Disney is always in the news, dealing with PR nightmares like the Mulan remake controversies and actors speaking out. With their streaming service, Disney Plus, they’re extra careful to avoid controversy by censoring films and shows. Here are ten cases of Disney’s censorship.
Splash Is Hearing No Butts About It
The 1984 film Splash, starring Tom Hanks, features a brief scene where Daryl Hannah is naked, her butt visible. Back then, it earned a PG rating. In 2020, Disney added extra hair to cover her posterior using special effects. It looks like a solid mass of dreadlocked hair covering her bottom.
An Entire Episode Of The Simpsons Removed
Many agree that anything after season 10 of The Simpsons never happened. One episode you won’t find on Disney Plus is the season 3 premiere, “Stark Raving Dad,” featuring Michael Jackson. After the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, the showrunners removed the episode, stating they were against book burning but could remove their own product.
Toy Story 2 Joke Hits Too Close To Home
Released in 1999, Toy Story 2 had a blooper reel with joke scenes. One scene showed Stinky Pete telling two Barbies he could get them a part in Toy Story 3, alluding to Hollywood’s casting couch. The joke was removed, especially after John Lasseter, the man behind Toy Story 2, left Disney after sexual harassment allegations.
Lilo And Stitch Teaching Kids Bad Lessons
The bad lesson in Lilo and Stitch involves Lilo hiding in a washer to hide from her sister Nani. To prevent kids from imitating this dangerous act, the film was updated. The washer became a cupboard, and the door turned into a pizza box.
Gravity Falls Gets A Hat Censored
In the cartoon Gravity Falls, a prominent symbol on one of the main character’s hats was missing in the first season on Disney Plus. The symbol was visible in screenshots but not in the episodes. The creator was confused by this change. The show had the symbols removed in some foreign countries due to similarities to the Nation of Islam flag, and this censored version ended up in the American release.
Santa’s Workshop Removes Scene With Stereotypes
Older cartoons often have warnings about outdated stereotypes. However, The Santa’s Workshop cartoon from the 1930s cut out a scene of a stereotypical black doll. Shortly after, controversial caricatures of Asian dolls appear, bowing repeatedly to ethnic music.
Lion King Loses Its Famous “SEX” Easter Egg
The infamous Easter egg in The Lion King spelled out SFX, not SEX, as a nod to the special effects team. Disney removed the letters entirely from the streaming service version to avoid any persisting rumors.
Please Don’t Bludgeon People With Rocks, Kids
In The Emperor’s New Groove, one character throws a rock at another. In the Disney Plus version, the rock was replaced with an acorn. Although less lethal, the audio still sounds like someone getting hit with a rock. The message is clear: don’t throw things.
Goofy Is Too Sexy For Disney
In the 1995 Goofy Movie, scenes were edited to reduce sexuality. When Goofy’s son Max hugs Roxanne, his face is now leaning away from her chest. Also, a woman in her underwear was digitally given long underwear to cover her body.
Alleged Slurs Removed From That’s So Raven
In That’s So Raven, a scene where characters are yelling sounds like the main character uses slurs against her friend. The scene was edited to show the characters from behind, and the audio was replaced with indistinct yelling.
From covering up butts to removing potentially harmful actions, Disney’s censorship is real. These changes reflect how much society has changed and what is considered acceptable for kids. It raises the question of what else might have been changed without us noticing!
What do you think about these changes? Leave your comment below!
