The Song of the South had this mystique about it for me. It was like this big secret that I wasn't in on. I wanted to see what all the fuss was for myself. So I went in search of a copy of this film. I was able to find a bootleg on a P2P network, so I downloaded it and watched it.
While looking for the film, I learned quite a bit about the controversy surrounding this picture as well.
I did not think the portrayal of African-Americans in this picture was as bad as some folk make it out to be. It wasn't ideal, either.
Its not explained in the movie that it is after the civil war, during the "Jim Crow" era, but the 1946 audience would have known this because of their familiarity with the Uncle Remus stories. But there are no slaves in this picture. They are plantation workers, and dirt poor, but they are free.
My son watched parts of the movie with me, and he enjoyed what he saw. He especially liked seeing the young boy Johnny applying the lessons he learned from Brer Rabbit's example.
Song of the South
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ericpabear
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SpringheeldJack,
I do agree that the movie wasn't all that great. My memories of it was better than watching it again with my kid's. However, this movie is very entertaining, and is a part of history. What about the rest of us who are offended by not being able to see what we want, and being told what to think, say, etc.. And a boycot of Disney,
how many paid attention when the Baptist boycotted. I was sitting inside the Contemporary watching that on T.V..That was about Disney giving homosexual
cast members and their partners benefits. I am not on the attack, I am just trying to make a point.
If you are offended change the chanel, you don't have to watch.
I do agree that the movie wasn't all that great. My memories of it was better than watching it again with my kid's. However, this movie is very entertaining, and is a part of history. What about the rest of us who are offended by not being able to see what we want, and being told what to think, say, etc.. And a boycot of Disney,
how many paid attention when the Baptist boycotted. I was sitting inside the Contemporary watching that on T.V..That was about Disney giving homosexual
cast members and their partners benefits. I am not on the attack, I am just trying to make a point.
If you are offended change the chanel, you don't have to watch.
I'm excited about seeing this. I mean you hear about it on splash mountain and i think (I'm not really sure) they mention it on the storybook ride in DLR. I haven't seen it in a long time but from what I've hear it's one of those movies that you only need to see once and that's enough. I'll just wait and see if it's true.
This may be a bit of old news now for some of you, but I found some information on this topic that interested me so I will share it here.
http://www.songofthesouth.net/news/index.html
PS: This link updates every time they have SOTH news. I was refering to the March 11, 2006 entry.
http://www.songofthesouth.net/news/index.html
PS: This link updates every time they have SOTH news. I was refering to the March 11, 2006 entry.
Last edited by MouseMan on Apr Mon 17, 2006 10:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Fantasrick
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Re: Song of the South
the link isn't working so I guess I'm not going to be able to see it!SpringheeledJack wrote:Just wondered if anyone has heard about this?
I'm totally stoked for this, but in all honesty, I've seen the movie a bunch of times and, like the quote says, it's not nearly as good as I remembered it as a kid. Mostly, it's boring. But man, those animated portions with Brer Rabbit are incredible.
Anyway, just thought some of you Splash Mountain fans might be interested!
I wish I could! 
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Fantasrick
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I have mixed feelings on the possible reissue. Not because of Uncle Remus himself but because a characters was very mean to one of the kids in the movie.
I can understand the strong reservations but eventually we have to get past that shameful time in history and move on.
Afterthought: After reading the article that was posted halfway down the mention of SNL parody Iger had to make a call on it.
I'd do the same thing if I was in his shoes. With the exception of those who want to see it, no one else is ready for it yet.
I can understand the strong reservations but eventually we have to get past that shameful time in history and move on.
Afterthought: After reading the article that was posted halfway down the mention of SNL parody Iger had to make a call on it.
I'd do the same thing if I was in his shoes. With the exception of those who want to see it, no one else is ready for it yet.
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ericpabear
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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... te-utility
Despite controversy, Disney could unlock 'Song of the South'
Walt Disney Co.'s 1946 film "Song of the South" was historic. It was Disney's first big live-action picture and produced one of the company's most famous songs -- the Oscar-winning "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." It also carries the story line of the Splash Mountain rides at its theme parks.
But the movie remains hidden in the Disney archives -- never released on video in the United States and criticized as racist for its depiction of Southern plantation blacks. The film's 60th anniversary passed last year without a whisper of official rerelease, which is unusual for Disney, but President and CEO Bob Iger recently said the company was reconsidering.
The film's reissue would surely spark debate, but it could also sell big. Nearly 115,000 people have signed an online petition urging Disney to make the movie available, and out-of-print international copies routinely sell online for $50-$90, some even more than $100.
Iger was answering a shareholder's inquiry about the movie for the second year in a row at Disney's annual meeting in New Orleans. This month the Disney chief made a rerelease sound more possible.
"The question of 'Song of the South' comes up periodically, in fact it was raised at last year's annual meeting ..." Iger said. "And since that time, we've decided to take a look at it again because we've had numerous requests about bringing it out. Our concern was that a film that was made so many decades ago being brought out today perhaps could be either misinterpreted or that it would be somewhat challenging in terms of providing the appropriate context."
"Song of the South" was re-shown in theaters in 1956, 1972 and 1986. Both animated and live-action, it tells the story of a young white boy, Johnny, who goes to live on his grandparents' Georgia plantation when his parents split up. Johnny is charmed by Uncle Remus -- a popular black servant -- and his fables of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox, which are actual black folk tales.
Remus' stories include the famous "tar baby," a phrase Republican presidential hopefuls John McCain and Mitt Romney were recently criticized for using to describe difficult situations. In "Song of the South," it was a trick Brer Fox and Brer Bear used to catch the rabbit -- dressing a lump of hot tar as a person to ensnare their prey. To some, it is now a derogatory term for blacks, regardless of context.
The movie doesn't reveal whether it takes place before or after the Civil War, and never refers to blacks on the plantation as slaves. It makes clear they work for the family, living down dirt roads in wood shacks while the white characters stay in a mansion. Remus and other black characters' dialogue is full of "ain't nevers," "ain't nobodys," "you tells," and "dem days's."
"In today's environment, 'Song of the South' probably doesn't have a lot of meaning, especially to the younger audiences," said James Pappas, associate professor of African-American Studies at the University of New York at Buffalo. "Older audiences probably would have more of a connection with the stereotypes, which were considered harmless at the time."
Pappas said it's not clear that the movie is intentionally racist, but it inappropriately projects Remus as a happy, laughing storyteller even though he's a plantation worker.
"Gone with the Wind," produced seven years earlier, endured the same criticism and even shares a common actress (Hattie McDaniel, who won an Oscar for "Gone" for playing the house slave "Mammy").
However, Pappas said he thinks the movie should be rereleased because of its historical significance. He said it should be prefaced, and closed, with present-day statements.
"I think it's important that these images are shown today so that especially young people can understand this historical context for some of the blatant stereotyping that's done today," Pappas said.
From a financial standpoint, Iger acknowledged last year that Disney stood to gain from rereleasing "Song." The company's movies are popular with collectors, and Disney has kept sales strong by tightly controlling when they're available.
Christian Willis, a 26-year-old IT administrator in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., started a "Song" fan site in 1999 to showcase memorabilia. He soon expanded it into a clearinghouse for information on the movie that now averages more than 800 hits a day and manages the online petition.
Willis said he doesn't think the movie is racist, just from a different time.
"Stereotypes did exist on the screen," he said. "But if you look at other films of that time period, I think 'Song of the South' was really quite tame in that regard. I think Disney did make an effort to show African Americans in a more positive light."
Though Willis is hopeful, there's still no telling when -- or if -- the movie could come out (beyond its copyright lapsing decades from now).
For this story, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney's distribution arm, issued a statement: "Song of the South is one of a handful of titles that has not seen a home distribution window. To this point, we have not discounted nor committed to any distribution window concerning this title."
Despite controversy, Disney could unlock 'Song of the South'
Walt Disney Co.'s 1946 film "Song of the South" was historic. It was Disney's first big live-action picture and produced one of the company's most famous songs -- the Oscar-winning "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." It also carries the story line of the Splash Mountain rides at its theme parks.
But the movie remains hidden in the Disney archives -- never released on video in the United States and criticized as racist for its depiction of Southern plantation blacks. The film's 60th anniversary passed last year without a whisper of official rerelease, which is unusual for Disney, but President and CEO Bob Iger recently said the company was reconsidering.
The film's reissue would surely spark debate, but it could also sell big. Nearly 115,000 people have signed an online petition urging Disney to make the movie available, and out-of-print international copies routinely sell online for $50-$90, some even more than $100.
Iger was answering a shareholder's inquiry about the movie for the second year in a row at Disney's annual meeting in New Orleans. This month the Disney chief made a rerelease sound more possible.
"The question of 'Song of the South' comes up periodically, in fact it was raised at last year's annual meeting ..." Iger said. "And since that time, we've decided to take a look at it again because we've had numerous requests about bringing it out. Our concern was that a film that was made so many decades ago being brought out today perhaps could be either misinterpreted or that it would be somewhat challenging in terms of providing the appropriate context."
"Song of the South" was re-shown in theaters in 1956, 1972 and 1986. Both animated and live-action, it tells the story of a young white boy, Johnny, who goes to live on his grandparents' Georgia plantation when his parents split up. Johnny is charmed by Uncle Remus -- a popular black servant -- and his fables of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox, which are actual black folk tales.
Remus' stories include the famous "tar baby," a phrase Republican presidential hopefuls John McCain and Mitt Romney were recently criticized for using to describe difficult situations. In "Song of the South," it was a trick Brer Fox and Brer Bear used to catch the rabbit -- dressing a lump of hot tar as a person to ensnare their prey. To some, it is now a derogatory term for blacks, regardless of context.
The movie doesn't reveal whether it takes place before or after the Civil War, and never refers to blacks on the plantation as slaves. It makes clear they work for the family, living down dirt roads in wood shacks while the white characters stay in a mansion. Remus and other black characters' dialogue is full of "ain't nevers," "ain't nobodys," "you tells," and "dem days's."
"In today's environment, 'Song of the South' probably doesn't have a lot of meaning, especially to the younger audiences," said James Pappas, associate professor of African-American Studies at the University of New York at Buffalo. "Older audiences probably would have more of a connection with the stereotypes, which were considered harmless at the time."
Pappas said it's not clear that the movie is intentionally racist, but it inappropriately projects Remus as a happy, laughing storyteller even though he's a plantation worker.
"Gone with the Wind," produced seven years earlier, endured the same criticism and even shares a common actress (Hattie McDaniel, who won an Oscar for "Gone" for playing the house slave "Mammy").
However, Pappas said he thinks the movie should be rereleased because of its historical significance. He said it should be prefaced, and closed, with present-day statements.
"I think it's important that these images are shown today so that especially young people can understand this historical context for some of the blatant stereotyping that's done today," Pappas said.
From a financial standpoint, Iger acknowledged last year that Disney stood to gain from rereleasing "Song." The company's movies are popular with collectors, and Disney has kept sales strong by tightly controlling when they're available.
Christian Willis, a 26-year-old IT administrator in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., started a "Song" fan site in 1999 to showcase memorabilia. He soon expanded it into a clearinghouse for information on the movie that now averages more than 800 hits a day and manages the online petition.
Willis said he doesn't think the movie is racist, just from a different time.
"Stereotypes did exist on the screen," he said. "But if you look at other films of that time period, I think 'Song of the South' was really quite tame in that regard. I think Disney did make an effort to show African Americans in a more positive light."
Though Willis is hopeful, there's still no telling when -- or if -- the movie could come out (beyond its copyright lapsing decades from now).
For this story, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney's distribution arm, issued a statement: "Song of the South is one of a handful of titles that has not seen a home distribution window. To this point, we have not discounted nor committed to any distribution window concerning this title."
When you look at all the other stereotypes that were in films years and years ago, this seems like nothing. An obvious stereotype that I can think of is Mickey Rooney playing a Chinese man in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I understand that Disney feels the re-release of "Song of the South" will stir up unwanted press, but the truth is that if they portray it in the right way, I don't think it will be that big of a deal.
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nancynohorse
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I used to own a Brer' Rabbit book when I was a small child. I wish I could remember which book it was. That was the only way I knew of Song of the South. Imagine my surprise seeing Brer' Rabbit when riding Splash Mountain for the first time. Lost childhood memories came flooding back to me. Only Disney could do something like that.
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nancynohorse
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Jacca5660
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A friend got us a copy of SOTS from Japan. It's pretty funny, It's in English with Japanese sub-tittles. I don't know why people think it's racists? The smartest person in the movie is uncle Remus and it depicts what the south was like in that era. It's not a pretty history, but it is how it was.
Sorry to say our history is not one big happy Disney movie!
But then again I have a collection of banned cartoons that one of my DS history teacher's uses for her class. SOTS is mild compared to what animators were putting out in the same time frame. You should see some of the Disney cartoons from WW2. She also uses them to show what racism was really like in this county years ago.
Sorry to say our history is not one big happy Disney movie!
But then again I have a collection of banned cartoons that one of my DS history teacher's uses for her class. SOTS is mild compared to what animators were putting out in the same time frame. You should see some of the Disney cartoons from WW2. She also uses them to show what racism was really like in this county years ago.
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"There's a fine prow on that steamer, let's climb aboard her!" Fireside
"You're off the map mateys..Here there be SeaMonsters!!"
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