When Disney released Song of the South in 1946, even the NAACP acknowledged the film’s “remarkable artistic merit,” although they were somewhat less than impressed with its idyllic portrayal of the relationship between a master and his slaves on a plantation in 19th-century Georgia.
Oops.
Buried deep in this charming mess, however, you might be surprised to find the Oscar-winning, chart-topping hit “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” which depending on your temperament, might be a bit like hearing Linda Blair break into “Heart and Soul” halfway through her transformation, or perhaps rediscovering the marching band that played “Seventy-six Trombones” in Triumph of the Will.
Zed Zed Top: We try not to expose the kids to too much media, so the influence of American culture is hopefully less than it might otherwise be. Still, it will be a life-long battle for them, as it is with us, to preserve the tiny things that remind us that we’re different. I’m looking forward to explaining the distinction between color and colour, lew-tenant and lef-tenant, postal codes and zip codes, prime ministers and presidents, four downs and three. And I was pleased that we got off to a great start, when they willingly accepted my simple explanation: Big Bird says “zee.”
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ReplyDeleteYes. I've had ambivalence to that song, tho it was covered by both one of those Phil Spector girl groups and the Jackson 5ive.
ReplyDeleteROG, ABC Wednesday team
Once that song gets in your brain its hard to remove it!
ReplyDeleteMy husbands favorite of all Disney..."Song of the South"....He remembers it as a child.
ReplyDeletea great post to finish off the round: http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/z-is-for-zinke/
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