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NEW YORK (AP) — Disney’s new streaming service is adding a disclaimer to "Dumbo," “Peter Pan” and other classics because they depict racist stereotypes.
The move illustrates a challenge facing media companies when they resurrect older movies in modern times.
Disney Plus has been an instant hit. The service attracted 10 million subscribers in just one day.
Companies have been grappling for years with how to address outdated cultural stereotypes that were in TV shows and movies decades ago but look jarring today.
In “Dumbo,” from 1941, crows that help Dumbo learn to fly are depicted with exaggerated black stereotypical voices. The lead crow’s name is “Jim Crow,” a term that describes a set of laws that legalized segregation. In “Peter Pan,” Native American characters are caricatured. The film debuted in 1953.
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