February 22, 2005
Song of the South on DVD, February 2006
Because DVD sales have
declined sharply over the last few quarters (sales of Mulan II: Back in Pants are nothing like sales of last year's Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of Pearl
Bailey, for example), the Walt Disney Company has decided to release the
one guaranteed moneymaker it has left in its film vaults, The Song of the South.
This is a controversial move
by the studio for a number of reasons. First, some people find the depiction of
happy ex-slaves working on a white man's plantation incredibly historically
revisionist. Second, some people believe that the story of the tar baby is
offensive. And third, four out of five dentists think that Bobby Driscoll's
acting causes tooth decay. Disney is hoping to combat these objections with a
carefully constructed advertising campaign and copious DVD extras that will put
the film in context.
A Disney spokesperson said in
a company press release on condition of anonymity that "If
we can position Song of the South as
an attempt to preserve African American folktales as it was intended, in
opposition to its image as the tale of oppression that people who haven't seen
it remember it as, then we should do well. Also, we're cutting out the 'Uncle
Tom' joke and the slapstick scene with the little girl running across the ice."
It is the idea that Song of the South can be made to appeal
to African Americans that led to its release date being set during black
history month 2006. And Disney has put its in-house American history scholar,
Harvard-educated scholar William Kennybunkport III, in charge of putting
together a set of DVD extras that will appeal to the DVD's target audience.
Said Kennybunkport, "I
intend to put my full attention to this task, and shall have the necessary materials
ship-shape faster than an expert game of whist. I have no doubt that the
additional features of this DVD will enrich its appeal to even the lowest
classes, and I shall certainly be purchasing copies for my staff back at the mansion."
Kennybunkport's list of proposed extras includes:
- A history of African Americans in film, including
clips from Gone with the Wind, Check
and Double Check, several "Our Gang"
shorts, and Birth of a Nation
- Disney cartoons that are no longer considered "politically correct," including "John Henry," the black centaur scenes
from Fantasia, "Steamboat Jazz Singer," and "Donald Steps and Fetches"
- An "African
Americans in the Disney Parks" feature,
including tributes to Captain EO
and the African figures in "it's a
small world" and the Jungle Cruise.
- "Zip-a-dee Doo-Dah -- Sing and Tap Dance Along"
- A look at the inferior quality of illegal copies
of Song of the South currently
available on the black market (no pun intended)
- A look back at Song of the South for its anniversary: "It Sho Nuff Been 60 Years"
It is hoped that a prominent
African American can be found to act as host on the disk. At the top of the
list is comic artist Aaron McGruder, although at the
time of this writing he is still not returning Disney's calls. If this doesn't
work out, Disney has a whole list of African American stars that would be
perfect for the job. Those who have not yet declined include such luminaries as
Gary Coleman, Jimmy Walker, Sherman Helmsley, the
late Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, and
Reverend Jesse Jackson.
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