So I’ve made videos spotlighting diversity at both Marvel and DC - but there’s another
popular brand that’s also trying to be more representative of its audience and that’s
Disney Animation.
In fact, Disney Animation has been dipping a toe in the waters of diversity for decades
but, so far, has gotten little reward for their efforts.
People say they want to see characters up on the screen that look like them, yet the
most popular Disney Princesses - according to their sales numbers - are Elsa, Cinderella,
Snow White, Anna, Ariel, Rapunzel, Aurora, Merida and then finally, rounding out the
top ten, Jasmine and Tiana.
Now Tiana did get a lot of attention for being the first black Disney Princess, plus we have
to give a shout-out to the incredibly popular Doc McStuffins.
Both are an important reversal of fortune for Disney which got into a considerable amount
of trouble for their depiction of black characters in their early animated shorts and - most
infamously - their live action, animation hybrid film Song of the South.
So today, with Big Hero 6 having just hit theaters and Moana on the horizon, let’s
take a look at the history of diversity in Disney Animation - focusing on their films.
Now, back in the day, Disney Animation was of course personified by Walt Disney himself,
a global celebrity.
In fact he was so popular that the United States government felt a trip for Disney to
South America would help sway those countries in our favor over the Nazis.
Now sure, some might find that hard to believe considering some of the negative attitudes
toward Walt Disney today, but back then Uncle Sam felt the choice was clear and footed the
bill for Disney to tour South America with the purpose of returning to his studio and
making a movie based on his travels.
The result was Saludos Amigos released in 1942, which proved to be so popular that The
Three Caballeros came out just two years later in 1944.
But then just two years after that, Disney would undo all that good will - at least here
in the United States - with Song of the South.
Disney’s publicity department had been concerned while the film was being made, and their concerns
turned out to be well-founded.
Walter Francis White, mixed race and one of the leads at the NAACP at the time, did applaud
the film for its technological achievements.
However he also issued a statement that his organization regretted that in “an effort
neither to offend audiences in the north or south, the production helps to perpetuate
a dangerously glorified picture of slavery.
Making use of the beautiful Uncle Remus folklore, Song of the South unfortunately gives the
impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts.”
As a result of the embarrassing backlash, Disney Animation would not try to depict any
sort of diversification until 1967 with The Jungle Book, and even then the voice cast
was entirely white.
The film was quite successful, which turned out to be a double edged sword as it set the
tone for animation’s own version of blackface which the medium has yet to fully shake.
Now The Jungle Book was the last film Walt Disney worked on before he died, and Disney
Animation struggled to find its way after his death.
But as it began to re-emerge in the 1980s we got Oliver and Company which featured a
diverse cast - but again, only with the animals.
But the voice cast here was a little more diversified this time, perhaps thanks to the
New York City setting?
Cheech Marin voiced the popular Tito, while Taurean Blacque from Hill Street Blues voiced
one of the menacing dobermans in the film.
And the very next year, as the Disney Renaissance kicked off with The Little Mermaid, Samuel
E Wright became the first actor of color since Jose Oliveira and Joaquin Garay to voice a
lead character in a Disney animated film.
Plus Wright sung the film’s Oscar winning song, Under the Sea.
Yet while Aladdin focused on a Middle Eastern cast, and produced Disney’s most popular
princess of color, Jasmine - the voice cast was entirely white.
But then came The Lion King, which not only featured a voice cast of respected black talent
but celebrated African culture.
However, playing it somewhat safe, all the characters were again animals and many of
the lead characters - including Simba, Scar, Timon, Pumba and Nala - were again voiced
by white actors.
Although coming full circle, Cheech Marin would voice another animal for Disney Animation.
The Lion King went on to become Disney Animation’s most successful film - until Frozen came along
- became a Tony winning musical, and a large part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park and
Lodge in Orlando which also celebrates African culture.
Disney then made a conscious effort to diversify their princess line, adding Pocahontas, Esmeralda
and Mulan.
But the first two were deemed a little too sexy for all ages entertainment, while to
this day people are quick to point out that Mulan isn’t actually a princess - plus she’s
become an easy punchline re cross-dressing.
But at least Pocahontas and Mulan are official Disney Princesses.
The Emperor’s New Groove?
A Latin America story...with leads voiced by David Spade, John Goodman and Patrick Warburton.
But Eartha Kitt would voice one of Disney Animation’s most original and hilarious
villains yet, Yzma!
Although the character herself doesn’t seem to be black...
Then as Disney began to try computer animation, Dinosaur boasted an impressively diverse cast,
including Ossie Davis, Alfre Woodard, Della Reese, and Samuel E Wright!
But again, more animals and Dinosaur wasn’t a big hit critically or box office-wise.
Then Disney Animation had a major breakthrough with Atlantis The Lost Empire, featuring a
diverse cast of HUMAN characters!
Atlantis featured another interracial romance, with another potential Disney Princess voiced
by Cree Summer - who was actually a princess!
Atlantis also featured Phil Morris and Jacqueline Obradors, both voicing characters of the same
ethnicity.
Yet Atlantis also struggled critically and at the box office.
But Disney Animation was now determined, and next debuted Lilo and Stitch which took place
in Hawaii with Hawaiian characters voiced by Tia Carrere and Jason Scott Lee - Lilo
was voiced by white actress Daveigh Chase.
But Ving Rhames and Kevin Michael Richardson also voiced two characters.
Thanks in part to a much smaller budget than usual for Disney Animation, Lilo and Stitch
was a huge success, leading to an animated series and several direct to video sequels.
Yet Stitch is the only character to really thrive outside of the film.
The Jungle Book 2 also featuring an entirely white cast of voice actors while Brother Bear
featured Michael Clarke Duncan and Jeremy Suarez as...animals.
However, Disney Animation then finally created its first black princess, Tiana, for The Princess
and the Frog.
But sure enough, Disney found itself embroiled in controversy once more.
When Disney Animation made an early presentation to its shareholders, black audiences were
appalled that Maddy - which they felt was too close to Mammy - was a maid.
Plus the fairytale would take place in New Orleans, which many felt made light of the
recent Hurricane Katrina disaster.
And they really didn’t like that she ended up with a non-black prince.
This time though, Disney got out in front of the problem.
They changed their heroine’s name to Tiana, made her a waitress but also an aspiring cook
and restaurant owner, and - here’s the kicker - brought Oprah Winfrey on as a consultant
and also had her voice Tiana’s mother.
And despite the initial negative publicity, that didn’t stop many top black actresses
and singers from wanting to make history as the voice of Tiana.
Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and even Tyra Banks all vied for the role!
But it eventually went to Hudson’s Dreamgirls co-star and Broadway staple Anika Noni Rose.
Now sure, Tiana and her Middle Eastern prince spent most of the movie as frogs, but other
wonderful human characters were introduced like Keith David’s villainous Doctor Facilier
and Jenifer Lewis’s delightful Mama Odie - both into voodoo.
And while she’s nowhere near the top, at least Tiana makes the top ten list of Disney
princesses when it comes to sales!
Unfortunately though, The Princess and the Frog itself was not a box office sensation,
nor did critics or audiences fall in love with it - and as a result, it has yet to find
a large presence in the Disney empire outside of Disney Princess merchandise.
But Disney will not be deterred!
Their latest film, Big Hero 6 was chock full of diversity!
The action took place in San Fransokyo, an East meets West mash-up.
Our lead character was young Hiro Hamada and he and his brother Tadashi were tech geniuses!
Both brothers were voiced by asian actors, and the rest of the voice cast also mirrored
their on-screen counterparts.
Jamie Chung voiced GoGo Tomago, Damon Wayans Jr voiced Wasabi, and Genesis Rodriguez voiced
Honey Lemon - although you could really only tell she was hispanic by her vague accent.
A lot of the creative choices made for Big Hero 6 were motivated by the growing power
of the asian box office, and sure enough Big Hero 6 was a financial powerhouse for Disney.
Plus it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature!
But at the end of the day, the most popular character in the movie is a WHITE balloon.
Now coming in 2016 is Moana, perhaps another creative decision motivated by the success
of diverse live action films like the Fast and the Furious franchise.
Sure enough, Dwayne Johnson will voice the male lead in the film.
But Disney’s trouble track record with diversity still haunts the animation studio.
Will Moana be Pocahontas meets Atlantis...or Lilo and Stitch multiplied by Disney Princess
power?
How do you think Disney Animation is doing when it comes to diversity?
And why do you think that even when they do try, Disney Animation is having such a hard
time succeeding when it comes to diversity?
And finally, do you care if the ethnicity of the voice actor matches the character up
on screen?
Be sure to share your thoughts down below.
I’m Grace Randolph and this has been a Movie Byte!
You can watch more, right now!