Yesterday at Disney’s D23 Expo, the very talented Whoopi Goldberg joined the illustrious group of Disney Legends. She has the distinction of being the only Disney Legend to hold an Oscar, Tony, Emmy, and a Grammy to date. In an interview after the awards ceremony, she was asked by Yahoo! Movies Superfan interviewer Kevin Polowy what her favorite Disney movie was:
Polowy: “D23 is a celebration of all things Disney. What is your all-time favorite Disney movie?”
Goldberg: “You know what? I… I don’t know if I have an all-time favorite Disney movie, but I love them, I really love them all because they all have different things, you know. I… I’m trying to find a way to get people to start having a conversation about bringing Song of the South back, so we can talk about what it was, and where it came from and why it came out. I want people to start putting the crows, you know, in the merchandising. Because those crows sing the song in Dumbo that everybody remembers. So I want to… I want to highlight all the little stuff people sort of maybe miss in movies. So I don’t know if I have a favorite one… I love them all.”
The interview can be seen here:
This is truly wonderful to see Whoopi join other Disney Legends who support Song of the South’s release. Other Disney Legends who have shown their support over the years include Marc Davis (class of 1989), Alice Davis (class of 2004), Roy Disney (class of 1998) and Floyd Norman (class of 2007).
I sincerely hope she is successful in her efforts. Thank you Whoopi, and congratulations to you!
You should know that Whoopi supports tons of controversial media from early Tom and Jerry shorts and Looney Tunes cartoons, she’s known to have introduced the uncut DVD releases of the shorts with an openly gay disclaimer, about how the racial caricatures and jokes were wrong then and wrong today, removing them from the public would be saying that they didn’t exist! Maybe she can do the same for Song of the South!
I agree. ‘Song of the South’ is long overdue a DVD release. I do not see what all the fuss is about. I do not find this classic masterpiece racial or offensive in any way. There are plenty of other films and tv series that are about slavery such as ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘Roots’ and they have been on DVD for years. It is such a shame that people cannot see this outstanding film.
Of course it is racial, but not necessarily racist. I remember seeing this as a child, some of it was funny and the worst parts were also lessons in manners and good sense. Even as a child of 8 or 9 I understood the hidden meanings. As an adult, I realize that this could also be considered a re-write of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I would remind everyone that what is now considered racist was once considered polite. Times and perceptions change.
It’s important to note that the events portrayed in Song of the South occur AFTER the Civil War. It’s also germane to understand that author/story collector Harris was not a racist but a lover of the stories. That said, portraying any group – Blacks, Jews, Irish, etc. – is not racist in itself. What matters is HOW they are portrayed; what is the point-of-view? For more than 60 years I have held Song of the South in my heart with love for the characters; their warmth and kindness are traits that all can value. I find nothing patronizing or stereotypical in what is portrayed.
Actually, one can find egregious racist content in many movies of the 1930s, some of which are shown on Turner Classic Movies. TCM, I believe, should display a statement before each showing along the lines that these films were made in a less sensitive time. Warner Brothers does it on their DVDs and, for this viewer, it helps take the nasty edge off the content.
I think it is a big deal about nothing. And Bobby Driscoll and the little African American child play together. Just because the workers sing should not make a big deal. I imagine there are those who wonder about the magpies in DUMBO. I do but love the movie and they made it possible for Dumbo to fly.
They could release the film with Whoopi or someone else who supports the film and explain that things were different in 1946.
It is a wonderful film and now I know where the Brair Rabbit shorts I used to see on the Disney Channel came from. I have recently made a mission of collecting old uncensored cartoons that we’re either banned or censored, as I remember them from my childhood. Racism is wrong, slavery is even more wrong. That is not the point of any of these cartoons. This once great country has become so oversensitive that people feel like things need to be hidden from peoples’ eyes. What we really need is a discussion so we are not doomed to repeat these actions. I did not find this film racist at all. It takes place on a plantation which existed in large numbers in the time that the film takes place. The slave, Uncle Ramus, is portrayed as the best friend of a child, and is a very warm friendly character. I would go as far as to see as the portrayal is more akin to that of a nanny than a slave. It is a shame that wonderful art like this is hidden from public view because people are incapable of having discussions about things.
I always felt that the should release it and have a feature where a respected black celebrity like her could make those points about not covering up the past – as she did for the Looney Tunes DVD releases.
song of the south was a wonderful movie of the time.. at least for a young boy..I didn’t realize the art and talent that went into it..Disney truly was a genius…I did get a copy in europe and marveled at the filming , directing etc
i can understand that there are folks that don’t think it should seen.Kinda like book burning in my opinion.. still it is a magnificent historical and cultural works that should be available to us realistically,, not going to happen though..not in the time i got left i think…
A mentally sick person see’s bad in everything they see and think about because they are not wired right. They can look at something that’s perfect and find fault. Song of the South was one of the best movies for kids ever made. For a few sick people too hide this picture from all age’s is a crime. Too many people hide there head in the sand and let things like this happen.That’s why this country is sick
Song of the South was the very first movie I saw in a movie theater when I was a boy. Over the years I’ve always wondered why I never saw it again. I guess after a while I knew it must have been a racial thing, but I never looked into it until today. I hear the arguments, but it’s still one of my all time favorite films. I believe it depicts how people ought to live together not necessarily how they do. Then again, I don’t remember everything about it. I wish I could see it again on DVD. Come on Disney!
Disney should release this movie. First of all it taken place after the civil war. if Lincoln wasn’t killed we would not have the riots that we have had in the fifties and sixties. The people that run Disney don’t car only about the money they can make. Walt Disney was newly broke when he made Cinderella which I remember when it came out and I saw it at the RKO Keith memorial theater when I was 12 years old. When this movie premiered in Atlanta he was biting his nails to see of this movie would be a hit which it was. My mother tool me to see this movie when I was six years old and I have many things from” Song Of The South” which I treasure very much.
I used to write to Walt Disney and knew what was coming out before the public knew. I had to call the Disney store in London, England to get my VHS copy of this movie.
As I said before , the people running Disney today car about the money not about people. They will release this movie when they are about to lose the copyright on it to
see how much money they can make the bums. I am an author and my first bo0k is out titled ‘I DON’TWANT MY SIGNED TO CRY BY ERNEST GREGORY
I hope they do release “Song of The South” soon but don’t count on it with these bums they just the money they don’tcare about you or me.