Disney's DEI Shift: New Movie Disclaimers

Google, Meta, and PBS are just some of the companies that have announced changes to their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives amid the Trump administration's push to get rid of such programs and services, and now Disney has joined the mix. The Hill reports the company is tweaking some content advisories at the beginning of its older children's films, including Dumbo and Peter Pan, as anti-DEI pressure from the government ramps up.

• Former disclaimer: The warning placed a few years back on some decades-old movies that contained offensive content read: "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. 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."

• New disclaimer: It's more succinct now, sources tell Axios, noting that the new message simply reads: "This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions."
• The 'negative depictions': The Washington Post details some of the questionable content, including a racial slur used against Native Americans in Peter Pan and a group of crows—including one named Jim Crow—that display Black stereotypes in Dumbo.
• Other changes: In a memo sent to staffers on Tuesday from HR, Disney also noted that its program for figuring out executive pay will replace a "Diversity & Inclusion" metric it used with a "Talent Strategy" one. It's also dumping its "Reimagine Tomorrow" initiative, which tried to boost underrepresented communities.
• History: Disney became the target of right-wing ire in recent years for its public support of the LGBTQ+ community, pushing back on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' "Don't Say Gay" bill and his overall criticism of "wokeness." Per the Hill, Disney CEO Bob Iger was also a vocal critic of President Trump during his first term but has been more reticent this time around. He has, however, "previously mentioned that it's the company's job to entertain fans rather than advance agendas," the outlet notes.

(More Disney stories.)