"I Wanna Be Like You"

[SpottyOrange]

Not sure if this is an AIBU but is that song from the jungle book racist?!
Yes: it's dated and awful
No: don't be daft

[PurpleDaisies]

Isn’t it sung by an orangutan who wants to be a man?

I’m not sure what you think is racist about the song.

[SleepingStandingUp]

Why would it be racist?

[ThatIsMyPotato]

"Jungle Book (1968): The character of King Louie, an ape with poor linguistic skills, sings in a Dixieland jazz style and is shown as lazy. The character has been criticised for being a racist caricature of African-Americans" www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54566087

[Iminaglasscaseofemotion]

What now?

[Iminaglasscaseofemotion]

Hang on, an orangutan singing about wanting to be human, to a human, in the Indian jungle/forest is racist towards African-Americans?

[BitOfAFaff]

🙄

[BrumBoo]

Unfortunate, a lot of things from the earlier Disney era is racist (or simply wouldn't be made in the same way these days). You can easily decipher where animals are used to 'other' minorities, and in contrast how the white, American idealisms of the time come through. So yes, the song (especially in the full context of the character and film in general) can be, and is, seen as racist.

[pepsicolagirl]

It's an orangutan?!

If this can o worms gets opened I would imagine the crows from Dumbo must be crapping themselves...

[PurpleDaisies]

Some interesting posts. I only looked at song lyrics in isolation.

Dumbo is full of dodgy stuff.

[ThatIsMyPotato]

@pepsicolagirl

It's an orangutan?!

If this can o worms gets opened I would imagine the crows from Dumbo must be crapping themselves...

Yup there's a warning on Dumbo too due to the crows.

[BrumBoo]

@pepsicolagirl

It's an orangutan?!

If this can o worms gets opened I would imagine the crows from Dumbo must be crapping themselves...

That is also already well established as an example of racism in early Disney.

[Isitsixoclockalready]

Interesting. Never thought about it any context like that. I had a look on the internet and I can't see any such observations.

[BoyTree]

The song itself is not as overtly racist as some 'classic' Disney songs, but the character of King Louie incorporates a number of negative stereotypes as a PP quoted.

[Timper]

Go away.

[BoyTree]

@pepsicolagirl

It's an orangutan?!

If this can o worms gets opened I would imagine the crows from Dumbo must be crapping themselves...

Well, yes - the lead one is even called Jim Crow, so it's not exactly subtle.

[SimonJT]

King Louie is used to represent African Americans, lazy, stupid and power hungry, typical racist ideas at the time.

Racism (and sexism) is very much present in Disney films, look at the lion king, pale lions good, brave, strong and loyal, dark lions bad, weak, untrustworthy.

The Siamese cats in lady and the tramp, the yellow faced cat in aristocats playing the piano with chopsticks, peterpan call native americans redskins.

They literally made a film about african americans enjoying being slaves and picking cotton.

[vodkaredbullgirl]

[BilboBercow]

Lots of Disney films are racist. Have you watched Pinocchio received or Dumbo?

[BilboBercow]

*recently

[BrumBoo]

@BoyTree

The song itself is not as overtly racist as some 'classic' Disney songs, but the character of King Louie incorporates a number of negative stereotypes as a PP quoted.

When insulting King Louie/the monkeys, they directly insult them by physical features as well.

[whiteblinds]

@Isitsixoclockalready

Interesting. Never thought about it any context like that. I had a look on the internet and I can't see any such observations.

You're not looking then. They've added warnings to the beginning of the offending films.

[murmurflation]

Other than being crows, they're not racist I would have thought. The crows are intelligent and good-natured, unlike the elephants and humans who are white and deeply unpleasant.

[MishMashMummy]

Yes, in the same way that the crows in dumbo and the Siamese cats in lady and the tramp are racist. Lazy racial stereotypes translate into animal characters fairly straightforwardly.

[whiteblinds]

look at the lion king, pale lions good, brave, strong and loyal, dark lions bad, weak, untrustworthy.

This is a reach. That's got nothing to do with white and black humans but everything to do with good and evil.

We have white lies, and black magic, night time is seen as bad/evil and daylight/sun is good/hopeful etc

[BrumBoo]

Arabian Nights Original Release from Aladdin:

Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where they cut off your ear
If they don't like your face
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home

Luckily that was changed by the video release, and long before 'it's PC gone mad' could be moaned about.