Today's people may claim Dumbo's crows as "racist," but I say that's nonsense.
Sure, they're a tiny
bit stereotypical, but they're likable and funny, they add a lot to the
story, and you have to remember that was the time when they were starting to take black actors seriously.
This was back in the day when they had
segregated bathrooms and drinking fountains; heck, this was not even a
full century after the Civil War, the inglorious days of nationwide
slavery.
Besides, I've seen plenty of depictions of "black characters" in cartoons from this same era that were much, much less flattering. So, as far as Disney goes, it was a decent start.
We
can try to bowdlerize these racial stereotypes all we want, but as they
once said in a Looney Tunes disclaimer, it "would be the same as to
claim these prejudices never existed."
And, in the words of Rafiki, "You can either run from it or learn from it."
(Images property of their respective owners.)
Anyway,
getting off my little soapbox, this is my most favorite bit of dialogue
from the entire movie. Just about all of the dialogue is terrific (I
dare anyone not to quote at least two or three lines) but this is the
part that tickles me the most.
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