Top 20 Things in Classic Disney Movies That Wouldn't Work Today
#20: “Let Me Be Good to You” “The Great Mouse Detective” (1986)
Animated fare intended for children generally needs to be careful with sexualized content. Still, depending on the social mores of the decade, attitudes toward content of this nature tends to shift and fluctuate. It perhaps wasn’t a big deal in 1986 for “The Great Mouse Detective'' to feature a scene where Miss Kitty performs what is more of an…adult routine. The group of smoking, drinking and carousing patrons hoot ‘n howl at Kitty as she does her thing. All in all, “Let Me Be Good to You” is a fun song, but the scene is one that probably belongs to its 1980s time period alone.
#19: The Big Bad Wolf “Three Little Pigs” (1933)
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Disney isn’t a studio exempt from a closet full of insensitive stereotypes. There are some fairly egregious examples, such as this infamous scene from 1933’s “Three Little Pigs.” This animated short from the “Silly Symphony” series actually won an Academy Award in 1934, while the sequence was still in place. It depicts the Big Bad Wolf portraying an offensive Jewish stereotype. The musical score adopts traditional Jewish violin melodies, too, making no effort to hide the poor taste at play. This wasn’t okay then, and it certainly isn’t okay now but, thankfully, the wolf’s disguise would be redesigned in 1948.
#18: Puppy Fur “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)
It’s one thing for a certain scene or sequence to become problematic years later, but what about an entire premise? The basic crux of conflict in Disney’s adaptation of “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” is that Cruella de Vil wants puppy fur: lots of it. And she’s willing to do whatever it takes, even dog-napping, to get it. Right at the beginning, the character is established with a long history of skinning innocent puppies before she ever gets to Pongo and Perdita’s family. We get it – villains are supposed to be villainous, but it’s perhaps likely that Cruella’s…well, cruelty would be tempered, if this film were being animated today.
#17: “Hellfire” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
It isn’t an accident that Judge Frollo’s song “Hellfire” utilizes an aspect of the actual Roman Catholic Mass as a melodic counterpoint for its musical composition. This is, after all, a film that daringly presents themes of religion, hypocrisy and zealotry front and center. “Hellfire” was actually controversial back in 1996 when it aired, with many commenting about the frightfully realistic manner in which Frollo attempts to repress feelings of lust for Esmerelda. The Judge blames her for the feelings stirring within him, and this was not lost on parents or critics of the day. The scene featuring “Hellfire” is certainly awesome, but we question whether or not it would be executed the same way these days.
#16: Jessica Rabbit “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1989)
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Remember what we said earlier about sexual themes in kids’ films? Well, it could be argued that “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” wasn’t entirely aimed at children, and that argument would be correct. However, the exaggerated sex bomb that was Jessica Rabbit still became a hotbed for controversy, so much so that we’re still talking about her today. She was clearly created to emulate the femme fatale archetypes of classic film noir. Still, we have a hard time believing Disney, in all their family friendliness, could get a character like her on screen as easily in the 2020s.
#15: The Lab “Zootopia” (2016)
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A lot of animated features contain jokes that are intentionally designed to appeal to adults who are there in the theater with their kids. 2016’s “Zootopia” was no different, what with its fun nods to classic police procedurals and crime films. However, this scene in the film’s third act might give pause to older viewers. A ram named Doug is dressed in personal protective equipment, essentially mimicking laboratory scenes from “Breaking Bad.” It’s a different narcotic at play, sure, but the visual is remarkably dead-on. Doug’s Night Howler serum may not be the same blue substance associated with Walter White, but the suggestion is certainly there.
#14: No Money for the Harem “Aladdin” (1992)
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The song “One Jump Ahead” features a moment when the titular Aladdin finds himself within a house of ill repute. The whole thing relies a lot on implication, including how he’s treated by the women. They must know he can’t pay for their services because he’s very quickly thrown out. Aladdin as Prince Ali, on the other hand? Well, the women seem to change their tune fast enough. You really have to connect the dots to get it, and the joke here definitely flew over all of our heads as kids. But, it’s highly possible that today’s animated “Aladdin” wouldn’t have even bothered to go this route.
#13: Pleasure Island “Pinocchio” (1940)
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The purpose of Pleasure Island, just like its literary source, the Land of Toys, is to present a morality tale. The young boys come here enthusiastically and willingly to engage in all sorts of bad behavior. These include smoking, drinking, fighting, and basically a whole lot of acting like jackasses. Literally, we mean, of course. It isn’t long until the boys actually do undergo a physical transformation. This sequence was total nightmare fuel for those young enough to watch “Pinocchio” in an age prior to internet spoilers. The sight of young boys braying in fear and pain mentally scarred so many of us. We think the execution of the Pleasure Island scene would definitely be softened to fit today’s sensibilities.
#12: King Louie “The Jungle Book” (1967)
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At which point does the line of inspiration blur to become parody, or even offensive stereotype? This is a question and argument behind King Louie, from the 1967 Disney adaptation of “The Jungle Book.” Some critics have pointed to Louie as potentially reading as a harmful African-American stereotype. This was supported by jazz legend Louis Armstrong originally being considered to voice the role. However, the makers of the movie have confirmed that Louie is actually intended to mimic Italian-American Louis Prima, who was the voice eventually chosen for the character. The conversation about King Louie is still a current one. Meanwhile, the 2016 version of “The Jungle Book” skipped over the controversy entirely by hiring Christopher Walken to voice the role.
#11: The Pastoral Symphony “Fantasia” (1940)
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The combination of classical music and animation helped make “Fantasia” a unique feature film for Disney back in 1940. However, modern prints of the picture have eliminated a number of controversial aspects of “The Pastoral Symphony” sequence, featuring music from Beethoven. Among them are a pair of female, African-American centaurs, named Sunflower and Otika. Both were animated with broad, culturally insensitive features, and depicted as subservient to the other female centaurs. This, alongside the creatures’ casual nudity, ensured that the meaning was not lost on viewers. Because of this, “Fantasia” is probably better left forgotten to the 1940s.
#10: Headlights “Cars” (2006)
Believe it or not, there are a number of adult themed jokes in this 2006 Pixar film that might fly over the heads of viewers who aren't paying close attention. For starters, there is the blink-and-you'll-miss-it advertisement of “convertible waitresses” at a roadside truckstop. Given that the world of “Cars” centers around thinking, talking automobiles, that idea is a bit more salacious than meets the eye. So… what are the implications of a couple of groupies flashing their “headlights” at Lightning McQueen after a big race? Seriously though, the intent behind these scenes may seem innocent to young kids, but adults would likely balk at their inclusion today.
#9: Salacious Sanderson “Hocus Pocus” (1993)
To be honest, the very specific humor of this 1993 film has helped it become the cult hit and beloved Halloween watch it is today. The tone does jump around a bit, though, coming across at times as crude and sophomoric. One example of the somewhat “adult” humor shows up when Sarah Jessica Parker's Sarah Sanderson and her siblings hop on a city bus. SJP proceeds to also hop on the bus driver's lap, flirting and laughing with the driver as she “helps” with the driving. Cue the “speed bump” jokes, with the implication behind the scene being just a wee bit of fooling around. Sure, it's all fairly innocent, but don't expect to see this sort of a joke in any sequel.
#8: Creepy Mushu “Mulan” (1998)
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We can all agree that Eddie Murphy’s casting as Mulan's guardian dragon/comedic relief sidekick was nothing short of inspired - not to mention infinity quotable. Shortly after introducing himself to her, Mushu tries to convince her not to judge a travel-sized book by its cover, boasting how all-powerful he is. Apparently among his abilities is x-ray vision, which, considering where his eyes are looking, seems like an odd thing to say. Mulan's reaction of slapping Mushu is kinda warranted, and if we’re talking dishonor here, we might throw it Mushu’s way.
#7: Conveyor Belt Doll “Santa’s Workshop” (1932)
Aw, c'mon! Not even good ol' Saint Nick is safe? Unfortunately not. Early versions of this holiday-themed Disney short featured Santa and his elves hard at work getting toys ready for good boys and girls. Santa then inspects the dolls on the assembly line to ensure quality control. First, a white doll comes down a conveyor belt, says “mama,” and gets approved by Santa. Then, a black doll tumbles down the belt, says “mammy,” stamps her own butt, prompting Santa to laugh heartily. This “Silly Symphony” was released back in 1932, but given the word “mammy”’s ties to slavery and the doll's exaggerated features, it's no wonder Disney has removed this scene for several releases since.
#6: Hidden Figures “The Rescuers” (1977)
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Idle hands are the Devil's playthings...or at least they are when they belong to a team of Disney animators in the 1970s. It's an infamous story: when the final cut of the animated hit, “The Rescuers” was released, Disney employees snuck in an image of a nude woman - though you’d have to do a lot of zooming and enhancing to catch it. Disney would eventually - nearly two decades later - recall the VHS tapes that contained the controversial image, but the scene where Orville gives Miss Bianca and Bernard a lift has become notorious ever since. Disney’s Fort Knox-level security nowadays would never allow this sort of slip up to happen again… right?
#5: Hookah Time “Alice in Wonderland” (1951)
Consider this next entry a definite case of changing social mores. Lewis Carroll’s original story featured the Caterpillar smoking a hookah, and has been adapted numerous times since in much the same way. 1951’s “Alice in Wonderland” is hands-down one of the trippiest Disney movies, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the Caterpillar was casually puffing and listening to some Jefferson Airplane before Alice came to bug him. It’s not uncommon to see smoking in older Disney films - just look at Pinocchio puffing on a cigar - but as the company continues to adapt to suit its impressionable family audience, this seems like something they’d steer clear of.
#4: “We Are Siamese (If You Don’t Please)” “Lady and the Tramp” (1955)
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We’re SURE you sang this as a kid completely unaware of how insanely racist it is. Over the years, Disney’s films have taken to using stereotypes in their characterizations - one needs only to look at “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” in “The Aristocats” to realize that the company hasn't always been kind to Asians in their films. A decade and a half earlier, two villainous Siamese cats, Si and Am are introduced to make poor Lady’s life miserable. Well, if the slanted eyes and buck teeth don’t offend, the gong noises - a common gag - certainly will. You want proof Disney regretted this? Their 2019 live-action remake replaced the sequence with “What a Shame.”
#3: A Crow Named Jim “Dumbo” (1941)
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Who knew that a film about an adorable elephant would have inappropriate content? Don’t believe us? Okay: that scene where Dumbo gets drunk? A big NOPE. And these guys? Eeesh. We’ll explain: the 1941 cartoon sees Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse meeting a group of crows. In the years since the film’s release, their manner of speaking - as well as the fact that their leader’s name is Jim Crow in the original script - have caused controversy. You see, in the United States, Jim Crow laws basically made racial segregation legal until the mid-1960s, so it’s hard to brush this off as a coincidence. However, some say Dumbo’s crows are simply parodying popular African American entertainers of the era. Either way, it seems like Disney wanted to steer clear of any dispute, so Tim Burton’s 2019 adaptation found a way around both of these questionable elements.
#2: Native American Stereotypes “Peter Pan” (1953)
We're not sure if the powers that be behind Disney's “Peter Pan” intended for the tribe sequence to be insensitive. What we do know is this musical number would absolutely not be allowed in the modern day, despite its happy-go-lucky exterior. Even one of the supervising animators, Marc Davis, said, “I'm not sure we would have done the Indians if we were making this movie now. And if we had we wouldn't do them the way we did back then.” The company has attempted to remedy this on several occasions, ranging from writing the chief and company out of the 2002 sequel to a disclaimer on Disney+. Today, the scene is rather embarrassing in what's otherwise an absolute Disney classic.
#1: All of It “Song of the South” (1946)
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Disney's “Song of the South,” derived from Uncle Remus folktales, is infamous for a number of reasons, as many believe that the film marginalizes the impact of slavery. Even when this movie was being made, there was a worry it would draw controversy. An NAACP statement at the time critiqued, “Making use of the beautiful Uncle Remus folklore, ‘Song of the South’ unfortunately gives the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts.” When the film was screened in Atlanta in 1946, Walt Disney quickly left, upset by reviews, and Uncle Remus actor James Baskett wasn’t allowed to come, as the city was still racially segregated. To this day, the film has failed to receive an uncut home video release in the United States.
