Thank you. I casually mentioned something like this in another thread but didn't want to rock the boat too much, but as a black man (who, like others, doesn't want to speak for an entire community), it's obvious that many of the replies to the whole PotF conversion aren't apart of the community. I just have a few brief thoughts:
- In my opinion, what is and is not offensive from a historical perspective is never about what actually happened, but how the actions are now perceived. I've seen people argue until they're blue in the face on these forms defending Song of the South and, a movie not even Disney is proud of. And for what? We can discuss whether or not the movie is racist until the cows come home, but even the discussion alone warrants wondering whether or not Splash should abandon the IP altogether (which it hasn't.)
- There's an overwhelming lack of empathy on these forums that really reflect 1) Disney's main demographic (read between the lines there), and 2) this demographic's response, as a whole, to societies' current movement to address offensive monuments to black cultures. Unless you are a member of a non-white community, I do not think you have a say in what is or is not offensive to non-white communities.
- Now, on the topic of Splash, while I'm always open to new experiences, I am conflicted with the idea of altering the attraction. On one hand, we should be able to address problematic storylines and source materials without people resulting to false equivalencies and strawman arguments, such as "WELL, WHAT ABOUT FRONTIERLAND AND IT'S PORTRAYAL OF INDIANS?" Let's face it. You don't care about the problematic inspiration or representation in Frontierland. You don't care about Indians and their portrayals. Your only objective is to minimize the concern members of the black community have with Splash and Song of the South because you'd rather defend a massive hunk of concrete, water, and fiberglass instead of learning to listen to the pain of other people that society has taught you is the enemy. And, frankly, by even acknowledging the issues in other parts of the park, you're inadvertently admitting that Splash and/or Song of the South is indeed problematic. That's exactly one reason why a false equivalency is a logical fallacy.
- However, on the other hand, fixing Splash will not fix the issue of racial injustice. Editing episodes of The Office and Golden Girls will not fix the issue of racial injustice. Renaming "master bedrooms" will not fix the issue of racial injustice. This is not an instance of political correctness going too far; rather, this is another instance where the cultural majority (again, read between the lines), tries to appease the outspoken voices of the wronged minority by awarding symbolic victories. It's all smoke and mirrors.
I apologize for the lengthy post, but wanted to share my two cents, for what they're worth.
