OK, look. I get the whole ridiculous, hyper-wokification of all things Disney nonsense, meaning I get that wokeness led to a nearly 50 percent devaluation of the company’s common stock by mid-2022, as disgusted former Disney fans said “adios” to the Mouse and the nonsense. But “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”? 

Is nothing sacred, anymore, in the World of Wokeness?

Let’s go straight to the Mouse’s mouth for the scoop, as reported by WDW News Today on Sunday:

“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” has been removed from the Magic Kingdom entrance music loop. Today is the final day of operations for Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World, which features the song.

This isn’t the first instance of the song being removed by Disney, as it was notably absent from the Festival of Fantasy Parade upon its return in March 2022. The song was removed from the Disneyland Resort esplanade in 2020, and later from Tokyo Disneyland in September 2022, as well.

“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” was performed by James Baskett in Disney’s “Song of the South,” the movie on which the famous Splash Mountain water ride, the Magic Kingdom attraction that for years had been criticized by the left for having racist roots, is based. The attraction used some of the characters and songs but didn’t tell the story of the film.

So there it is. Mr. Baskett, who died in 1948, was black, and “Song of the South” takes place in Georgia during the Reconstruction era after the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Any questions? Me, neither. Woke: 1, American Classic: 0.

Rotten Tomatoes describes “Song of the South” thusly:

“Song of the South” holds a positive message for kids and adults alike. Its mix of live-action and animation only makes the film more interesting. Yes, it can be slow for kids but if you see the message trying to be taught, you will surely adore this movie’s charm and lively characters.

Following the separation of his parents, a young boy goes to live in the South. There he meets Uncle Remus (played by James Baskett), who gives the boy valuable insights into his problems via the stories he tells about the ingenious Brer Rabbit. Obviously systemically racist, huh? [sarc]

The Bottom Line

As will likely be the case with the real “Aunt Jemima,” erasing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” probably also means “erasing” James Baskett and his work and achievements; some of which were with Walt Disney. Yet, at today’s wokified Disney, despite Bob Eisner’s return as CEO, all that apparently matters is pandering to a bitter minority of screwed-up people.

Neither Mr. Baskett nor the song he made famous should be forgotten or deleted from Disney history, but unfortunately, that’s how the woke cookie crumbles.

Meanwhile…