Who knew that one of my favourite childhood films: Dumbo, is one of the most racist movies to come out of Disney. Over the weekend I had been baby sitting my nieces and Dumbo came on Disney Channel. I loved watching Dumbo as a kid, and was happy that I could share my love for this movie with my nieces. I was drawn to the story of the elephant with over-sized ears who proved everyone wrong, and thought the movie had a great message for young children. I literally hadn't seen this movie since I was a kid and so I was excited to be reliving the joy of watching Dumbo again. But that was until 'The Song of the Roustabouts' to which I sat there in shock, wondering how I didn't see this as a kid.
The roustabout were clearly representations of African-American men, singing about enjoying the life on an illiterate slave. Here are a few lyrics:
Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike!
We work all day, we work all night
We never learned to read or write
We’re happy-hearted roustabouts
We work all day, we work all night
We never learned to read or write
We’re happy-hearted roustabouts
Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike!
When other folks have gone to bed
We slave until we’re almost dead
We’re happy-hearted roustabouts
We slave until we’re almost dead
We’re happy-hearted roustabouts
Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike! Ugh! Hike!
We don’t know when we get our pay
And when we do, we throw our pay away
(When we get our pay, we throw our money all away)
We don’t know when we get our pay
And when we do, we throw our pay away
(When we get our pay, we throw our money all away)
Grab that rope, you hairy ape!
I sat there rethinking my childhood memories. I was shocked, and the fact that it wasn't even inferential racism, or subtle but overt racism in a children's movie! Too add more to the horror of how racist the film was I learned that the voice of the crows were white' voice actors putting on their best 'black man voice'. I also realised that the lead singer was named 'Jim Crow' after the racist system post-construction Jim Crow era of the South, that was enforced after the American Civil War. Where African-American people were oppressed and segregated. 'Jim Crow' was also the name of the caricature black man who appeared in the media stereotyping African-American men as 'the clown' who was 'wildly foolish and lazy'. When I looked more into it I realised that the film was released in 1941. (Oh riggght, kind of makes sense now) Any Disney movie really that's made before 1960 is racist.However, it makes me sad to think that I use to jig along to the songs the crows sang as a kid, and wonder if I could look at Dumbo the same way? How could I still love Dumbo after learning that it's blatantly racist?
I did not realise how offence and racist this movie is until I read your blog. I went and listened to 'The Song of the Roustabouts'. I then went to read the lyrics to the song and I am shocked as Dumbo was one of my favourite childhood movies as well. The lyrics that really shocked me were ;" We slave until we're almost dead. We're happy-hearted roustabouts" Slavery was a terrible part of our history and so morally wrong. I cannot believe Disney would condone such overt racism.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know dumbo was Racist and yeah i grew up watching that movie over and over again on VHS. I used to be scared of the music though (haha) don't know if that was a warning sign or something uttering that there was something off about the deeper meaning, just the sounds of it seems kinda scary but im talking about the elephant song "Pink elephants on parade was the worst"
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