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Once again, it seems that the classic Disney Parks attractions are starting to show their age in more ways than just their outdated animatronics.
While most of the attention has been focused on Spalsh Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight, one fan has now decided to speak up about an “offensive” line in Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom Park’s Tomorrowland.
Photo Credit: Disney
The line is said by John and is the following,
“Jazz music is the cat’s meow, and there’s been ads in the paper for months for a movie starring Al Jolson—and he’s going to talk! And sing! Boy, I’ve gotta see that.”
It turns out that when the show’s narrator John, mentions that one of the first talking pictures was about to be released, he is referencing a movie in which a white actor prominently wore black face.
The fan highlighted this moment on Walt Disney World’s subreddit, saying,
“I went on the Carousel Of Progress for the first time and was shocked to hear a reference to The Jazz Singer, a movie starring All Jolson, a man famous for his blackface performances. While the film has significant historical value, as it was the first film to have audio that is recognizable, it is today only really known for its blackface.”
Carousel of Progress Offensive Line?
by u/Big_Pomelo_2786 in WaltDisneyWorld
Now, this user asked if his fellow fans thought that he was exaggerating and surprisingly, many commentators said he was.
One person said, “Well, it’s not like John is saying “oh boy, Al Jolson’s dressing up in black face, I gotta see that!””
Another person mentioned, “It is known for being the first feature film with synchronized sound, come on now. It’s a famous movie because of the technological advancement, and it unfortunately features blackface, but it absolutely would not be well-known at all if not for the groundbreaking tech.”
Credit: Disney
Related: Rumor: Tom Hanks to Become New Narrator of Classic Disney Attraction
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress continues to take Walt Disney World Resort Guests through the evolution of the American Family over the last century, allowing us to watch them react to moments of history as they are happening without the “nitpicking” hindsight of 2023. It is only a matter of time before Walt Disney’s stage show for the World’s Fair is update or completely replaced, but it is also clear that the masses for “cancel culture” do not see anything John has said as a major priority.
