Song of the South: Too Offensive to Release on DVD?

[Heil Donald Duck]

Boobs are gross. Turtles rock!

Turtles with boobs are an abomination.

Turles with boobs have no right to censor. Because they have Boobs.

[merlinjones]

Back on topic from the earlier post:

In case you missed it, Mick LaSalle's Oct. 17th column in the San Francisco Chronicle recently addressed "Song of the South":

http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-10-17/e ... iel-oscars

>>Dear Mick: I'd like your opinion about Disney's burial of "Song of the South." The complaints about its sugarcoating of the evils of slavery and the stereotyping of blacks are true. However, all of that went over my head as a young boy; I loved Uncle Remus. Isn't it about time to bring this movie out of the closet?

Jim Black, Sonoma

Dear Jim: It's part of history, and there's no point in burying history, but I understand the queasiness about Uncle Remus. James Baskett won a special Oscar for that role, which means that the first two Oscars to go to black actors went for roles portraying happy slaves (Hattie McDaniel in "Gone With the Wind" was the first). The whole thing smells of a neurotic need on the part of the white culture of the time to pretend that slavery wasn't so bad after all - a need evidenced by the pathetic gratefulness with which these happy-slave performances were greeted by the white public. Perhaps this was part of some necessary healing after the Civil War, a coming together of Northern and Southern whites under the fantasy that the war was all some glorious misunderstanding. But it was a healing that kept black Americans and their experience out of the process. Anyway, it's no wonder you felt good about Uncle Remus - that's how good propaganda works. However, more than 60 years have passed. Obama is president. Our society can probably absorb the unconscious racism of Baskett's singing "Zippity Doo Dah" without the sky caving in, especially as we tolerate the purposeful racism that's become a staple of talk radio in recent years. Besides, Baskett, who died soon afterward, was lovely in the movie and deserves recognition for the humanity he brought to this fantasy construction.<<

The above posted Chronicle opinion seems like a progressive view, as the writer is able to separate his personal analysis and critique of the film from suppression or censorship of historical materials for all.

[Goliath]

Turtles with boobs are an abomination.

It says so in Deuteronomy! Turtles with boobs should be stoned to death. That's God's will.

We know it's God's will, because he told Walt Disney in heaven, and he told Disney Duster.

So let it be known we shall no longer tolerate any turtles with boobs.

[Elladorine]

Ì like turtles. FACT!

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CMNry4PE93Y?fs ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CMNry4PE93Y?fs ... 2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Turtles with boobs are an abomination.

It says so in Deuteronomy! Turtles with boobs should be stoned to death. That's God's will.

We know it's God's will, because he told Walt Disney in heaven, and he told Disney Duster.

So let it be known we shall no longer tolerate any turtles with boobs.

Poor turtle. Just because he's got boobs . . .

[Escapay]

Anyone ever notice the two kids in the background of Beauty and the Beast who seem fascinated with a turtle?



albert

[Duckburger]

Ì like turtles. FACT!

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CMNry4PE93Y?fs ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CMNry4PE93Y?fs ... 2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Yay! I was hoping someone would recognize it.

+10 internetz

[Elladorine]

Yay! I was hoping someone would recognize it.

+10 internetz

None of us can ever hope to be as cool as this kid.

[Escapay]

We can try. But I don't think milk buds are as cool as turtles. :\



And this is definitely on topic. It's got lace collars! Lace collars!!!

albert

[Elladorine]

We can try. But I don't think milk buds are as cool as turtles. :\

Hey, how about both?

[Escapay]

It's perfect!

And I had no idea that Jose Carioca moonlighted as The Turtles Guy.

albert

[Elladorine]

It's perfect!

And I had no idea that Jose Carioca moonlighted as The Turtles Guy.

albert

Well, it's not as if Disney's sending him much work these days.

[Super Aurora]

Yay! I was hoping someone would recognize it.

+10 internetz

None of us can ever hope to be as cool as this kid.

Except me. I simply Awesome. therefore I override those two brats.

[BwayJ]

What if Disney turned this movie over to Criterion? Disney wouldn't do the actual release, but still get some money from the revenue. Plus, we'd get a DVD and Blu-ray that offers scholarly analysis of both the making of the movie (Richard Williams should be interviewed to discuss combining animation and live-action) and of the racial issues.

[The_Iceflash]

What if Disney turned this movie over to Criterion? Disney wouldn't do the actual release, but still get some money from the revenue. Plus, we'd get a DVD and Blu-ray that offers scholarly analysis of both the making of the movie (Richard Williams should be interviewed to discuss combining animation and live-action) and of the racial issues.

I would like that.

[merlinjones]

Releasing "Song of the South" through Criterion is a great idea!

And they could be supplied with all the requisite scholarly supplementary material as well ("The Story of Joel Chandler Harris" episode of Disneyland TV series, trailers, promos, old cast and artist interviews, Nash commercials, art files, etc.).

Maybe they could include a soundtrack music CD too, since this has also been unavailable.

[merlinjones]

Possible progress on "Song of the South" release? This week, Disney animation creative director Dave Bossert said:

“I can say there’s been a lot of internal discussion about [Song of the South]. And at some point we’re going to do something about it. I don’t know when, but we will. We know we want people to see Song of the South because we realize it’s a big piece of company history, and we want to do it the right way.”

http://www.post-movie.net/?p=1840

[ajmrowland]

^Not really progress, and not even Iger.

[merlinjones]

>>Not really progress, and not even Iger.<<

True - - but it keeps hope alive and the conversation fresh.

Plus the comments invite a follow-up question for Iger at the upcoming shareholder's meeting!

[Disney Duster]

Wait a minute...

Haven't people complained about all Walt Disney movies thaving characters that were archetypal, which could be considered stereotypical, and sugar-coating everything?

So they did the same thing with Song of the South, and the only difference is Song of the South has black people and history in it.

[Disney Guru]

Song of the South is hands down one of the most beautiful films to ever come out of the Disney Studios. But unfortunately I doubt we will ever see this film recieve a dvd release, it has been said to be a racist picture that depicted people of the Negroe Denomination in a bad light. Bull if anyone was painted in a bad light it were those horrible little white boys who constantly harassed Johnny (Bobby Driscoll)'s character throughout the film. You would think Disney would want this film released so they could join in on the band wagon I mean for years various bootleggers have made a fortune selling homemade dvds/videos of this film. It is obvious there is a huge market for it. Hopefully one day Disney will wake to its senses and put together a nice release for this film but I for one don't see that day coming anytime soon.