It seems ridiculous that they are censoring such classics as animated Disney, Dr. Seuss books, etc. But yet they allow EXPLICIT music and pornographic music the videos run amok !!! They're Swiss, in other words, and they discuss their Swissness often and in loving detail. There has already been a live-action Dumbo remake which cut much of the problematic elements from the animated film. WebThe Robinson family is shipwrecked on a remote island. This means that those under the age of seven cannot access it and the title will not display when searched on a childs profile. For example, while trying to make land, the Robinsons fight off sharks and successfully get them to back off by shooting at them, and moments later, they marvel at a turtle that winds up towing their heavy boat full of salvaged junk. 23:40. Again, the word for this movie, in good and bad ways, is "simple." THANK YOU! [1] Other English editions that claim to include the whole of the Wyss-Montolieu narrative are by W. H. Davenport Adams (18691910) and Mrs H. B. Paull (1879). "The Heidi model is the opposite of The Swiss Family Robinson. Also, the Native Americans have actually said theyre honored to be called redskins, way back when the debate about the NFL team first began. You can let your kids have access to the adult profile in your Disney Plus account. Written by Swiss writer, Johann David Wyss, edited by his son Johann Rudolf Wyss, and illustrated by another son, Johann Emmanuel Wyss, the novel was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good farming, and the uses of the natural world and self-reliance. "When The Swiss Family Robinson had the potential to gain a wider readership, that is after the Second World War and also in the 1960s, the Swiss were more interested in promoting their sense of belonging to the homeland," says Daniel Maggetti. Has nothing to do with systemic racism at all. However, it is no longer available in the childrens category. [1] It is based on Isabelle de Montolieu's 1814 French adaptation and 1824 continuation (from chapter 37) Le Robinson suisse, ou, Journal d'un pre de famille, naufrag avec ses enfants in which were added further adventures of Fritz, Ernest, Jack, and Franz. But good intentions or not, the Robinsons are colonizing a strange land for themselves with no regard for its original denizens. Viewers both young and old understand early and frequently that the Robinsons initially got on a boat bound for New Guinea, departing from their home in Bern, Switzerland, to escape the European conquest of Napoleon Bonaparte, placing the story somewhere around the year 1800. . If you don't visit the Stories Matter website (and I wonder how many of you reading this are visiting that site now for the first time), you won't even know what it is about Swiss Family Robinson that Disney is implying is offensive.That's especially true because there's a very obvious element of racist representation that's not accounted for in the more detailed description on the website. callback: cb Despite the geographical peculiarities and inconsistencies in their depiction, the animals in Swiss Family Robinsonare one of the film's biggest attraction points, both in the present day and most certainly when it first hit theaters in 1960, when less media and less zoos and aquariums meant fewer chances to get a glimpse of a tiger, zebra, shark, or sea turtle up close. Disneys live-action 1960 feature Swiss Family Robinson is marked for its yellow face and brown face pirates, while 1941s Dumbo, flagged last year by the channel, now receives a more detailed explanation and some historical context: The crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations. I wouldnt be surprised! The first two of the four volumes were published in 1812 and 1813, and the second two in 1826 and 1827. But it's impossible to ignore, and correct to acknowledge. This is a story about a lily-white family arriving on a tropical island and colonizing it for themselves. There are all kinds of things wrong and shocking about how the character of Roberta is handled in Swiss Family Robinson. It then takes him a moment to figure out exactly what she's saying, but Mother laments how if they were to never get rescued and if they stayed on this island paradise forever, their boys would "never get married" or find themselves wives by which she means "succumb to their natural physical needs as men." The films are still available on standard Disney+ profiles with a content advisory warning directing viewers to www.disney.com/StoriesMatter. I will proudly put these movies on for my grandchildren to watch and if they want to draw their own conclusions.good for them. Initially, they construct a treehouse, but as time passes (and after Elizabeth is injured climbing the stairs down from it), they settle in a more permanent dwelling in part of a cave. Although movie and television adaptations typically name the family "Robinson", it is not a Swiss name. In my opinion these films, along with Song of the South, should be released with a host intro ala TCM discussing what is problematic with the films. The family also befriends a large turtle and walks by some flamingos and ostriches at one point. WebQuestion 11: Describe how the Swiss family built the narrow boat to get ashore and what did their first cargo consist of. WebRacist imagery and cultural stereotypes in six Disney animated classics including Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, Lady and the Tramp, The Aristocats, Dumbo and Swiss Family The German title translates as The Swiss Robinson which identifies the novel as part of the Robinsonade genre, rather than a story about a family named Robinson. They would tell us what to think rather than thinking for ourselves. Is it not wonderful to be lectured on morality by a company in business with the Chinese slave holders? Presence Switzerland, The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs presents. Perhaps it was your inability to read my post. On one hand, we can acknowledge that what Disney is doing by inserting a title card nodding towards the reality of the studio's earlier, more problematic films is vastly more than they ever did prior to the advent of the streaming service. As the family at the center of Swiss Family Robinson, the Robinsons are from the nation of Switzerland. An uncomplicated film leaves behind a complicated legacy, and one you can still feel both at the Disney theme parks and in films themselves. But it should/can be used as a learning tool. Shameful. WebThe Swiss Family Robinson reflects a fascination for the rest of the world, but it also presents the Swiss system as an effective and universally valid model. Fortune cookies always wrong.. But , in this case, here here! Thomas, other peoples feelings matter. Oh thank goodness. Fritz and Ernst discover her in their sailing expedition on another part of their island, taken captive by pirates along with her grandfather. This resembles other educational books for young ones published about the same time. That's especially true because there's a very obvious element of racist representation that's not accounted for in the more detailed description on the website. I vent occasionally myself and often feel better afterward, but I dont waste my time on non-issues like this. "Up until the 1920s and 30s, Le Robinson suisse was used and quoted by renowned authors such as Charles Ferdinand Ramuz and Catherine Colomb. That hasnt changed. For children < 7 it is rather difficult to explain adult concepts. In the novel a minister, his wife, and their four sons are shipwrecked and become castaways on an island in the East Indies. 23:41. They're bloodthirsty and cruel, and they are also pointedly played by actors of color (or by actors who are made to. ", Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA Nodding towards the existence of the bad isn't quite enough. M shum rreth seris . Adapted from the 1812 novel of the same name, has the perfect kind of high-concept hook that's inspired everything from multiple direct adaptations to the 1960s TV series, : a family is stranded at sea after an attack by pirates, and must fend for itself on a deserted-island paradise. It's puzzling that the Robinsons aren't spotted by a friendly seafaring vessel right away. This is a quintessential Disney adventure, the kind of film that absolutely feels right at home in the theme parks. The Swiss Family Robinson, novel for children completed and edited by Johann Rudolf Wyss, published in German as Der schweizerische Robinson (181227). The film, Disney's first shot in Panavision, is a widescreen marvel in no small part because it was actually shot on a tropical island: Tobago. If Swiss Family Robinson were real, those Alpine mountain folk would burn to a crisp and quickly. I swear Disney doesnt understand their own work sometimes. So, if youre eager to revisit Swiss Family Robinson on Disney+, you may want to reflect on the pirate scene. It is no accident that The Swiss Family Robinson was made into a film by Walt Disney in 1960," says Claire Jaquier, a specialist in literature and cultural history of the Swiss Enlightenment at the University of Neuchtel. McclearnJoshua2716. And if that isnt good enough for everyone then have a parental password for some of these hot topic films and if your child wants to watch them, then you can choose to let them watch it and/or have a conversation about the film and why parts of it are wrong. I guess we better start burning books and anything else produced before 2020 for fear it may offend someone,,. If they really cared about our childrens welfare and our society, then the left liberal would be censoring that But I guess that isnt politically correct! Thoughtful viewers may wonder where and how the Robinsons got so good at living off the land. As we speak, Classic books , while not being burned, are being removed from public and school libraries across our beautiful USA. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Rarely do I approve of profanity. Yall need to get over yourselves and leave the choice of viewing materials to the parents. The Swiss Family Robinson (German: Der Schweizerische Robinson) is a novel by Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship en route to Port Jackson, Australia, goes off course and is shipwrecked in the East Indies. "They were able to construct a fascinating tale and build up its potential. "They were able to construct a fascinating tale and build up its potential. Daniel Defoe's story of Robinson Crusoe has inspired many Swiss figures. It's one of the 100 highest-grossing films ever released in the United States.So, you can understand why the film has persisted over time, if gradually less so in the last few decades. still from Swiss Family Robinson, Disney+. You can still watch them under the adults profile and have the conversations with the kids about it. Things are getting a little more than silly. An uncomplicated film leaves behind a complicated legacy, and one you can still feel both at the Disney theme parks and in films themselves. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as redskins, an offensive term. Swiss Family Robinson is still available on Disney+ to those over the age of seven, with the addition of a Content Advisory Warning. JoshuaRheyr8253. The films werent removed, just blocked from the childs profile. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Wake the fudge up, Disney. While the adventure was an international hit from the very beginning particularly among English-speaking audiences it has fallen into obscurity at home since the start of the 20th century, especially among French-speaking Swiss readers. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Swiss-Family-Robinson, Internet Archive - "The Swiss family Robinson", The Swiss Family Robinson - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Have something to tell us about this article? A title card is better than those options, and it's better than nothing. Fritz and Ernst discuss their homeland's beautiful mountains and snowy climate, and both have German-sounding names, which fits, because German is one of Switzerland's four official languages, which older viewers may remember from a high school geography class. This portrayal reinforces the perpetual foreigner stereotype, while the film also features lyrics that mock the Chinese language and culture such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, Egg Foo Young. Today, the island bears the name 'Robinson Crusoe' and about forty descendants of the von Rodt family still live there, observes Stphane Gol, Swiss director and author of, Swiss technology tackles the climate crisis, The Rorschach test, invented by a Swiss psychiatrist, turns 100, The Swiss Family Robinson, Crusoe's Swiss cousins. The world does not need the magical nonsense of Disney. As for why the characters may be considered offensive, Common Sense Media explains: The pirates are portrayed as a mass of scary foreign marauders a familiar racist trope of vaguely ethnic enemies attacking White people. Ken Annakin made a handful of films for Walt Disney Pictures, and they were rarely challenging. Fortune cookie always wrong., The crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations. It's an attractive premise which appeals to readers. I believe they were mostly voiced by Black actors too. WebDisney has made the conscious decision not to remove the content, instead opting for an updated content warning ahead of movies like Aristocats, Peter Pan, Dumbo and Disney made a lot of live-action movies in the 1960s and 1970s, but few are as fondly remembered as Swiss Family Robinson. and "Swiss Family )As they're sometimes wont to do, Disney made news a couple weeks ago. The French version, 'Le Robinson suisse', rapidly acquired a devoted following, which allowed it to become a core classic of Swiss literature." They successfully evade drowning by breaking out of their little death trap, but then they face peril and destruction again by building a raft to get off the boat in order to reach land. As if Song of the South is THAT bad?! Though other adaptations may complicate the matter somewhat Lost in Space obviously sets its action far away from a tropical island, and also features the nefarious Dr. Smith the Disney version of Swiss Family Robinson is exceedingly uncomplicated. But another film getting this title card is our column's subject: the 1960 adventure adaptation Swiss Family Robinson. If the Robinsons were real people, the psychological scars suffered would run deep and would take years of therapy to alleviate. Thankfully, you still can. Perhaps children shouldnt have been watching then without their parents to begin with?? However, there is a growing awareness regarding potentially problematic elements of a number of Disney productions too. Many appear in yellow face or brown face and are If they have any. And yet, of course, it is problematic. Disney should provide their rationale for this decision. It's not just that there's no Dr. Smith the antagonistic force in Annakin's adaptation is as much the various natural elements working against the Robinson family as they build a massive treehouse and begin exploring the island on which they live, as it is the pirates who attacked their ship and are coming back to get their just desserts. The cat is depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth. Thought police have indeed existed in human history. Im wondering if someone took away your ability to read. Disney is no stranger to the concept of pirate characters in its films and its theme parks, but the pirates depicted in Swiss Family Robinson might as well be faceless stereotypes. Its so good to know Disney is taking care of this for our childrens own good so they cant be damaged by these horribly offensive movies they produce decades ago. When adapting Johann David Wyss' classic novel, Disney filmmakers didn't worry about toning down any of the Swiss references and historical markers. (Sadly, there is no Will Robinson of whom to speak.) Since you canceled your subscription, its not even an issue that affects you directly, so are you just taking it upon yourself to complain on behalf of other parents, as if they need you to speak for them? Not yet. Their first names are never given because they're never used. The plucky, crafty Robinsons of Swiss Family Robinson are so good at surviving the harsh conditions of a tropical island (and getting off a sinking ship with plenty of supplies) that they make it look easy. This is a joke. The backlash has surfaced in the wake of Disney+ revising the accessibility of Dumbo (1941), Peter Pan (1953), The Aristocats (1970) and Swiss Family Robinson on the platform. Grow up!!!! } . The film, Disney's first shot in Panavision, is a widescreen marvel in no small part because it was actually shot on a tropical island: Tobago. 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., Continued: Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.. Is that the purpose of a Disney movie? The exoticism of The Swiss Family Robinson was at odds with the Swiss reality of the time. WebJohann David Wyss ( German: [johan dafd vis]; 28 May 1743 11 January 1818) was a Swiss author, best remembered for his book The Swiss Family Robinson ( Der schweizerische Robinson) (1812). The ship's cargo of livestock (including a cow, a donkey, two goats, six sheep, a ram, a pig, chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons), guns and powder, carpentry tools, books, a disassembled pinnace and provisions have survived. The possibilities for new stories are endless, which makes it very attractive to audiences". It's got a decent enough cast among the family. WebThe Swiss Family Robinson recounts the adventures of a father, mother, and four sons marooned on a tropical island. Because for all of the dazzling shipwrecks, pirate chases, tricky sailing trips, and fending off wild animals, Swiss Family Robinson is really just the story of a mostly normal, loving family trying to survive and stay intact, all while relying on each other. 23:41. Several family members continue to live tranquilly on their island, while several return to Europe with the British. But the biggest draw this adaptation has is, like the film itself, simple: it's a movie about people on a tropical island that was shot on a tropical island. Animals are used as beasts of burden and made to work, and they suffer through some frightening sequences, neither of which are depicted in more contemporary family films. But the title card doesn't do the work for you. The family embodies one of humanity's basic myths: left to its own devices, a group of people must make something of itself in a hostile environment. Because in real life Native Americans were mistreated and driven out of their homes. Jeesh, some ppl eh?! That sense of simplicity works both for and against the 1960 film. It was his son, Johann Rudolf, who published the novel. And then Fritz gives a baffling, hormonal, and almost predatory reply with, "By the time we get to New Guinea, we won't care what age they are!". But it's not enough. But good intentions or not, the Robinsons are colonizing a strange land for themselves with no regard for its original denizens. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Swiss Family Robinson (Unabridged Classics) (S by Johann David Wyss New Book at the best online prices at eBay! As such, they read 18th century natural history textbooks and encyclopaedias. In other news,is Rick Ross inComing 2 America? They build a shelter, then set about exploring their new home. There aren't any surfing scenes, bonfire parties, or other tropes found in the genre that was popular around the time of Swiss Family Robinson's initial release in 1960, but it's a film that takes place almost entirely in, on, or around a tropical beach. Parents may have been offended for children. The Robinson family's epic journey was born of the imagination of the Bernese pastor Johann David Wyss. But on top of that, Swiss Family Robinson looms so large in the hearts and minds of millions becauseit offers big, grand, unpredictable adventures while also being relatable. If anything, , it would have to be on the technical side. More specifically, the news focused on the dark side of where and how Disney began, acknowledging its racially and sexually insensitive material in films like, If you're a Disney+ subscriber and play those titles now, you'll see a generic message letting you know that the film you're about to see has something offensive that was treated as unproblematic upon release but is now correctly seen as Not Great, Bob! Tell you what. In the novel a minister, his wife, and their four sons are shipwrecked and become castaways on an island in the East Those movies are still on Disney Plus in their original uncensored form. No one sees these movies as racist except the racist people who are destroying them. The new notices have been implemented with the assistance of an advisory council composed of various organizations including GLAAD, the African American Film Critics Association, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, IllumiNative, National Association of Latino Independent Producers, and RespectAbility, among others. The movie opens with the Robinson family which includes two teenagers and a little kid trapped in a tiny room on a ship as it fills with water. WebA Swiss Family Robinson remake is currently in the works for Disney+, as well as a live-action Peter Pan & Wendy, both of which we can expect to handle race much better Resourcefulness, exile and isolation were a reality for Swiss people, but in the 20th century this wasn't the image that Switzerland wanted to promote. However, even a cursory bit of wildlife knowledge makes it clear to viewers that filmmakers went for less of an accurate take on what sorts of animals and plants would be found on a tiny island in that vicinity and instead embraced a more generalized life-rich island where nearly any cool, exciting, exotic, or photogenic creature could make an appearance. A more realistic, accurate, and modern-day word for the Robinson saga is "traumatic." The reason I ask you is because in Pinocchio 1940 film it features child abuse and slavery which is too disturbing for kids to watch in todays society as theres actually child slavery at the borders of Mexico with kids in cages which I was shocked to learn about.