SFGate-"Disney could unlock 'Song of the South'"

[Pluto Region1]

Which ones of all you people taking part in this thread have actually seen "Song of the South"?

(I have.)

I, PlutoRegion1, attest that I have seen and do own a copy of SOTS. There's nothing that different about it than any of the period movies of the 1930s/40s that depict life and times in the Civil War/slave era. IMO, to say this movie is racist and is going to do some major harm to blacks in this country is ridiculous. The movie is frequently shown on TV in England, so I'm sure if it was THAT offensive, it would not be shown on state-run TV in Britain, correct me if I'm wrong.

* raises hand *
That's the first time I've ever seen anything that angry on UD...including reyquilla.

It was the worst attack I've seen - VERY HURTFUL. I don't usually come here and complain about things and pick fights, but this just made me angry and feel so bad for blackcauldron. This person could have made those points without making "an example" (scapegoat) out of blackcauldron, and resorting to that type of emotionally charged language. It polarizes this forum community and makes people afraid to express an opinion about something that MAY be seen as controversial.... the only forum topics that would be "safe" would therefore be "what food did you just eat." (you knew I'd work this in somewhere! )

I don't always agree with everything stated in the forums, and if I have a point to make, I make it without resorting to damaging attacks. OR I just don't post! If people are constantly attacking each other, like what was witnessed here, the community would die, as people would be afraid to post anything.

this forum works, because people have tolerance here for many different viewpoints. I'm not excusing racism. It exists, we all know that. But it has not been officially established by any means that SOTS is a racist film. This is just a viewpoint by a small vocal minority of people. Another viewpoint (that I happen to share) is that it's not racist. But I am willing to listen to reasoned well thought-out arguments by experts in the field, why they consider the film to be racist, if such experts want to present an analysis of this issue. Again, I will then argue why is Disney being held to a different standard?! Countless other old movies of the 1930s/40s made by other studios set in the Civil war era showing white/black relations are available on DVD and there has not been this outcry that the films are racist or to stop their release.

Ok I am done with this - saying anything more is just repeating myself. Going back to the original intent of this topic, it appears the movie may not be released again thanks to some vocal groups who feel it is racist.

And for anyone out there even thinking about it, please do not attack me. This is just my humble personal opinion on the film and the situation as it exists. It doesn't mean I'm right.

[Skellington or Sparrow]

in a couple of years.. i believe they're going to ban Snow White. Several parents have written to the Walt Disney Co., concerned because they believe their children are singing an innappropriate song from the film, with repetative lyrics reffering to intoxicated women.

I should bite my tongue. At this rate, that could actually happen.

People REALLY need to grow up!!! Face facts. It DID happen, people DID used to think that, but they don't anymore. I'm not black, but i REALLY doubt anyone would take offense through Song of the South. Anybody who does has much too much time on their hands.

and to that one person who said something about how black people are depicted by the media today.. like through MTV and stuff.. YOU ARE MY HERO FOR THE DAY!!!

honestly. why worry about the past? it's in the freaking past! what about today? what about how black people today are depicted as "gang-bangers" and "pimps" and whatever else? come ON people.

had to get that little rant out.
political correctness SUCKS! no one is ever REALLY offended by things like Song of the South, their lives are just SO borring, they think they need something else to cry about.

i really hope that The Princess and the Frog DOES spark tons of controversy because.. well.. there really isn't enough of that nowadays. it seems like it all has to do with the past.

[Prudence]

i really hope that The Princess and the Frog DOES spark tons of controversy because.. well.. there really isn't enough of that nowadays. it seems like it all has to do with the past.

What are you talking about? There's too much controversy as it is, although I am looking forward to this movie.

[Skellington or Sparrow]

maybe i should have re-stated that.
not sure what you mean when you say there's lots of controversy already.

if you are referring to the general public controversy:
there is lots. stuff like religion, war, sexuality, all kinds of stuff. and that's not just all in the media. i mean as far as movies (disney in particular) goes.

if you're reffering to The Princess and the Frog:
yeah. i don't want there to be SO much controversy that it's stuck in development hell, BUT i'd like it to maybe sort of spark a little bit of controversy and make those SOTS haters really pissed. you know?

[MK Sharp]

Film is not only art, but an important historical document. It is often very much of its time and place, and at other times it challenges the status quo. SOTS falls into the former. It is a example of attitudes of the 1940s. It also won an Academy Award for an African American actor, the first male to do so. To ignore this film, or ANY film, purely because there are certain attitudes that have changed in the last 60 years - and will no doubt change again in the next 60 - is tantamount to ignoring chunks of our cultural past. That is a worse crime than offending modern sensibilities, as it opens the door to ignorance and allowing the racist attitudes of the past to resurface.

Well said, that man!

I must admit that my first response when I saw SOTS was "Is that it?" (closely followed by "Well, that was a bit dull", but I digress). It is obviously a film of its time, and reflects the attitudes of its time, but no more so than many many other films.

The only thing that might need to be taken into account is that, as a Disney film, it is likely to be used as kiddie fodder if it is put back into general release. (Although having said that, I think the allegedly "racist" subtext of the film is probably too subtle for kids to pick up on). I daresay that when it does get released, it'll be Treasures style "adult collectors only" jobbie. And I don't doubt that it will be released one day - if they can put Broken Toys and Mother Goose Goes Hollywood on DVD uncut without a national outcry, they can release anything.

As I've said before, I actually find the removal of stereotype blacks out of old films slightly creepy. What is it doing? It's editing blacks out of the history of film. They may well be unenlightened stereotypes, but surely that's got to be better than an entirely white film history.

[UncleEd]

Then you, like all of us here, must have had the wrong response to the film. As any leftwng political correct minority leader knows, the proper reaction to Song of the South is "Yes, the south shall rise again!" followed by a mass exedous of people who have seen the film immediately going out and joining the Klan and if you can't tell this was a JOKE chock full of Sarcasm.


Maybe John Stossil should do a Give Me a Break on Song of the South...if Disney would let him.


" if they can put Broken Toys and Mother Goose Goes Hollywood on DVD uncut without a national outcry, they can release anything.
"


Those films don't have the reputation that Song of the South has. I also assume that these groups are unaware of their release. We'll probably hear about it in a few years when Frog Princess is released.




A few days ago on Cspan some Jesse Jackson type was saying that black people need to be as lazy and slothful as possible to screw the white people who bult America on their backs. He said they've earned the right to be slothful and lazy and to exploit the system since their ancestors were slaves. Now, I found these statements to be very racist. If a white person said a black person were slothful and lazy then they would soon be called a racist. But when a black person not only says it but clamours for more of it then he is applauded as a hero. This double standard is what makes me very skeptical of anything the civil rights movement now says. I don't even like calling them for civil rights because minorities already have all the rights and oppertunities as anyone else does. Like PETA, groups such as the NAACP use ignorant and poor people to push their agendas through. Now, my saying "Ignorant and poor" will probably be jumped on before anyone thinks of these NAACP type groups EXPLOITING the poor and ignorant types.

[Pluto Region1]

As I've said before, I actually find the removal of stereotype blacks out of old films slightly creepy. What is it doing? It's editing blacks out of the history of film. They may well be unenlightened stereotypes, but surely that's got to be better than an entirely white film history.

Well if they are removing blacks out of those old films, they are doing a dis-service to the history of American racial relations. These old movies are evidence of the condition of racial relations at that time (the time the films were made). The films can be used to open a discussion about race relations either during the period the film takes place, or the condition of black/white relations during the era the films were made. Historical evidence should never be obliterated because of some current worries about being politically correct. If we are destroying history, we are destroying evidence and cannot learn from it. It would be a terrible loss to future generations to erase how blacks were perceived or treated during those times. These things should be discussed - not erased.

For example, just labeling SOTS "racist" does NOTHING to advance any discussion about how blacks were treated or perceived during the time the film was made. Don't you think there could be alot gotten out of the release of this film if it did advance some historical understanding of black/white relations during the 1930s and 1940s? For example I've read blacks also had their own films, entirely black films. A discussion could be opened about that, or as Loomis has pointed out, how the black lead character actor was given an academy award - these are all valid discussions that could be quite productive if the film was released. Instead of just finger-pointing and name calling, I think these black groups would be doing something constructive by using the release of this film to advance such discussions.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

If anything, those people threatening Disney to leave SotS out of the market make this movie appear a lot more significant than it should - in my opinion.

in a couple of years.. i believe they're going to ban Snow White. Several parents have written to the Walt Disney Co., concerned because they believe their children are singing an innappropriate song from the film, with repetative lyrics reffering to intoxicated women.

I guess I don't quite follow you here...?

[MikeyMouse]

If anything, those people threatening Disney to leave SotS out of the market make this movie appear a lot more significant than it should - in my opinion.

in a couple of years.. i believe they're going to ban Snow White. Several parents have written to the Walt Disney Co., concerned because they believe their children are singing an innappropriate song from the film, with repetative lyrics reffering to intoxicated women.

I guess I don't quite follow you here...?

Umm...that would be "Heigh (Hi) HO!"

[Lars Vermundsberget]

All right, I understand now.

But - was that a joke, or has someone indeed "expressed concern"...?

[Skellington or Sparrow]

If anything, those people threatening Disney to leave SotS out of the market make this movie appear a lot more significant than it should - in my opinion.
I guess I don't quite follow you here...?

Umm...that would be "Heigh (Hi) HO!"

yes and the fact the the ho is high as well. haha.

[Rowlf_The_Dog]

Some kinda good news from JimHillMedia.com ::

Actually, things are looking pretty good right now for "Song of the South" to finally be released on DVD in late 2008 / early 2009. But not for the reasons you might think.

You see, what with DisneyToon Studios now becoming a non-sequel producing operation as well as Dick Cook's decision last year to significantly cut back on the number of movies Walt Disney Studios will release every year ... Well, that leaves Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Soon to be renamed Walt Disney Entertainment) with significantly fewer titles to put out on store shelves in the coming year. And given that BVHE will still be expected to make its numbers ... Well, that means that they're going to have to release something that the public really wants to get its hands on. And that, my friends, is "Song of the South."

As I mentioned back in May, Disney is still hoping to use "The Princess and the Frog" to help soften any racial concerns that movie-goers may have about this 1946 Academy Award winner. Which is why the studio is looking to get production of this new John Musker & Ron Clements underway later this year. So that they'd then have a full sequence from that still-in-story-development film to drop onto that DVD. Which will then hopefully help rebuff any "Song of the South" 's critics.

So if you can just hang in there for another year or two, Craig, you should finally be able to get your hands on a really-for-real copy of "Song of the South." Not an illegal dub of the Japanese laser disc. But -- rather -- a full-blown DVD straight from Buena Vista Home Entertainment ... er ... Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

[UmbrellaFish]

Hmm... It makes sense. I would hope it's true. I guess we should just cross our fingers.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

That's some really good news! Though I've never seen it (except for a bit on YouTube and the "One Hour In Wonderland" bonus feature on the AiW DVD) I'm really looking forward to seeing this. I hope that this is true because I really would like to see it.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

I don't buy Jim Hill on this one.

1. Yes, Disney's going to and is probably trying to find something to "replace" DTVs with, I have a hard time believing releasing Song of the South is what Disney has in mind.

2. I don't really believe Frog Princess(sorry, Princess and the Frog) can in anyway be a great movie and get released by 2009. That's just too early. And if it does, short-cuts are going to be made. We don't even know how many animators are working on it. And what about the materials they sold? If it's true it's getting released 2009, then I don't really believe it can be a hit, hardly making it a "great time" to release Song of the South.

This is the type of story I won't believe until I see it.

[reyquila]

I've seen it and it depicts a moment in history as many films do. Release it!!! It is time!!!

[PapiBear]

I've seen it and it depicts a moment in history as many films do. Release it!!! It is time!!!

What moment in history does it depict? Is it a documentary?

[Siren]

At this point, I believe it will be released when I see it on store shelves. Till then, I'll be reserved to watching my black market copy.

[MK Sharp]

What moment in history does it depict?

1946.

[reyquila]

At this point, I believe it will be released when I see it on store shelves. Till then, I'll be reserved to watching my black market copy.

Hey now, decribing the market as black is racist!!!