Disney added a disclaimer to The Muppet Show warning viewers there could be “offensive content” due to its past depictions of various ethnicities.
“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,” the disclaimer stated, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The company released five seasons of the show on its streaming service, Disney+, last week and said it wouldn’t remove any of the original content so that people could “learn from it.”
It is unclear what specifically triggered the disclaimer, but some critics pointed out that characters in the show portrayed Native American and Middle Eastern people, and one episode featured singer Johnny Cash performing with a Confederate flag in view.
“Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together,” the disclaimer continues.
Several other classic shows have also been slapped with “offensive” disclaimers, including The Aristocrats and Dumbo.
Conservatives slammed Disney for caring more about “offensive” depictions in a children’s show than it does about human-rights abuses in China.
Disney is concerned that ‘The Muppet Show’ is offensive.
But filming where China runs concentration camps for Uighurs? Disney is okay with that. https://t.co/eoIA5xmgpW.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) February 21, 2021
Others pointed out how trivial the disclaimer is:
I guess The Three Stooges are definitely “out.” https://t.co/EiPcuiBqb9
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 21, 2021
No one should be satisfied until frogs and pigs everywhere—and Gonzo—get the groveling apology they deserve https://t.co/dW372Y5xG4
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) February 22, 2021
