As a white man with minimal knowledge of the backstory, and probably would've asked at one point what the big deal with Song of the South was, I appreciate a video/story like this. In today's world everyone wants to just scream their opinion at everyone else and dismiss anyone who doesn't blindly agree with you, let's say it was lot more effective to see a detailed explanation, with context, as to why the appropriation of these stories has been harmful to African-American culture and devalues the point that the the folks who originally told these stories were trying ot make... If more people were willing to have a dialogue like this, and more importantly, listen, we might actually get somewhere in this world.
Hope this channel can be part of those dialogues. I wanted to make this channel to dig into the folktales my grandparents told me that I’ve forgotten in adulthood. I’m learning on this journey too
And thats great. And it is helpful to know these things. But art and expressions from human beings about their honest perceptions of others should not be surpressed. Simply noticing and expressing that we see differences in peoples and cultures is not in and of itself evil. There is a dangerous slope today where people make that the case and surpress voices. And once you put something out into the world, that art doesnt belong solely to you anymore, and people will interpret thru the prisms of their own lenses and experiences. With meaning varying as much as audiience and time. Thats the nature of art. Thats the nature of human expression.
I watched a bootleg of Song of the South today. To me, the movie is really about a lonely little boy finding solace in the stories of a man who endured the horror of slavery and the bond the two form. Disney says the movie is set after the Civil War and there's a throwaway line about the boy's father running a newspaper "that are making people mad". To me, that says his newspaper is advocating stronger action for Black men having access to voting. But what do I know?
I appreciate this video. I think it's a huge wasted opportunity for Disney to completely ditch Br'er Rabbit. They need to apologize for the controversy caused by Song of the South and correct their mistakes by allowing their black artists and storytellers to reclaim the character. Let them make their own adjustments to Splash Mountain to bring the ride up to date and create a brand new movie about Br'er Rabbit, without any of the problematic elements of Song of the South.
i know that Tony Baxter, the head imagineer and creator of Splash Mountain, worked alongside the NAACP to create a better and less racist adaptation of the stories for the park. he made sure to pay tribute to the black talent behind the film by including references to actors James Baskett and Hattie McDaniel in the ride, as well as getting Nick Stewart to return as the role of Br'er Bear. Nick's daughter Valarie Stewart was against the removal of Splash, reciving hate for it by Disney stans before her passing. i feel like having black talent and creators retell the stories in a more accurate and less tokenised way of the folk tales would be a great for new generations of people learning the exploits and how life really was in the deep south, whilst releasing Song of the South in its proper historical context. These stories are an important part of culture for many black and indigenous people, sweeping them under the rug not only erases them from history, but also frames disney as never being in the wrong in the first place, leading to them being framed as a perfect studio that can do no wrong. Floyd Norman, disney's first black animator, has expressed his interest in reinterpreting the characters too, a great chance to right the wrongs of the past. with disney rebooting old franchises as of recent and Tokyo's Splash Mountain being kept for the time being, i have hope that our favorite trickster rabbit can crawl out of obscurity and stand alongside newer black characters like Tiana in celebration of black history and black future. much love to you all ❤
Really great documentary, well done. Thank yu for thr context which is baddly needed. especially for those of us that returning to the South. Just movd back to the deep south and Brer Rabbit has been on my mind before leaving the West Coast. I will delve into this more intently. I did not know there was a Creole version too! Thanks!
If Disney had focused on just using the beloved animated characters and telling animated shorts about the Brer's, almost using Splash Mountain as a place in the cartoons as well, we could have some great work! Sadly not in this universe:,(
In Disneys defense, although Im hesitant to speak on Disneys behalf with the direction theyve taken lately. ...but thats another conversatiion. Neways..iN Disneys defense on Brer Rabbit and Uncle Remus...These were cartoons man. Fantasy for fantasy sake morso than complex tales built to reflect complex racial and psychological subject matter. All Disneys movies were in the same vein. There were blue birds landing on Uncs shoulders for goodness sakes. They did what they always did. The complex depiction of Brer Rabbit as African trickster folklore could always be presented in darker or more complex styles from artists more equipped and slated to take on such an endeavor. Disney was doing what Did and those where some good shows.
Exactly! I agree - this is what Disney does to all their films. It just didn’t age very well to make a Disney version of a lost cause framed folk tale 🤷🏾♂️ Thanks for watching and leaving a thoughtful comment!
Fascinating video, putting B'rer Rabbit in a historical/cultural context...rabbits have been mythologized as tricksters in many cultures so I'm wondering if you can refer to any sources that posit B'rer Rabbit was indeed an influence on Looney Tunes' writers and animators in creating Bugs Bunny, or if they were simply exploring the rabbit-as-trickster archetype.
But its cartoons man. There is this idea that asks " what if white folks should complain about the rediculous depiction of Yosemite Sam or Elmer Fudd as inaccurate.. and untrue to the proper origins of European folk lore hunter trickster tales. Hunter and prey- as- trickster tales did not only originate with African peoples. Europeans have these oral traditions also. And the prey outsmarting the predator is a universal theme. However I do realize that in a culture that has a complex history , with deep concern about the loss of African culture and folklore with such things being stamped out and stolen thru the losses of the institution of slavery, that the concerns to see the oral history passed on and properly credited may be more deeply felt at this time in America. But we must also realize these are exaggerated depictions not meant to accurately reflect the complex histories of blacks in America. Furthermore, they actually acknowledge the contribution black Americans make to Brer Rabbit while doing what Disney always did in terms of style and presentation. Even though it may not be a full and serious effort to show the true complexities of the oral traditions of black Americans and Brer Rabbit, it is understood that it isnt meant to do so.
@@jimberlygridder183 one issue, it’s usually NOT black people complaining about Brer Rabbit- it’s usually white people. It would be more like BLACK people claiming Yosamite Sam or Elmer Fudd are inaccurate.
@@battybuddy why would white folks have a problem with Brer Rabbit? I aint never once in my life been chillin and one of my white friends say..,you know what really gets me riled up ..is that darn Brer Rabbit!.. lol..
@@jimberlygridder183 it’s cause of white guilt and insisting on rectifying the transgressions of the past by seeing them everywhere and pointing them out wherever you see them. It’s mostly been happening to justify a ride being changed that they didn’t say anything about for 30 years, and make themselves feel BETTER then people who don’t like the idea of changing it. I mean, has your chilling example ever happened with black people? Most of us don’t really have Brer Rabbit on the mind routinely…
I read Br'er Rabbit stories from "101 African American Read Aloud stories". I missed that book; I learned about so many African folktalks from that book
My side of this debate is I'm a radical 90s white person. We were taught firm lessons of safety with guns and not talking to strangers. But we were also determined to break the mold and be different. That might be why I'm pretty adamant on change. White Americans as well as some African Americans cast hate on each other. And the times they're reflecting honestly break my heart. I wanna see a world where everyone can be together. No longer hate each other for past mistakes, skin color and other things. Wiping things away like "Song Of The South" will only keep this hate fueled. I say let Song of the South rest in peace. If it's only welcome place is the past and not today so be it. Just don't wipe away it's existence. Song of the South was Disney's passion project that he spent his own money on. I love Walt, so if the story is important to him it's important to me too. He doesn't deserve to be punished for the troubling history that has passed. Let Walt's project rest in peace and move FORWARD. If you don't like a story, make a new one. Stories have always been meant to be changed and improved upon over time. And I'll be cheering as I see this world change for the better. ❤
Fabulous video! Well done and well researched! Thank you for this. I’m white but I’ve been a fan of Brer Rabbit my entire life. It’s time that he’s reclaimed.
I don't know if it's controversial to say that the influence of the oral folklore of American plantation slaves on the Peter Rabbit children's fairy tales is not necessarily the only one, and the matter may be more complicated because animal fables have appeared in Europe and Asia at least since the 11th century BC, and animal fables featuring rabbits appeared in Aesop's fable collection from the 7th century BC (one of the well-known fables is The Tortoise and the Hare). So it's hard to say where Brer Rabbit meets and where European fables have influenced the creation of Peter Rabbit fairy tales by Beatrix Potter.
There’s an interesting article in the Guardian that delves deeper to the possible connection to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Harris’ Brer Rabbit. The article even points out Potter’s family connection to the cotton slave trade and copies of Uncle Remus stories in her childhood home. I Don’t think acknowledging influences outside of Brer Rabbit is controversial. Folktales have been told for millennia. I’m interested in the legacy of Brer Rabbit and how he influenced characters outside of the US - even if he’s not the only influence. Thanks so much for watching and your thoughtful comment. amp.theguardian.com/books/2023/may/19/origin-of-beatrix-potter-tales-african-folklore-brer-rabbit
We also cannot forget the Indigenous people in So-Called America influences on this oral literature. Even the Disney version shows a lot of Indigenous influence in the designs of Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox (Brer Rabbit has a 40s Chicano youth silhouette in his clothes and Brer Fox looks like Coyote rather than a fox). Brer Rabbit would not exist as we know him today without Native influence. He is so special, and I wish that there could embrace the shared sacredness. ❤ This is a great video, btw. ❤
I consider myself progressive, but not the authoritarian left wing person who does things based on superficiality. I think you made great arguments sir. What's worse than keeping song of the south? Pretending it never existed. It's such a white liberal thing to wipe their hands clean and say "okay since Uncle Remus is gone it never existed". I think it should be remade with removing the racial elements of the dixie south and given context along with a coinciding documentary about African folklore. In addition to erasing the lives of some of the biggest victims in history, the slaves of the triangle trade, the stories are just plain good.
@@LegacyofFolktales Looney Tunes home video releases begin with an acknowledgment that their cartoons are products of their time and include stereotypes that are wrong - but (the acknowledgment goes on to say) removing them would be the same as claiming those prejudices never existed. Disney has a similar disclaimer, adding that we can learn from these outdated stories - but includes nothing on their discs to put those older films in context; we still have the Dumbo roustabouts and crows, Peter Pan's "injuns" and The Aristocats features an utterly nauseating scene of a siamese cat playing a piano with chopsticks and singing with the worst sort of "ching-chow" accent.
I’m so angry at Disney right now they are just screwing so much up The das passes are ruined there wasting money on live action remakes but the biggest reason of all has to be them getting rid of splash mountain and erasing the brer’s. Brer fox was my favorite character since I was very young and I never found him or the others racist. I just find it mind boggling that everyone cancels a ride about a rabbit outwitting a fox and bear that didn’t take place in an area were slaves were tortured but they are fine with Tiana’s bayou adventure. The reason why I have a problem with Tiana’s bayou is because the ride takes place in a salt mine where slaves worked and there’s a sign at the entrance that says remember! Salt mines are reserved for seasoned veterans. That’s just a huge slap in the face to the splash mountain fans. Disney and the fan base right now is a train wreck.
I really did wish that disney could have reintroduce the Brers with either a new movie or show that followed the rides plot. It was a big mistake for disney to not atleast educate people on the folktales to seperate the tales of brer rabbit from Song of the south, that atleast could have saved Brer Rabbit from being removed from disney. I truly love the character and even the other critters from the ride that arent part of the folklore that came from tge America Sings attraction, I do wish some higher up at disney could reintroduce the characters in a special way, they could apologize and akcnkowledge that Song Of the South was a miatake, have had black celebrities explain the origins of Brer Rabbit himself and could have created a brand new Brer rabbit cartoon/ fully animated movie that features the brers and critters from splash with a full black cast voicing all of the characters. Its highly unfortunate since Brer Rabbit could have been one of disneys greatest heroes and inspirations to children everywhere.
It would have been cool to see a reimagining of brer rabbit - but something I didn’t dive into the video - there are some folks who felt that Brer Rabbit had been ruined by Disney / Joel Chandler Harris. So I can see how it could go both ways. Thanks for Your comment
I found out there was going to be a tv series around the early 2000s. It actually looked like it was going to have a regular rivalry going where Brer Fox was actually trying to gain popularity and get himself some sort of unofficial king hood with the sole purpose of getting the other critters to shower him with riches and adoration, and he was sort of seeing Brer Rabbit as the guy standing in his way just cause “Everyone loves HIM…” I liked that premise.
Honestly, thinking about the tv series idea, I was actually greatly reminded of Walt Kelly’s character of Albert the Alligator if he was just a dyed in the wool bad guy instead of a frienemy type. Like Albert was always trying to jump on getting positions of power without really knowing or caring what he would have to DO in such a position, mostly thinking of the title being a nice little thing to flaunt over everyone else. Kind of the same logic with Brer Fox trying to become “king” just for the adoration and respect, only he wants to get it by offing the only one who he thinks could usurp him if he tried any popularity contest- who he just wants to eat anyway, so kill two birds with one stone.
I am one of many Disney fans defending Song of the South and Splash Mountain. Song of the South is a very misunderstood movie and it should be released back to the public. As for the ride, Splash Mountain, it was supposed to be a much more relevant version of the movie, but with no Uncle Remus or Tar Baby. I think Disney is making a huge mistake of removing the characters, Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear and the song, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from their brand! #BringBackSplashMountain #ReleaseSongOfTheSouth
The sad thing is, they got people defending this erasure who sat on a ride having said characters for 30 FRIKKIN YEARS without a complaint, and now they’re making up shit about him without realizing he’s basically Anansi 2.0
Racially, the biggest issue with Song of the South is that it could be more explicit in communicating the time period to the audience. Aside from that, I don't see much issue with it. As a film, most of the live action stuff is pretty boring, with Uncle Remus and the music being the only bright spots. However, the animated segments are fantastic and some of the best from Disney in the Walt era. It really is a shame that they refuse to rerelease it, especially knowing that a large reason for it is because of Bob Iger wanting to virtual signal.
@@TCMACK there’s also the fact that they guy who played Remus wasn’t able to see the premier cause of segregation, and that also pissed Walt off, it seems. I’d say that’s worse than anything the actual movie did.
This was a great video. You weren’t afraid to give the good, bad and ugly of the situation. I commend Walt Disney for wanting to tell the folktales of African Americans and for fighting for James Baskett’s Oscar considering the decade all of this went down. However, the way in which Song of the South was handled was obviously not ideal. I feel like Disney as a company could have redone the story and released it showing Brer Rabbit as a hero because that’s what he was. They could have gotten some Black people on board to help consult just like they did with The Princess and the Frog (which was highly needed because the first version of that movie was going to be awful). Furthermore, I could understand wanting to replace it with Tiana, but getting rid of his statues and not acknowledging Brer Rabbit all together is a very bad misstep on their part. It’s never good to erase history, the good, bad or the ugly.
I grew up with Song and it taughtme that black people could be kinder and smarter tham the white people it matters who youare and the choices you make also first tome I ever saw chilfren of different race playing together so a few years later whem they mixed our school classes I made friends with the new children and was not afraid of them
Stop the 🧢. Brer Rabbit began as a trickster medicine character in American Indian tales. Ie Tar Baby is a Biloxi American Indian story. These stories are called possum tales and convey history and medicine knowledge. Here are 2 resources- American Indian Myths and Legends & Choctaw Tales
🧢 free zone The Tar Baby: A Global History book by Wagner digs deep Into the origins of this fable. Its origins seem more nuanced. Thanks for watching, the comment and the resources.
Brer rabbit always minor how trickster characters who plays by story and fairly a characters role in black peoples who been trick or slave so hard as authors be try best could a roles, from movies and show and video games with/without any by Brer rabbit character. Sadly some movies are against by culture cancel decline by brer rabbit and other characters. Will forgot him. In sadly black peoples in slavery and racism in 2020.
I don’t mind Disney takes over The What Disney company and. Picture and Marvel and Star Wars and 20th century studios and Touchstone And 21 century Fox Werner family entertainment and 20 th century Fox and ABC and Hannah Barbera and PBS and Broadway records that is wlat Disney
I was thinking about Tiana s bayou andventure add song of the south and Disney 100 once s upon a Studio take out Peter Pan and Wendy and Mulan live action ailce in wonderland thought the looking glass
our country is still wrestling with the tar baby. even 150 years after the civil war, many of us are still trying to come up with some more comfortable framing of slavery. doubling down and doubling down. down the rabbit hole.
Found out what FBA is - only reason I created the channel was to educate myself more on my enslaved ancestors on American soil. Hoping you and others will continue to watch, comment and let me know what’s working.
How does this relate to racism ? Let me go on a 30 minute tangent about stories that I’ll have to force relate to each other to get my false opinion across.. 😂😂
Have you ever considered doing an essay on the erasure of the African zombie from modern media Even the first American zombie movie was called white zombie The very first step in erasing it. The African zombie is one of the few uniquely black horror icons. But after the ghouls from the last man on earth. And more importantly night of the living dead. The African zombie has old but shrunk from media
Thanks for checking out our deep dive of Br’er Rabbit, his origins and his interpretations -
Please comment and let us know what you think.
You’re a liar and a monster it doesn’t matter what you said about this stupid article!!!
I like the Disney one
As a white man with minimal knowledge of the backstory, and probably would've asked at one point what the big deal with Song of the South was, I appreciate a video/story like this. In today's world everyone wants to just scream their opinion at everyone else and dismiss anyone who doesn't blindly agree with you, let's say it was lot more effective to see a detailed explanation, with context, as to why the appropriation of these stories has been harmful to African-American culture and devalues the point that the the folks who originally told these stories were trying ot make... If more people were willing to have a dialogue like this, and more importantly, listen, we might actually get somewhere in this world.
Hope this channel can be part of those dialogues. I wanted to make this channel to dig into the folktales my grandparents told me that I’ve forgotten in adulthood. I’m learning on this journey too
And thats great. And it is helpful to know these things. But art and expressions from human beings about their honest perceptions of others should not be surpressed. Simply noticing and expressing that we see differences in peoples and cultures is not in and of itself evil. There is a dangerous slope today where people make that the case and surpress voices. And once you put something out into the world, that art doesnt belong solely to you anymore, and people will interpret thru the prisms of their own lenses and experiences. With meaning varying as much as audiience and time. Thats the nature of art. Thats the nature of human expression.
@@jimberlygridder183 thanks for this comment
I watched a bootleg of Song of the South today. To me, the movie is really about a lonely little boy finding solace in the stories of a man who endured the horror of slavery and the bond the two form. Disney says the movie is set after the Civil War and there's a throwaway line about the boy's father running a newspaper "that are making people mad". To me, that says his newspaper is advocating stronger action for Black men having access to voting. But what do I know?
Lots to say about the film
I await the video@@LegacyofFolktales
I appreciate this video. I think it's a huge wasted opportunity for Disney to completely ditch Br'er Rabbit. They need to apologize for the controversy caused by Song of the South and correct their mistakes by allowing their black artists and storytellers to reclaim the character. Let them make their own adjustments to Splash Mountain to bring the ride up to date and create a brand new movie about Br'er Rabbit, without any of the problematic elements of Song of the South.
Whoopi Goldberg had encouraged Disney to release song of the south when she was named a Disney legend.
i know that Tony Baxter, the head imagineer and creator of Splash Mountain, worked alongside the NAACP to create a better and less racist adaptation of the stories for the park. he made sure to pay tribute to the black talent behind the film by including references to actors James Baskett and Hattie McDaniel in the ride, as well as getting Nick Stewart to return as the role of Br'er Bear. Nick's daughter Valarie Stewart was against the removal of Splash, reciving hate for it by Disney stans before her passing. i feel like having black talent and creators retell the stories in a more accurate and less tokenised way of the folk tales would be a great for new generations of people learning the exploits and how life really was in the deep south, whilst releasing Song of the South in its proper historical context. These stories are an important part of culture for many black and indigenous people, sweeping them under the rug not only erases them from history, but also frames disney as never being in the wrong in the first place, leading to them being framed as a perfect studio that can do no wrong. Floyd Norman, disney's first black animator, has expressed his interest in reinterpreting the characters too, a great chance to right the wrongs of the past. with disney rebooting old franchises as of recent and Tokyo's Splash Mountain being kept for the time being, i have hope that our favorite trickster rabbit can crawl out of obscurity and stand alongside newer black characters like Tiana in celebration of black history and black future. much love to you all ❤
Brer rabbit ain’t going anywhere. He will return. He’s been here for too long
Really great documentary, well done. Thank yu for thr context which is baddly needed. especially for those of us that returning to the South. Just movd back to the deep south and Brer Rabbit has been on my mind before leaving the West Coast. I will delve into this more intently. I did not know there was a Creole version too! Thanks!
I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me, Thank You from the very bottom of My Heart🥰
Thank you! Means a lot you liked it
If Disney had focused on just using the beloved animated characters and telling animated shorts about the Brer's, almost using Splash Mountain as a place in the cartoons as well, we could have some great work! Sadly not in this universe:,(
Disney still would need to include Brer Rabbit’s nuance for all that to work. Thanks for the comment
In Disneys defense, although Im hesitant to speak on Disneys behalf with the direction theyve taken lately. ...but thats another conversatiion. Neways..iN Disneys defense on Brer Rabbit and Uncle Remus...These were cartoons man. Fantasy for fantasy sake morso than complex tales built to reflect complex racial and psychological subject matter. All Disneys movies were in the same vein. There were blue birds landing on Uncs shoulders for goodness sakes. They did what they always did. The complex depiction of Brer Rabbit as African trickster folklore could always be presented in darker or more complex styles from artists more equipped and slated to take on such an endeavor. Disney was doing what Did and those where some good shows.
Exactly! I agree - this is what Disney does to all their films. It just didn’t age very well to make a Disney version of a lost cause framed folk tale 🤷🏾♂️
Thanks for watching and leaving a thoughtful comment!
Did star the first African American to get an academy award for said role, though…
Fascinating video, putting B'rer Rabbit in a historical/cultural context...rabbits have been mythologized as tricksters in many cultures so I'm wondering if you can refer to any sources that posit B'rer Rabbit was indeed an influence on Looney Tunes' writers and animators in creating Bugs Bunny, or if they were simply exploring the rabbit-as-trickster archetype.
Certain people watched this video, and still don't understand, which is understandable, because you really can't put yourself in another's shoes.
It is what it is
But its cartoons man. There is this idea that asks " what if white folks should complain about the rediculous depiction of Yosemite Sam or Elmer Fudd as inaccurate.. and untrue to the proper origins of European folk lore hunter trickster tales. Hunter and prey- as- trickster tales did not only originate with African peoples. Europeans have these oral traditions also. And the prey outsmarting the predator is a universal theme. However I do realize that in a culture that has a complex history , with deep concern about the loss of African culture and folklore with such things being stamped out and stolen thru the losses of the institution of slavery, that the concerns to see the oral history passed on and properly credited may be more deeply felt at this time in America. But we must also realize these are exaggerated depictions not meant to accurately reflect the complex histories of blacks in America. Furthermore, they actually acknowledge the contribution black Americans make to Brer Rabbit while doing what Disney always did in terms of style and presentation. Even though it may not be a full and serious effort to show the true complexities of the oral traditions of black Americans and Brer Rabbit, it is understood that it isnt meant to do so.
@@jimberlygridder183 one issue, it’s usually NOT black people complaining about Brer Rabbit- it’s usually white people.
It would be more like BLACK people claiming Yosamite Sam or Elmer Fudd are inaccurate.
@@battybuddy why would white folks have a problem with Brer Rabbit? I aint never once in my life been chillin and one of my white friends say..,you know what really gets me riled up ..is that darn Brer Rabbit!.. lol..
@@jimberlygridder183 it’s cause of white guilt and insisting on rectifying the transgressions of the past by seeing them everywhere and pointing them out wherever you see them.
It’s mostly been happening to justify a ride being changed that they didn’t say anything about for 30 years, and make themselves feel BETTER then people who don’t like the idea of changing it.
I mean, has your chilling example ever happened with black people? Most of us don’t really have Brer Rabbit on the mind routinely…
I read Br'er Rabbit stories from "101 African American Read Aloud stories". I missed that book; I learned about so many African folktalks from that book
Thanks for watching!!!
This was a very informative video! Please do one on Ananzi!
I really want to! I will start researching
My side of this debate is I'm a radical 90s white person. We were taught firm lessons of safety with guns and not talking to strangers. But we were also determined to break the mold and be different.
That might be why I'm pretty adamant on change. White Americans as well as some African Americans cast hate on each other. And the times they're reflecting honestly break my heart.
I wanna see a world where everyone can be together. No longer hate each other for past mistakes, skin color and other things. Wiping things away like "Song Of The South" will only keep this hate fueled.
I say let Song of the South rest in peace. If it's only welcome place is the past and not today so be it. Just don't wipe away it's existence.
Song of the South was Disney's passion project that he spent his own money on. I love Walt, so if the story is important to him it's important to me too. He doesn't deserve to be punished for the troubling history that has passed. Let Walt's project rest in peace and move FORWARD.
If you don't like a story, make a new one. Stories have always been meant to be changed and improved upon over time. And I'll be cheering as I see this world change for the better. ❤
Thanks for your comments. Maybe all Hollywood studios should make their “problematic” movies available so we can study them
Fabulous video! Well done and well researched! Thank you for this. I’m white but I’ve been a fan of Brer Rabbit my entire life. It’s time that he’s reclaimed.
Thank you for watching!!!!
I don't know if it's controversial to say that the influence of the oral folklore of American plantation slaves on the Peter Rabbit children's fairy tales is not necessarily the only one, and the matter may be more complicated because animal fables have appeared in Europe and Asia at least since the 11th century BC, and animal fables featuring rabbits appeared in Aesop's fable collection from the 7th century BC (one of the well-known fables is The Tortoise and the Hare). So it's hard to say where Brer Rabbit meets and where European fables have influenced the creation of Peter Rabbit fairy tales by Beatrix Potter.
There’s an interesting article in the Guardian that delves deeper to the possible connection to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Harris’ Brer Rabbit.
The article even points out Potter’s family connection to the cotton slave trade and copies of Uncle Remus stories in her childhood home.
I Don’t think acknowledging influences outside of Brer Rabbit is controversial. Folktales have been told for millennia. I’m interested in the legacy of Brer Rabbit and how he influenced characters outside of the US - even if he’s not the only influence.
Thanks so much for watching and your thoughtful comment.
amp.theguardian.com/books/2023/may/19/origin-of-beatrix-potter-tales-african-folklore-brer-rabbit
Song of the south and Mickey house of mouse should be on Disney+ stream service
Yea. But With a disclaimer?
We also cannot forget the Indigenous people in So-Called America influences on this oral literature. Even the Disney version shows a lot of Indigenous influence in the designs of Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox (Brer Rabbit has a 40s Chicano youth silhouette in his clothes and Brer Fox looks like Coyote rather than a fox). Brer Rabbit would not exist as we know him today without Native influence. He is so special, and I wish that there could embrace the shared sacredness. ❤
This is a great video, btw. ❤
These are great points
I consider myself progressive, but not the authoritarian left wing person who does things based on superficiality. I think you made great arguments sir. What's worse than keeping song of the south? Pretending it never existed. It's such a white liberal thing to wipe their hands clean and say "okay since Uncle Remus is gone it never existed". I think it should be remade with removing the racial elements of the dixie south and given context along with a coinciding documentary about African folklore. In addition to erasing the lives of some of the biggest victims in history, the slaves of the triangle trade, the stories are just plain good.
We should keep talking about all of this
@@LegacyofFolktales Looney Tunes home video releases begin with an acknowledgment that their cartoons are products of their time and include stereotypes that are wrong - but (the acknowledgment goes on to say) removing them would be the same as claiming those prejudices never existed.
Disney has a similar disclaimer, adding that we can learn from these outdated stories - but includes nothing on their discs to put those older films in context; we still have the Dumbo roustabouts and crows, Peter Pan's "injuns" and The Aristocats features an utterly nauseating scene of a siamese cat playing a piano with chopsticks and singing with the worst sort of "ching-chow" accent.
I’m so angry at Disney right now they are just screwing so much up
The das passes are ruined there wasting money on live action remakes but the biggest reason of all has to be them getting rid of splash mountain and erasing the brer’s.
Brer fox was my favorite character since I was very young and I never found him or the others racist.
I just find it mind boggling that everyone cancels a ride about a rabbit outwitting a fox and bear that didn’t take place in an area were slaves were tortured but they are fine with Tiana’s bayou adventure.
The reason why I have a problem with Tiana’s bayou is because the ride takes place in a salt mine where slaves worked and there’s a sign at the entrance that says remember! Salt mines are reserved for seasoned veterans.
That’s just a huge slap in the face to the splash mountain fans.
Disney and the fan base right now is a train wreck.
I really did wish that disney could have reintroduce the Brers with either a new movie or show that followed the rides plot. It was a big mistake for disney to not atleast educate people on the folktales to seperate the tales of brer rabbit from Song of the south, that atleast could have saved Brer Rabbit from being removed from disney.
I truly love the character and even the other critters from the ride that arent part of the folklore that came from tge America Sings attraction, I do wish some higher up at disney could reintroduce the characters in a special way, they could apologize and akcnkowledge that Song Of the South was a miatake, have had black celebrities explain the origins of Brer Rabbit himself and could have created a brand new Brer rabbit cartoon/ fully animated movie that features the brers and critters from splash with a full black cast voicing all of the characters.
Its highly unfortunate since Brer Rabbit could have been one of disneys greatest heroes and inspirations to children everywhere.
It would have been cool to see a reimagining of brer rabbit - but something I didn’t dive into the video - there are some folks who felt that Brer Rabbit had been ruined by Disney / Joel Chandler Harris. So I can see how it could go both ways. Thanks for
Your comment
I found out there was going to be a tv series around the early 2000s. It actually looked like it was going to have a regular rivalry going where Brer Fox was actually trying to gain popularity and get himself some sort of unofficial king hood with the sole purpose of getting the other critters to shower him with riches and adoration, and he was sort of seeing Brer Rabbit as the guy standing in his way just cause “Everyone loves HIM…”
I liked that premise.
Honestly, thinking about the tv series idea, I was actually greatly reminded of Walt Kelly’s character of Albert the Alligator if he was just a dyed in the wool bad guy instead of a frienemy type. Like Albert was always trying to jump on getting positions of power without really knowing or caring what he would have to DO in such a position, mostly thinking of the title being a nice little thing to flaunt over everyone else. Kind of the same logic with Brer Fox trying to become “king” just for the adoration and respect, only he wants to get it by offing the only one who he thinks could usurp him if he tried any popularity contest- who he just wants to eat anyway, so kill two birds with one stone.
I am one of many Disney fans defending Song of the South and Splash Mountain. Song of the South is a very misunderstood movie and it should be released back to the public. As for the ride, Splash Mountain, it was supposed to be a much more relevant version of the movie, but with no Uncle Remus or Tar Baby. I think Disney is making a huge mistake of removing the characters, Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear and the song, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from their brand!
#BringBackSplashMountain
#ReleaseSongOfTheSouth
People are too stupid to understand... the old black man was the protagonist.
The sad thing is, they got people defending this erasure who sat on a ride having said characters for 30 FRIKKIN YEARS without a complaint, and now they’re making up shit about him without realizing he’s basically Anansi 2.0
Racially, the biggest issue with Song of the South is that it could be more explicit in communicating the time period to the audience. Aside from that, I don't see much issue with it. As a film, most of the live action stuff is pretty boring, with Uncle Remus and the music being the only bright spots. However, the animated segments are fantastic and some of the best from Disney in the Walt era. It really is a shame that they refuse to rerelease it, especially knowing that a large reason for it is because of Bob Iger wanting to virtual signal.
@@TCMACK Bob Iger is such a woke idiot! 😡
@@TCMACK there’s also the fact that they guy who played Remus wasn’t able to see the premier cause of segregation, and that also pissed Walt off, it seems.
I’d say that’s worse than anything the actual movie did.
This was a great video. You weren’t afraid to give the good, bad and ugly of the situation. I commend Walt Disney for wanting to tell the folktales of African Americans and for fighting for James Baskett’s Oscar considering the decade all of this went down. However, the way in which Song of the South was handled was obviously not ideal. I feel like Disney as a company could have redone the story and released it showing Brer Rabbit as a hero because that’s what he was. They could have gotten some Black people on board to help consult just like they did with The Princess and the Frog (which was highly needed because the first version of that movie was going to be awful). Furthermore, I could understand wanting to replace it with Tiana, but getting rid of his statues and not acknowledging Brer Rabbit all together is a very bad misstep on their part. It’s never good to erase history, the good, bad or the ugly.
Thanks for watching. More videos coming soon
Thank you for sharing!!!!
Thanks for watching. You’re welcome!
Peter Rabbit is also based on Brer Rabbit!
Yup. Glad that’s coming to more attention in recent years. Thanks for watching
No it isn’t - they are completely different rabbits.
Splash mountain will always be a masterpiece and a classic but no retheme will ever reach the amount of good splash mountain reached
Time will tell. I doubt Disney would tell the real
Story of Brer Rabbit on Splash Mountain.
I took an Afro Creole literature course in college a learned all of these great stories
Song of the south was a wonderful film.
How so?
Bouki and Lapin are the main characters of Creole folklore which are of Wolof Senegambian origins.
Maybe we should make a video about them
I hope they keep at least one splash mountain in the world for all the people who have never got to ride it sad tho 😢
But does keeping the ride add more to brer rabbit’s story or no?
@@LegacyofFolktales no exactly so they should keep it as it’s not adding more to the story.
Brer Rabbit isn't missing. They gender swapped him and made him a police officer in Zootopia.
I’ve heard that theory
All Disney sing-along songs
All of them!
I don’t want to see toy story five ok
Lol
What a loser
Kinda wish you'd skip the AI voice and get a human narrator. Information this important deserves more respect.
Appreciate the feedback! Hope as the channel grows that’s the reality
I grew up with Song and it taughtme that black people could be kinder and smarter tham the white people it matters who youare and the choices you make also first tome I ever saw chilfren of different race playing together so a few years later whem they mixed our school classes I made friends with the new children and was not afraid of them
Stop the 🧢. Brer Rabbit began as a trickster medicine character in American Indian tales. Ie Tar Baby is a Biloxi American Indian story. These stories are called possum tales and convey history and medicine knowledge. Here are 2 resources- American Indian Myths and Legends & Choctaw Tales
🧢 free zone
The Tar Baby: A Global History book by Wagner digs deep Into the origins of this fable. Its origins seem more nuanced.
Thanks for watching, the comment and the resources.
💯💯💯
I am here. See my Annie 1999 and all Disney vaolt
Thank you
R U sure that the dialect was genuine in the book?
Bro there's so much AI in this video. I swear the voice and script is even AI 😭
The script ain’t AI though 😂🫠
Brer rabbit always minor how trickster characters who plays by story and fairly a characters role in black peoples who been trick or slave so hard as authors be try best could a roles, from movies and show and video games with/without any by Brer rabbit character. Sadly some movies are against by culture cancel decline by brer rabbit and other characters. Will forgot him. In sadly black peoples in slavery and racism in 2020.
Thanks for the comment
I don’t mind Disney takes over The What Disney company and. Picture and Marvel and Star Wars and 20th century studios and Touchstone And 21 century Fox Werner family entertainment and 20 th century Fox and ABC and Hannah Barbera and PBS and Broadway records that is wlat Disney
Thanks for watching
I was thinking about Tiana s bayou andventure add song of the south and Disney 100 once s upon a Studio take out Peter Pan and Wendy and Mulan live action ailce in wonderland thought the looking glass
Thanks for watching
😢 🎻
Hmmm????
our country is still wrestling with the tar baby. even 150 years after the civil war, many of us are still trying to come up with some more comfortable framing of slavery. doubling down and doubling down. down the rabbit hole.
Thanks for watching and for this comment
The tale is an amalgamation of BOTH european amd african storues. Not just african. This afrocentric tripe needa to stop.
Which tale, specifically?
If you mean the Tar Baby story -
The Tar Baby: A Global History is a good resource
No rubbish here
If this ain't a FBA run channel you need to stop uploading.
Found out what FBA is - only reason I created the channel was to educate myself more on my enslaved ancestors on American soil. Hoping you and others will continue to watch, comment and let me know what’s working.
How does this relate to racism ? Let me go on a 30 minute tangent about stories that I’ll have to force relate to each other to get my false opinion across.. 😂😂
Dang. Seems you didn’t like it. 😂😂 it ain’t for everyone
Bruh.
Thinking of making a video about this
Have you ever considered doing an essay on the erasure of the African zombie from modern media
Even the first American zombie movie was called white zombie The very first step in erasing it. The African zombie is one of the few uniquely black horror icons. But after the ghouls from the last man on earth. And more importantly night of the living dead. The African zombie has old but shrunk from media
That's a great idea! Would love to dig into that