Like everyone else, I was exploring Disney Plus yesterday, the new streaming service for all things Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic. It wasn’t long before I saw a disclaimer for “outdated cultural depictions.” To be honest, if you’re just now noticing Disney’s questionable past with racial and cultural stereotypes, you’ve been turning a blind eye.

The core audience for Disney Plus is families. Despite things like The Simpsons being available, you’ll find most of the streaming service’s platform to be family oriented. Even the new flagship program, The Mandalorian, is a Star Wars space western catered to not be too violent or edgy. Meander on to Dumbo or Fantasia, and you’ll find a description of the film, which is clearly meant for kids, with an accompanying warning: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.”

I love the insinuation that at one point these cultural depictions were fair game, or somehow in-date. We all know they weren’t, and it’s not like people weren’t critical of Disney back in the 1940s. Of course, we didn’t have as public of a conversation on racial injustice and cultural appropriation as we do now. Little steps is the name of the game in social justice, and it’s clear that just talking about these things out loud is progress.

It’s not like you can’t still enjoy Disney movies. It’s just interesting that Disney is willing to include changes to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in the Han/Greedo debacle, but can’t cut a scene where a literal crow named Jim Crow sings a clearly inappropriate song with other crows. Plus, the verbiage of a depiction like that “maybe” being outdated is beyond comprehension. Of course it’s wrong. So either apologize for it straight up, or cut it. Don’t act like we’re still not sure if it’s okay to be racist. It’s not.

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