Once again, Walt Disney World is succumbing to the pressure of political correctness, this time by completely overhauling a cherished attraction and even going so far as to rename one of its iconic characters. The Country Bear Jamboree, a fixture in the Magic Kingdom since 1971, was abruptly shut down in January for an extensive revamp and is set to reopen on Wednesday under the new name “Country Bear Musical Jamboree.” Yet, in a move that reeks of censorship, Liver Lips McGrowl, a beloved chubby brown bear with pouty lips, has been unceremoniously removed from the lineup due to concerns that his name may offend alcoholics. As reported by Inside The Magic, it seems the term ‘liver lips’ has connotations related to excessive alcohol consumption, and clearly, humor is no longer welcome at Disney.
The character has been rebranded as Romeo McGrowl, with minor alterations to his appearance including blonde hair and a purple necktie. This change supposedly aims to modernize the character while appeasing those who found the original version offensive.
The reimagined show will feature a new script and a fresh score composed of Disney songs performed by notable musicians such as Mac McAnally, Allison Russell, Chris Thile, and Emily Ann Roberts. Variety reports that the new setlist includes songs from recent Disney films like Zootopia and Coco, as well as classics from The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, and The Jungle Book. The only song that survived from the original show is the closing number, “Come Again.”
This is just another example of Disney’s ongoing trend to sanitize and revise elements of its theme park attractions that are deemed outdated or offensive. It seems they’ve forgotten that the jamboree was meant to be a frontier-style sing-along featuring songs from that era.
Disney has also tampered with Splash Mountain, transforming it into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on the 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog. While the log-flume structure remains, the ride now includes new music, scenery, and animatronic characters that reflect the world of Princess Tiana.
As we previously highlighted, Disney has even axed meet and greets for their foundational character Tinker Bell after a team flagged her as “potentially problematic.” Their issues were with her portrayal as “body conscious” and “jealous of Peter Pan’s attention,” according to a 2022 report from The New York Times.
Source: POTUSPaper
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