Disney+ adds ‘negative depictions’ warnings to Peter Pan and Aristocats: ‘These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now’

Studio acknowledges ‘racist caricatures’ appear in its films

Peter Pan (Disney)

Peter Pan and The Aristocats now carry warnings on Disney+ about “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures”.

The updated content warnings come after the studio consulted with groups such as the African American Film Critics Association, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and GLAAD.

“These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,” said Disney. “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.  

“Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.”

The studio pointed to a cat “depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth” in The Aristocats to illustrate an example of the sort of content it is warning against.

Aristocats (Disney)

Disney warned that harmful stereotypes of Indigenous people are perpetuated in Peter Pan, as characters are shown "speaking in an unintelligible language” and are referred to by the offensive term “redskins”.

The updated content warnings are a step up from Disney’s previous move, which saw  the company add notices about “outdated cultural depictions” to some of the studio’s films, including Dumbo.