Disney removes iconic 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah' from parades because of links with controversial 1946 film
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: As part of an ultra-woke transformation of the theme park, Disney has deleted the song 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah' from the music of its in-park parades due to connections to the 1946 film 'Song of the South'. That phrase had been slammed as it promoted racial stereotypes.
Since its debut, the catchy expression has become ingrained in popular culture, although it has long drawn criticism for its idealized depiction of the post-war South. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, it was a part of the soundtrack for Disney's 'Magic Happens' parades, but the $1 billion corporation has now secretly deleted it as a way to separate itself from the movie.
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'Spiritual Black' males in stereotypical ways
The OC Register was the first publication to report on the lyrics modification for the parade. The 1946 movie 'Song of the South', which has long been criticized for its portrayal of "spiritual" Black males in stereotypical ways and its seeming nostalgia for the antebellum South, is where the song 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah' first appeared, as reported by CNN.
'Totally rebuilt'
Disney is working to remove all references to the movie from its other theme parks. Given that the log flume ride's inspiration came from 'Song of the South', Disney Parks and Resorts declared in 2020 that Splash Mountain would be "totally rebuilt" at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The characters from the 2009 animated picture 'The Princess and the Frog', which features Disney's first Black princess, will appear in the remade version.
Disney previously said in a statement, "With this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the re-theming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year," as reported by Fox Business.
'Privilege checklist'
Since 'Song of the South' is so divisive, Disney has kept it hidden for years and even excluded it from the vast Disney+ archive. After the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020, which sparked in-depth discussion and reflection about how race is represented in popular culture, changes to the log flume ride were made. A new anti-racism training course that required park personnel to pass a "privilege checklist" was reportedly being implemented by Walt Disney World in May 2021. However, it was later scrapped, as reported by Daily Mail.
