PARENTS have been left stunned after Disney+ blocked kids under seven from watching Peter Pan, Dumbo and The Aristocats over concerns they show racist stereotypes.
Bosses at Disney made the controversial move following updates to its content advisories.
Disney+ declared Peter Pan, released in 1953, portrayed offensive stereotypes that were inappropriate to those under seven.
Other family favourites have also been removed from children’s accounts for breaching content guidelines recently put in place, t reports.
Parents were left dumbfounded after trying to watch the films on Disney’s £5.99-per-month service.
One said: “I wanted to watch Peter Pan with my daughter, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.”
“Then I realised they had all gone – they had been removed from the kids’ accounts. It was shocking.”
It is believed the reason behind the Peter Pan ban is because it features a Native American tribe whose members are referred to as “redskins”.
Meanwhile, the 1970 animation The Aristocats has a Siamese cat character called Shun Gon, whose slanted eyes and prominent teeth have been described as a caricature of East Asian people.
The 1960’s Swiss Family Robinson has been criticised for its “yellow face” and “brown face” pirates.
The 1941 cartoon depiction of Dumbo has been accused of ridiculing enslaved African-Americans on Southern plantations.
One scene during the children’s film, sees faceless black labourers work along to offensive lyrics such as, “When we get our pay, we throw our money all away”.
Disney implemented a revised content advisory in October over issues surrounding racial stereotypes.
The concerns were in relation to Peter Pan, The Aristocrats, Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp and The Jungle Book.
Disney+ implemented a warning graphic that ran for 12 seconds at the beginning of flagged films, rather than being written than in movies’ descriptions.
It reads: “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”
“These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. 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 decision to now ban the films from children’s accounts was made by a group of external experts who were brought in to assess if the content “represented global audiences”.
While the films remain available on adult accounts, they come with a disclaimer that reads: “This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now.”
“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 Disney website says that while it can’t change the past, “we can acknowledge it, learn from it and move forward together to create a tomorrow that today can only dream of.”
A spokesman for Disney is yet to make a comment.
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