Possible Release of Disney's "Song of the South"? (1 Viewer)

[Chuck Bogie]

Just remember that there are millions of people who have never read one of the most powerful abolitionist books out there who object to it on the basis that one of the characters is known as "Nigger Jim."

I actually saw Song of the South on a big screen. From what I remember, it wasn't racist. At least no more racist than the average Richard Pryor film.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

And what would people say about racism in a Richard Pryor film? Probably something along the lines of "Pryor is appropriating racial stereotypes and repurposing them, thus using them as a form of empowerment," which is a sociological way of saying that only minorities are allowed to use stereotypical language to describe one another, as their use doesn't carry the stigma that would exist if a WASP were to use it. Hence the appropriation of the n-word by the hip-hop community and black standup comics, the use of f*g, f****t or queer by the gay community and so on.

I loathe political correctness.

 

[Dick]

Amen to that. It leads to revisionism and tries to placate those among us who like life nice and cushy and uncomplicated. Rude awakening time is inevitable eventually, and PC people are not going to be ready for it. It's like sheltering a child, then sending it out into the cold, cruel world completely unprepared for the reality of it all. This is like that, only it's retroactive. It's the same kind of mentality that leads to things like Holocaust denial.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Dick, I agree with you, and get quite militant. People start lying to their children from the day they're born. How do you feel about Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, etc.? That's not just revising history -- that revises what the real world is all about! How does that prepare a kid for reality?

 

[TonyD]

what are you guys talking about?
now we cant do the tooth fairy or santa clause?

 

[Steve Christou]

Haha you can't fool me there ain't no sanity clause.


More offensive than Mandingo? Come on, still no sign of a DVD release for this harmless Disney classic? For shame, a very nice colorful copy of it gets shown here on the BBC every year. I managed to record it last time it was shown. So even if it does get a release I'd only buy it if it's packed with extras.

As others have mentioned they can always release it as a special Walt Disney Treasures release and have Leonard Maltin explain very carefully why such a big deal has been made of it's delayed DVD release.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Every now and then, I see this thread bumped up to the top and I check in to see if the damn movie is actually being released. It never is. How pathetic is that?

 

[MarkHastings]

I assume that, if it EVER is released, a mod will change the title (like with other threads) to reflect the news.

 

[Steve Christou]

Yep, retitling it "Zipadeedooda!" will suffice.



On a scale of 1 to 10? I'd say 3. Well okay this thread like the Blade Runner thread is always hovering around here, my pet peeve is when someone digs up an old dead thread just to say "any news on this?" [bites fist].

 

[MarkHastings]

More like "Zipadee-f***in-finally-doo-dah!!!"

 

[Steve Christou]

That might get the message across. How about "My oh my what a wonderful day!"


The film's working title was 'Uncle Remus'. James Baskett was the first 'live' actor to be hired by Walt Disney. Song of the South was his last film, he died of heart disease in 1948 aged just 44.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

And James Baskett is the only reason the live action sequences work in this film. Every other character is pretty one-dimensional.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

What about Robert Benchley and all those others (including Alan Ladd) in "The Reluctant Dragon"?

 

[Steve Christou]

But they were part of a documentary on the Disney studios weren't they? Whilst Baskett was hired to star in a feature length movie.

Here's a link to a site dedicated to the film, plenty of info and the entire script.

http://www.songofthesouth.net/movie/index.html

 

[TonyD]

ah, Chico IS the Man.

 

[colorado ryan]

why not release this? what is wrong with this? nothing.
some people get uneasy about every movie that comes out. i say get over it.
they could release it like they did the looney tunes and tom and jerry sets.
saying something stupid like children maybe offended. YEAH RIGHT!!!!
my friend's young son at age 7 watched some of the cartoons that are banned it didn't offend him. the people are wrong. my friends son proved that.
we saw this movie as kids at the movies. they should be more worried about what rappers talk about rather than be offended by a movie .sweet nibblets!

 

[Mike Frezon]

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Of course, if SOTS were perpetuating stereotypes, that'd be a pic of creamed corn, right Mike?

 

[Paul McElligott]

I think he means "can of corn" which is baseball-speak for an easy pop fly.

Why he means that is another question...

 

[Mike Frezon]

Don't think it's all that cryptic or anything.

I was simply celebrating Thomas' (Colorado Ryan's) exclamation at the end of his post (just before mine)! I don't think I'd ever heard it before.

Sweet niblets!