deeper. Learn from our past. Learn from those who chose to rise above their trials. And you might appreciate Splash Mountain even more than you do now.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

The other post was deleted at the request of the OP. I'm going to move this post to the Community Board because it isn't about trip planning. Let's hope that anyone responding plays nice.

Thank you for this post. I appreciate your taking the time to articulate your thoughts about a touchy subject and to explain why you feel as you do.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For everyone who posts here: Please keep your posts clean (this is a family friendly board!), non-political, respectful to others, and non-argumentative.

 

[RedHotMama]

I would honestly like a discussion. If you have seen the movie and it bothers you, what offends or causes hurt? I'd like to learn. I'd like to see and understand others' thoughts and feelings.
Just do it nicely.

 

[mariezp]

I remember seeing this movie in the theater as a child. I was mesmerized by the animated characters who had been so naturally inserted in with the human characters. To this day I still love the combination and think it was an amazing accomplishment of Walt Disney.

I also still love the story as much as I did way back as a child. True, it did show blacks living in poor conditions. However, I can honestly say that more than feeling sadness for them I came away admiring the portrayal of the black community despite their hardships. I loved the close bonds they seemed to share. They were warm and caring. Their voices were beautiful. And that Uncle Remus! He was the star of the show. So calm and wise. And, even though he was not always treated kindly he still loved everyone.

For me personally, I don't feel as though the movie was ever intended to cause a divide or meant to be racist. The movie does indeed show images attempting to represent black people living on a plantation but since it was a movie intended for young audiences I feel certain they did not seek out to delve deeply into to the lives of slaves and were more focused on the story they were trying to tell.

I personally will always love this movie. It taught me that a little love and respect for each other can go a long way. That is something we could all still use, even today.
I think I need to go watch the movie now!

As for Splash Mountain. I so hope they keep it as is. It is classic. The characters are simply fun. And, it just wouldn't be the same without Brer Rabbit getting thrown into that briar patch!

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I think the idea here is not for me as a white person to share my feelings but to listen to the POC around me that feel hurt by it and understand how their reality is much different than my own.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...fficult-legacy-of-disneys-most-shocking-movie
This article does a nice job of summing up the issues of the film that have been raised. Most notably, the nostalgia for the days of slavery.

ETA: This is interesting, I didn’t know this part.

“An important point to make about Song of the South – and a lot of controversial art, for that matter – is that it’s not an act of PC revisionism to call out its prejudices, because plenty of people were doing so at the time, too. Disney produced the film over the objections of the NAACP and the American Council on Race Relations, and rejected efforts to soften the script by the southern-born writer Dalton Reymond. And it was released to picket lines in some cities and some scathing criticism from reviewers, politicians and other black advocacy groups.”

 

[RedHotMama]

I think the idea here is not for me as a white person to share my feelings but to listen to the POC around me that feel hurt by it and understand how their reality is much different than my own.

I disagree. As the OP, I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. I don't discredit anyone's thoughts, feelings, or experiences based on the color of their skin.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...fficult-legacy-of-disneys-most-shocking-movie
This article does a nice job of summing up the issues of the film that have been raised. Most notably, the nostalgia for the days of slavery.

Thanks for sharing the article. I'll check it out today.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I disagree. As the OP, I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. I don't discredit anyone's thoughts, feelings, or experiences based on the color of their skin.

That’s not what I said so please don’t take it out of context. But POC do feel their experiences are being discredited and especially being labeled as ‘politically correct’ in an effort to ignore real hurt and historical trauma.

Part of the push for conversations like these is for white folks to listen more which is what I meant by saying that’s what I’m trying to do these days. Especially as I contend with my own privilege. I don’t have to worry about going to a theme park and being confronted with racial stereotypes that cause me pain. That is an important distinction for me to remember. Because in all honesty, my knee jerk reaction when I first saw the petition was ‘Don’t touch my Splash Mountain!’ I’m trying to balance out my nostalgia with my empathy for others.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I keep throwing the word privilege around a lot- here’s a great article on unpacking what white privilege means. I think it’s an important part of this conversation when it comes to empathy. I remember reading this in college and it blew my mind.

Sorry, I’m an English teacher my default reaction is to always give people things to read- it’s an uncontrollable byproduct of my profession.

https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf

 

[RedHotMama]

@TikiTikiFan I apologize; I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying that you had things to share and were choosing not to simply because you are white. I didn't want you It anyone else reading to feel that way.

Thanks for adding another article. Reading is a wonderful way to improve one's thinking.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I actually will abstain from sharing all that I feel so as not to get flamed. However, I do feel that opinions and publications like those of Ms. McIntosh just cause more division.

 

[BadPinkTink]

@TikiTikiFan I apologize; I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying that you had things to share and were choosing not to simply because you are white. I didn't want you It anyone else reading to feel that way.

Thanks for adding another article. Reading is a wonderful way to improve one's thinking.

I want to hug you for stating this out right as this is exactly how I feel. I do feel that because I am not Black and I'm not American that my views and opinions are not wanted and that Black Americans don't want me to be part of the conversation. And thats all I will say. Search my posts and you will see why.

 

[StarlitNight05]

Nevermind...deleted.

 

[mariezp]

I disagree. As the OP, I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. I don't discredit anyone's thoughts, feelings, or experiences based on the color of their skin.

Thank you for clarifying. After replying and then reading TikiTikiFan's post I was second guessing whether I should have posted my thoughts.
My intent was only to share my own experience so as to emphasis what a fond memory the movie was to me and maybe bring a bit of thought provoking consideration of a perspective that someone else may not have had to the discussion. I'm absolutely not trying to dismiss anyone else's opinion at all. I simply feel there is always benefit to be had in being open to and hearing what each of us have to say.

Lastly, when I originally saw the film it was likely around the 1972 re-release to theaters. Outside of just enjoying the film for pure entertainment, the story left me with a warm, positive feeling towards black people at an early age which I might have never known had I not seen the movie. There had not been nearly as much progress made against racism at that time. Much has been gained since but there is still much more to be done.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I really appreciate the discussion going on here -- without knee jerk flaming and arguing -- so refreshing and encouraging. Thank you to all participants for supporting each other here (even when disagreeing -- hey, it's all right to disagree because we can listen to each other!) and encouraging each other to know each other better and to grow through these crazy times so we can all come through this as better people.
@RedHotMama: Welcome back -- it's been a while, and you've been missed!

 

[RedHotMama]

@RedHotMama: Welcome back -- it's been a while, and you've been missed!

Thank you so much! It feels really nice to be remembered.
2 weeks after our last Disneyland trip in September 2018, my husband lost his job. I'm a SAHM so it was pretty scary and stressful for a while. I had to stop thinking about Disney for a while because we were having trouble even paying our bills and it hurt too much. We've been building a couple businesses and we're doing so much better. It feels so good to come back!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Thank you so much! It feels really nice to be remembered.
2 weeks after our last Disneyland trip in September 2018, my husband lost his job. I'm a SAHM so it was pretty scary and stressful for a while. I had to stop thinking about Disney for a while because we were having trouble even paying our bills and it hurt too much. We've been building a couple businesses and we're doing so much better. It feels so good to come back!

Wow. I am so sorry to hear what you've been through, but very glad to hear that things are getting better and moving in a positive direction. Big virtual hug to you and bravo for staying strong for your DH and family!

 

[TarotFox]

With all respect, I feel like you maybe missed the mark. The takeaway you have -- that "If black people are to be portrayed from that time and place, this is what it looked like. Well, this is the most positive that it could have looked like; some had it much, much worse" -- is exactly what people have a problem with. I am definitely feeling like a lot of the people who hear about the controversy aren't totally aware of exactly why people have a problem with the movie in the first place. It's not because people want to pretend slavery ever happened, or because they want to make it seem like black people and white people were always on the same level. The movie, it itself, is already revisionist. People object to the fact that it takes place in a period of time where it was absolutely not a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day and makes it seem like Uncle Remus is super happy and has no problems whatsoever with his life. He's happy to work for the family -- just as I'm sure he was "happy" to be a slave, also, if we rewound the clock a little bit.

This would be kind of like if you made a movie ABOUT Song of the South, and you get to the part where Uncle Remus' actor is not allowed to be part of the promotion of the film at the premiere, but he has no problems with this. He didn't want to go to that boring party anyway! My oh my, what a wonderful day it is not going to that premiere after all.

 

[jpakstis]

Its not that Uncle Remus or any of the black characters were not portrayed inaccurately as to the period and place. Its that they are stereotypes. The "happy slaves", the "mammy" and especially the "magical negro." None of these characters exist for themselves, but only to help the white characters. The white characters in the film have backstories and are multi-dimensional. For example, the mother might be too strict and formal but there are reasons for that such as her anxiety over the finances and her strained marriage. None of the black characters have nearly the same depth of characterization.

Like TikiTikiFan referenced above, the controversy over using these stereotypes isn't revisionist. People brought it up at the time and yet Disney still made the movie the way it ended up being, with stereotypes and all. In fact, filmmakers that Disney wanted to involve in making the movie told Disney of these problems. There is nothing necessarily wrong with a character who only exists to help other characters along their arc (the "helper god" archetype goes back to ancient Greek mythology). Its just that using the "magical negro" stereotype is a stereotype for a reason and Disney knew this. They chose to not listen to criticism all throughout the pre-production, production, and release of the movie. They also waited close to two years (I believe) to release it and when they did, they didn't have the premiere in LA or NY like every other movie. They chose a theater in Atlanta, which was segregated (James Baskett couldn't even attend). Walt Disney didn't even stay around to watch the movie; he made some remarks and then left.

I wrote this in the other thread, but there was an interesting multi-part podcast from "You Must Remember This..." about the movie. It demonstrated through evidence at the time that Disney was aware of its controversy and its problems and chose to ignore them. This wasn't Disney being on the wrong side of history as shown through a modern-day lens. This was Disney knowing it was a misstep and still taking it.