Disneys Song of The South
 

If you dont know what SONG OF THE SOUTH is you'll certainly know it's theme song (which won an Academy Award) Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. Yea, you know the song. If someone started singing it, you could probably join in. It's the story about a young white boy, whos parents are splitting up and the advice and companionship he receives from a black "slave/servant" "after/before" the Civil War. It's a great movie.

It suffers from one thing -

Being made before "civil rights". It portrays blacks as carefree and more than willing to work in the fields, and very comfortable in their roles. White live in the great cribs, blacks in shacks. So of course, this is the film Disney refuses to release on DVD or VHS. It's too contreversial, it's too insensitive.

Get over it.

Ok, I will give the movies detractors the fact that there is an unrealistic portrayal of blacks in the film - at least it SHOULD be unrealistic. The argument here is that if it was set before the end of slavery, then folks get upset because well - who could enjoy slavery right? Appearantly WALT (who insisted this movie be made) was asked to put a title placard up to make sure we couldn't be confused about the time, but he refused. And thus the ambiguity of the setting plays in important role here.

And then there is the character or Uncle Remus, who to some may as well be called Uncle Tom. Remus doesn't mind working, doesnt mind having a "master". He's comfortable where he is. Again he shouldn't be right?

The problem here I think is we have this DEFINATIVE view of the South, which leaves little room for blacks who DID enjoy their jobs, and were treated with a modicum of respect (as Remus is). Never mind the fact that Remus is respected and revered by the young white boy who doesn't even take Remus's color into play, only his tales of Bre'r Rabbit, Fox, and Bear.

Here are some links for further reading pleasure:

[url=http://www.uncleremuspages.com:6487d]UncleRemusPages.com[/url:6487d]

SongOfTheSouth

[url=http://www.metrobeat.net/gbase/Expedite/Content?oid=oid%3A1811:6487d]Great article[/url:6487d]

Of course I will give you that Tar-Baby may be pushing it.

[img]http://www.metrobeat.net/binary/1811-317-1/07song.jpg[/img]

Please dont throw me in that ol' briar patch.....

I remember the book more than the movie and we did have a cat named after the tarbaby, but that was in the 70's. I never realized it could be considered a negative comment until long after the cat was dead.

Right or wrong, Disney is probably doing the best by not releasing Song of the South to dvd or vhs. I dont consider it a racist movie, but disney would get beat up by today's pc groups relentlessly for bringing it to market.

bang won't come out another 10 years my ass oOo:

ed...i picked my own god damn cotton....if you want something done right...do it yourself...=P

Yanno the funny thing about that - we had these sayings as a kid that I just did NOT get. . .

My mother would say if something didn't seem right. . .

"Now wait a cotton-picking minute" -

Id stand there and say - what the fuck?

Or if we did something dumb she'd say -

"Thomas Payne, Common Sense" - but she would say it SOOOOOO fast it sounded garbled.

And yea, DISNEY is making the right move pr wise to not release this thing - however I look at those around me my age, and think -

"Fuck these guys are more sensitive than the folks nowadays!"

I fear for the future.

i was born in this town in AL, and i have heard so much about this movie, but never seen it

I grew up on that movie and had the book when I was a kid. Remus's color wasn't even an issue. It wasn't something I even dreamt of thinking about. I just liked the story about the Rabbit, the Fox, and the Bear. Period.

Political correctness blows.

Meh, you can't even mention race anymore you have to pretend like everyone is the same inbetween-the-races-color. Can't have a movie about slaves or the civil war unless everyone on the set is black.

name one civil war movie where everyone was black

I havnt been a fan of disney since i was 5

[quote="k-i-a":99b78]I havnt been a fan of disney since i was 5[/quote:99b78]

Disney Owns

lol, i guess for you

I meant a slave related movie.

The one with Oprah or whatever. Glory

[quote="k-i-a":98004]lol, i guess for you[/quote:98004]

don't lie...I know you cryed when Mufasa died in The Lion King.

Lion King > j00

The RECENT one with OPRAH was BELOVED, which was a hardcore movie, and an even more HARDCORE book. I recommend any of you watch it if you havent seen it or read it.