“Who Does He Think He Is?”: Fans Take Bob Iger to Task for ‘Song of the South’

Of all of Disney’s controversial decisions in the last few years, one of the most opposed decisions by far has been Disney’s treatment of the movie Song of the South (1946). The film has been criticized for being racist and made in poor taste, so much so that Walt Disney Studios never released it on VHS or DVD in the United States. The movie is said to have racist depictions of African American people, and the famous song “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” is allegedly based on a racist civil war anthem.

Related: Here’s Where You Can Stream Disney’s ‘Song of the South’

Of course, while fans are historically incredibly divided on whether the movie is genuinely racist, and whether it should be used as a learning tool; Disney has taken steps to move away from being associated with it, though fans keep bringing it back. There are also groups of people who believe the movie was made by an African-American to educate Americans about slavery and that the feature is fundamentally misunderstood.

The Disney attraction Splash Mountain was based on the Song of the South, and features many beloved characters from the movie. Disney describes it as a “A Hare-Raising Adventure” where Guests can “Hop inside a hollow log and float through a colorful bayou as you follow happy-go-lucky Br’er Rabbit to his ‘laughing place.’ But be warned: Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of this wayward hare.”

Disney announced and has since acted upon the intention of retheming Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in a further attempt to walk away from the movie’s past. While Walt Disney World shut down its Splash Mountain earlier this year, and many have moved on, some have not been able to let go.

So it can remain in the @Disney vault but customers can’t enjoy the characters, songs, & #SplashMountain? But Tokyo can?? Makes no sense.#SaveSplashMountain @WDWGuestService @Disneyland @WaltDisneyCo @WaltDisneyWorld @DisneyParks @RobertIger @GovRonDeSantis @BridgetAZiegler https://t.co/qOnMZ7hay9

— Michael (@MTARDI32) May 1, 2023

Related: Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg Speaks Out to Bring Back ‘Song of the South’

As the fan mentions in his tweet, Splash Mountain will soon no longer be at either domestic Disney Park, but it remains at Tokyo Disney Resort. And while this fan mentions his general frustration with Disney about the treatment of Splash Mountain and Song of the South, some fans took Disney CEO Bob Iger to task.

One fan shared, “Iger is a sad and awful man, There is nothing wrong with Song Of The South or Splash mountain and he wants to erase it, erase history, destroy people’s legacy as if they never existed. He needs to go and he needs to stay gone this time.”

Another fan referenced the original tweet the OP quote tweeted, saying, “@RobertIger should remain in the vault never to be seen again! Release SOTS on Disney+.” 

While some fans continue to express their frustration at how Disney has left Song of the South in the past, but no matter how fans feel, it’s incredibly unlikely Disney will ever bring back the movie.