A separate essay, in fact, a SEPARATE-BUT-EQUAL one

 

Do U Mind Being Obscured?

By Andrés Lema

 

When calling for an end to racism in the United States, Martin Luther King said: “I have a dream.” His transparent words shadowy contrast with “If you can dream it, you can do it”. This last phrase was the brilliant response provided by Walt Disney when asked about the success of the film Dumbo. The unclear contrast between those two phrases seems to be the key for the persistence of an obscure message the film transmits.

 

In October 1941 a white stork flew from Paris to a circus in Florida only to deliver a blue-eyed baby elephant. Its arrival to the land of opportunities (in fact, of opportunists) gave birth not only to the main character of the famous film Dumbo, but also to the perpetuation of a somber message.

 

Produced by the bright Walt Disney, this successful film shows the gloomy story of Jumbo Jr., a little big-eared elephant ridiculed and teased for having some large ‘wings’. Mute from birth, he is nicknamed “Dumbo”. Clearly, happy endings have always been profitable for Disney Animated Classics. So by the end of the film, Dumbo’s ears will allow him to fly and become the star of the circus.

For decades, millions of children have enjoyed the funny Dumbo, partly because they got important messages from the movie, such as how to overcome to the fact of being laughed at or bothered for having long ears, a big nose or any other ‘abnormal’ physical characteristic. But were these the only messages conveyed?

 

Perhaps, the charm of Dumbo’s Aryan eyes has blurred our perception. Even our memories about him might be biased as they were constructed during our innocent childhood. Still, such a somber message crops up during the whole film. The racist message Dumbo transmits has been spread for more than seven decades. Currently, this message continues its legacy.

 

During the 1940s, racism was unhappily present in many places around the world, and it was expressed in several ways, even through music. Songs are essential in movies, especially, in the ones for children. So let’s check one of Dumbo’s songs, which is ‘cheerfully’ sung by some coloured roustabouts in this wicked film: 

“We work all day, we work all night. We never learned to read or write. When other folks have gone to bed, we slave until we're almost dead. Muscles achin', back near breaking. Boss man houndin', keep on poundin'. For your bed and feed, there ain't no let up. Keep on working! Stop that shirking! Grab that rope, you hairy ape!”

Well, this black-hearted message of the 1940s was created neither in South Africa during the Apartheid, nor in Auschwitz during the Holocaust, but at Walt Disney Studios in America. Of course, in the lyrics, slavery is a terrible issue referred to, but why is this abuse only suffered by coloured people?

 

Secondary characters in the film make the racist expression utterly explicit. If we picked any scene having Dumbo performing a clown in the circus show, we would see peanut sellers being dark-skinned and the audience enjoying the show being clearly formed by white people.

 

Another attack on coloured people is portrayed by a group of crows Dumbo comes across in the film. Shown as poor and uneducated, this flock of black birds is the only group whose southern accent is stereotypically African-American. Blinking at Jim Crow laws, which were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States, the leader of the crows in the film is strategically named “Jim”.

 

To reach foreign targets beyond America, Dumbo finds no barriers. We can confirm that by watching Dumbo in its Spanish version, in which the crows are ‘casually’ voiced by Gipsies or Cuban actors.

 

If we had to play the devil’s advocate, we could argue that the movie transmits a positive moral about getting through some difficult situations. It encourages people to think in a different way. But this could be done without hurting people’s susceptibilities. Does the end justify the means?

 

Going back to the contrast between dreams, we can state that Disney has used a speechless elephant to convey a message as strong as Luther King’s speech. Unfortunately, within the scope of Dumbo’s racist message, we may find victims from any part of the world. The dark intention of the movie seems to be as solid as ever. And it will continue building success over obscure foundations.