Dr. Seuss Controversy: Should Movie Studios Cancel Certain Movies?

I think we all know about the controversy around Dr. Seuss that erupted in early March. The Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided to stop publishing 6 of his books for racial stereotypes. Conservatives erupted in protest. I listened to an hour long Youtube video about the controversy. People argued that cancel culture had gone too far.  

If this trend continues, at what point in time will it shift to other forms of entertainment such as movies? If Dr. Seuss Enterprises finds it necessary to stop publishing 6 books, will movie studios feel like they must take the next step and stop distribution of some of their movies. The most discussed movie (prior to Dr. Seuss) is Gone with the Wind for the false portrayal of slavery and stereotypes of Blacks. Eliminating that movie would be eliminating the largest domestic box office movie (on an inflation adjusted basis) a well as Clark Gable's and Vivien Leigh's most iconic roles.

There are plenty of other movies and I'm just naming a few here. What about The Searchers, which I reviewed in a blog post. In the movie, Ethan (John Wayne) is horrible to Martin (an individual adopted by Ethan's brother) who happens to be a quarter Comanche. Breakfast at Tiffany's has Mickey Rooney playing the Japanese character Mr. Yunioshi. It is a rather over-the-top portrayal of an Asian American. Yet if we cancelled that movie, the most iconic Audrey Hepburn movie would disappear (okay, some might screamRoman Holiday, Sabrina or My Fair lady. What about Swing Time (Fred Astaire) and Babes on Broadway (Mickey Rooney / Judy Garland) that have their leads in blackface. And those are just two movies that this occurs in, there are plenty more I could mention. Gunga Din (Cary Grant), The Man Who Would Be King (Sean Connery / Michael Caine / Christopher Plummer) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Harrison Ford) don't exactly portray Indian culture in the best light. The Children's Hour (Audrey Hepburn / Shirley MacLaine) and Psycho (Anthony Perkins) don't exactly portray the LGBTQ community in a good light. In terms of Psycho, that is probably another example where an actor's iconic work would disappear. And on the topic of Alfred Hitchcock, what about his whole film work due to accusations of sexual assault. Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner) and The Last Samurai (Tom Cruise) has a white savior complex to them.

And since Dr. Seuss cancellation is often about just one specific drawing in a book, what about something as minor as what occurs in A Star is Born (Judy Garland / James Mason) where Judy Garland's Esther Blodgett / Vicki Lester dances around her living room and briefly mimics an Asian? Jezebel (Bette Davis / Henry Fonda) has a rather awkward scene of interaction between Bette Davis' Julie Marsden and her plantation slaves.

My thoughts: Should these movies be cancelled? No. Should there perhaps be context added to them when shown? Sure, that would sound reasonable. Of course, how much time can be provided for context when a movie is shown on television so perhaps this isn't something that can always be done due to time constraints. During classic movie festivals these are topics that can definitely be discussed. Or when a customer buys a physical or electronic version of the movies, a brief discussion can be included which the customer can watch if that person so wishes.