The Muppet Show - Disney adds warning over negative stereotypes

[Sarah]

Redirect Notice

Disney Plus has added a content warning to the beginning of 18 episodes of The Muppet Show, which started streaming on the platform on Friday.

"This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures," it reads.

"These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now."

The disclaimer has been added to each of the episodes for different reasons, including one where Johnny Cash sings in front of the Confederate flag.

The Confederacy was the group of southern states that fought to keep slavery during the US Civil War and the flag is seen as a symbol of racism by many.

Disney's disclaimer added: "Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together."

The advisory note comes after several months of revisionism around films and TV programmes which could be considered offensive by the standards of today.





You’ve gone too far this time Piggy @Toni

 

[Crimson]

These disclaimers are silly -- pacifiers for those who engage in recreational outrage while already knowing they are viewing a work made from an outdated vantage point. Anyone who somehow still holds onto those outdated views isn't going to be magically edified by a disclaimer in front of a puppet show. But still, better a silly disclaimer than corporate censorship.

 

[Sarah]

I just feel my whole life and childhood is being changed. The Muppet Show, Snow White... at least they’ve left Dallas alone - that would be too much for me @Crimson

 

[Toni]

Redirect Notice

Disney Plus has added a content warning to the beginning of 18 episodes of The Muppet Show, which started streaming on the platform on Friday.

"This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures," it reads.

"These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now."

The disclaimer has been added to each of the episodes for different reasons, including one where Johnny Cash sings in front of the Confederate flag.

The Confederacy was the group of southern states that fought to keep slavery during the US Civil War and the flag is seen as a symbol of racism by many.

Disney's disclaimer added: "Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together."

The advisory note comes after several months of revisionism around films and TV programmes which could be considered offensive by the standards of today.





You’ve gone too far this time Piggy @Toni

Do NOT think so! Miss Piggy is ready to fight!! She´s a tough girl!

"No one cancels moi!! Nor my sweet slapping!!"​

 

[DallasFanForever]

I do get that we are living in a much different world now so I understand. I really do. I would never intentionally offend anyone for any reason and if I ever did I’d be the first one to apologize. I was a big fan of The Dukes of Hazzard and I never thought of the Confederate flag as being something offensive. But I understand that now many people do and I really don’t want anyone to feel that way.

I love watching reruns of The Cosby Show but I know many women now that won’t watch it at all. Are they wrong? Who am I to say they are? It doesn’t offend me but if I’m watching it with someone that is offended by it I’ll change the channel if it makes them more comfortable. Like I said, it’s a different world now. (No pun intended)

 

[darkshadows38]

this baffles me because it's the freaking muppets why bother? but than i haven't watched it in years so.... and if this is disney doing it than why not release song of the south (1946) which is a great film that they refuse to release even though it takes place during the time of slavery and put a disclaimer on that ? and release it in america but no that makes to much damn sense.

 

[Toni]

Da Pig is trending now...

#notmoitoo
#respectpigqueen
#notwithoutmyfrog
#morethanamuppet


​

 

[DallasFanForever]

Piggy is trending!!

Now we’ve got a thread!!

 

[darkshadows38]

i'm 42 years old and i still love the muppets i knew as a kid they were fake i mean you can see the string or whatever it's called underneath their hands.

i also think the music was far better back in the day too compared to now where it sucks ass

 

[Biggie]

Admitting one's wrong doing is important, as the Muppet Show is finally doing. Lesser minds would have considered their abhorrent views validated by the ghastly stereotypes and fabricated attributes depicted.

The passage of time does not excuse wrong doing. The era in which one lived does not justify belittling others.

 

[Rove]

Disney's disclaimer added: "Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together."

Typical Disney. In order not to offend a minority they end up offending the majority. Enough already.

 

[Toni]

Miss Piggy just told me that she´s been talking to Granny Pig (I can say "Granny" in this context, can´t I?). She said that her children went through the same thing when they debuted in movies. It was something about a wolf disguised as a jew... (this is true, by the way...)

Left: original
Right: 1948 revision​

 

[darkshadows38]

warner bros years ago put out the offensive cartoons on dvd but ya know what? those were offensive and they put a video before the cartoon apparently saying this was made in a different time and they aren't the views that are held today etc... that's fine i can respect that but they put it out at least. Disney does not have the balls or even the brains to ever do that because they think everything offends someone, the fact that they consider Gone With the wind (1939) offensive is laughable because again it took place during the civil war and views were vastly different back than. they don't put a warning in front of that or even 12 years a slave do they?

if that can be release and though i haven't seen that one i am only posting it cause it's about slavery as well why can't song of the south? (1946) ? if they even look at the film Dumbo (1940) which is an amazing film don't get me wrong but those birds as a kid i always got a kick out of them i still do but that's racism in there and that is release why can't song of the south ? (1946) why can't that? i haven't seen the muppet show in years so i don't really know if they ever did anything offensive or what would be considered that.

but it makes me think of the film bloodsucking Freaks (1976) hear me out on this one, this one outside of being a horror film is full of sexism & is a very offensive film on what they do to women there's a lot of nudity in it apparently' i've never seen it but it came out in (1976) there was a lot of Controversy over it because a woman who took her child to see it said it scared him. it was again a film that had a lot of nudity in it etc.. why did she take her child to a movie called bloodsucking freaks?

the stupidity out there is simply amazing. my point is while Disney has put out a lot of my favorite movies and tv shows etc... and i get that they don't want to be sued but ya know what? not everyone gets offended and you should let the product stand for what it is i think. there's a lot of things they've done in the films and they have been put on on some format in some form and are on blu-ray or 4K and they refuse to put song of the south on 4K (1946) sorry it's just a habit of mine..

and it angers me they think it's the most offensive movie i think they ever put out and it's not and they treat it like it's the only one and it's clearly not Fun and Fancy Free (1947) also has some offensive stuff in it as well if i'm not mistaken and that has i believe Mickey Mouse in it! i don't get their logic at all does anyone?

 

[darkshadows38]

i forgot to say that while i get a kick out of the birds in Dumbo i haven't seen it in years but as a kid they made me laugh i never thought they were racist until in recent years when someone pointed them out to me. and i'm 100% not racist i didn't want anyone here think i am just because those birds growing up made me laugh

 

[Willie Oleson]

I demand a disclaimer for Are You Being Served because it made fun of gay people.
I want us all the realize, retroactively, how wrong it was to watch this show and not being offended by it at all.

No. Of course not.

These disclaimers are becoming like the silly disclaimers for products, to avoid law suits and pearl-clutching soccer moms who can start a twitter storm and have their product banned.
Do we really need the government and companies to do all the thinking for us? Come on people, challenge yourself a little bit.

 

[darkshadows38]

people will sue over pretty much anything, remember that woman and they were talking about this in a stream i watched recently as a matter of fact that got hot coffee spilled on her she had done that herself and she sued and won cause she said it was too hot. now they make it at a lower temp. my point is people sue over the stupidest things and this is them covering their own asses. there is a song that is dedicated to these type of people and it's by Weird Al and the song is called i'm gonna sue you.

i think was the name of it? i want to say it's from Bad hair day from (1996) but than i could be wrong

 

[Grant Jennings]

I think it's silly have a disclaimer before Gone With The Wind or anything else intended for adults but I understand the logic behind putting a disclaimer on The Muppets. I can imagine a young parent looking for some entertainment for their child (especially in the midst of quarantine) seeing a Muppets DVD and thinking it would be great for their kids. While they're watching it they see an ethnic stereotype or something else that might be problematic. In this case it makes sense to me just like having a G, PG, PG13, etc. rating.

My problem is with "trigger" warnings and being overly sensitive to adults whose "feelings" are too easily hurt. I saw a video the other day of an activist calling for an end to the words "blackmail" and "blackball" because, in his view, they are racist. Poppycock, those words are no more racist than the phrase "white Christmas" (which I've heard some other people claim is racist!). Snow is white, a Christmas with snow on the ground is a "white Christmas". Unfortunately, some people (including an awful lot who have a college education) don't understand that.

 

[Crimson]

Every generation or so, we seem to go through one of these moral hysterias; usually they come from the Right so it's odd this one is coming from the Left. But like all of others, it's going to look dumb in retrospect. I look forward to 20 years or so from now when we can collectively agree it was a handful of uptight weirdos running around 'cancelling' each other and demanding labels on things.

 

[thomaswak]

• General TV

The Muppet Show - Disney adds warning over negative stereotypes​

But who will add warning over Disney?

 

[Angela Channing]

Do we want to teach our children that it's ok to mock minorities or do we want them to be better than us? I think the latter so it's right that Disney should recognise there is material in some of the shows that is no longer appropriate.