Disney + warns viewers that ‘The Muppet Show’ contains offensive content

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The variety show, which lasted 120 episodes in the 1970s and in which puppeteers interact with celebrity guests, was added to Disney’s streaming service last week. Viewers will see the warning label before episodes.

It says the show contains “negative images and / or mistreatment of people or cultures,” adding that “these stereotypes were wrong then and are now wrong.”

A Johnny Cash-hosted episode in which the country star performs in front of the American flag and the Confederate battle flag was one of the episodes marked by the service.

The label will be visible to some viewers of the platform before the episode.

Another film shows folkloric star Joan Baez with an Indian accent, while the opening of an episode with Kenny Rogers shows Muppets dressed in Arabian attire drilling for oil.

The warning says that instead of removing the episodes, Disney “wants to acknowledge (their) harmful impact, learn from it, and spark a conversation to create a more inclusive future.”

The service already uses the disclaimer for several other films and programs, including “The Aristocats,” which uses caricatures of East Asian people, and “Dumbo,” which contains a musical number referring to minstrel shows.
The Muppet Show was hugely popular in both the United States and the United Kingdom, where it was filmed. It was added to Disney + on Friday as the new service has close to 100 million subscribers.

Streamers are increasingly looking for kids’ shows for their platforms to build viewer loyalty and encourage parents to subscribe.

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