Roy Disney supports Song of the South release - Eisner does not (1 Viewer)

[Brandon Conway]

Source

Roy Disney Supports Song of the South's Release

I recently contacted Roy Disney and Stanley Gold after learning of their decision to resign from Disney's Board of Directors. In my letter I pledged my full support and also took the opportunity to ask Mr. Disney if there was any information he could provide on Song of the South's status. He was kind enough to provide me with the following reply:


Dear Mr. Willis - thanks for letter of support, and I am sorry to tell you that this is yet another reason to do our best to move Eisner out. He has been - far quite a few years now - totally against (I think AFRAID is a better word) of re-releasing Song of the South, which happens to be one of my favorite of the old Disney films. A number of us have tried, for some time, to change his mind, to no avail.

So that's all I can tell you right now. It would be one of my first acts if I were to come back to the company!

Hope that helps, although I know it's not the best of news...

Roy


Needless to say, it is clear to see where the support lies in the release of this film! So, I highly encourage all of you to take action and support Roy Disney and Stanley Gold in restoring Disney to its original glory! Please take the time to visit SaveDisney.com and see how you can help. This is a crucial step in getting Song of the South released! SaveDisney.com has also kindly added SongoftheSouth.net to their links section.

 

[PaulP]

Couldn't Roy instead have stayed at the comapny and just fired Eisner? What a prick that guy is.

 

[Brandon Conway]

No. That was not a possibility.

 

[Eric Paddon]

Yes. Roy might be part of the family, but that doesn't and never did put him at the head of the company, which has been Eisner's job since 1984.

 

[oscar_merkx]

It appears that the stakes have been raised.

Would certainly be good to see SOTS released

 

[Joshua Clinard]

This is good news. With all the institutional shareholders pledging to vote no on Eisner, I believe it's definite that he is outta there. Hopefully sooner, rather than later. It would be nice to be able to get SOTS next spring. I think that would be the earliest it could come out.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

We really need to get rid of Eisner.

 

[luke_ha]

yes eisner has slowly eroded disney into a corporate mongrel. eisner must leave

 

[DaViD Boulet]

On a related note...

Anybody notice on the awards last night all the Disney/Eisner bashing that took place? From jokes about boardroom fighting to talking about how the split with Pixar has basically left Disney with nothing but "a bunch of muppets and a waterslide".

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

It would be nice to see Disney have the respectability it enjoyed when I was a child, and the direction they had only a few years ago in the way they were handling their DVD product.

So long Mr. Eisner.

 

[Aryn Leroux]

As much as i hate eisner and i agree he has to go, I have to agree with him with his stance on Song of the South. This movie should not be seen by kids today period. I believe Roger Ebert is on record as saying it should not be seen again.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Aryn, if I were you I'd be getting some armor on to prepare for the counter strike by the film advocates of this board.

 

[Scotty_McW]

I have never seen Song of the South. What is the deal with it being released? What are the problems with the film that seem to cause anymosity towards it?

 

[Joshua Clinard]

Who are you to tell us what films should or should not be viewed? It may very not be a very good children's movie, but we are adults here! I can think of films that are much worse than anything in SOTS! Let's try any of the Scary Movie films for starters.

 

[george kaplan]

Just two points.

Even if you restricted a film from being seen by kids (I can think of much better choices for that than Song of the South), you shouldn't restrict adults from seeing it, which is what Disney is doing.

This isn't some x-rated sex flick, or uber-violent film, it's a kids movie that has (or hasn't depending on who you ask) some elements that might be racist or troubling to some. This sounds much more like something that parents should decide whether to have their kids watcj, than having the decision forced upon them.

I know a woman who took her very young child to see Passion. I don't agree with that choice, but it's hers to make.

 

[Robert Dunnill]

Ebert may be a cinema authority, but his opinions are far from being the definitive truth.

 

[Aryn Leroux]

Brandon: Heh yeah i expect as much and they certainly will make valid points i'm sure. If there was a way to release it and not market it towards kids i would be all for it. But we all know if disney was to release this it would be aimed directly at children and parents would buy it for em.

As much as you don't ever wanna forget the past, there is enough hate in the world today that we don't need our kids watching this kinda stuff from disney no less. Times are different today, let me be clear i don't want the film destroyed or anything like that. Just keep it away from the children is my point of view.

 

[Ernest Rister]

Song of the South is not racist - it does not advocate the superiority of one race or present another race as inferior. It features ethnic stereotypes like many films from that period, but Remus is the smartest and most human character in the film. All the villains in the movie (aside from a mean ol' bull) are caucasian.

The word "racist" is a hand grenade too lightly lobbed about in today's discourse.

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

I think he said that film school students should still be able to see it (or something like that). The exact quote is in another SOTS thread.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

What's so bad about kids seeing this film? With a parent setting the proper context with discussion about slavery and how things have changed in America, it could actually be a very powerful film for kids to watch.

In an ironic way, the stories of brair rabbit and the gang actually *empower* african american history, by showing the personalities, wit, and humor of people who managed to live their lives and find joy and a positive outlook inspite of being opressed by poverty and an institution of enslavement. That's an explicative that reveals human dignity and, from this perspective, credits those indivials with the respect that they deserve.

In any case, parents and adults should have the right to determine their own perspective and how this film fits into their value system. In whatever way one individual may feel that this film is potentially destructive, another may see an equal potential for a powerful educational tool.


Agreed.