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Disney Plus warns of offensive content featured in some episodes of The Muppet Show

Disney Plus warns of offensive content featured in some episodes of The Muppet Show

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The content warnings display before some episodes begin

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All five seasons of The Muppet Show arrived on Disney Plus this past Friday. And depending on which episode you are streaming, you may receive a content disclaimer warning of potentially offensive material featured in the episode.

Disney included a content warning for 18 episodes of the comedy show. The disclaimer, as pictured below, has been added to some episodes, warning viewers that the episode featured may include “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.” Despite the controversial material some episodes contain, Disney decided to leave these episodes to “acknowledge the [offensive content’s] harmful impact, learn from it, and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.”

Some episodes of The Muppet Show will display an unskippable content warning for 12 seconds.
Some episodes of The Muppet Show will display an unskippable content warning for 12 seconds.

One example of this disclaimer is in season 5, episode 14, which singer Johnny Cash hosted. In the episode, Cash sings in front of a Confederate battle flag, which, in modern times, has been associated with white nationalists and white supremacy.

This is not the first time Disney has issued content warnings before certain content on its service. Some older movies in Disney’s library also include the same content warning for racist or insensitive stereotypes, including 1941’s Dumbo and 1953’s Peter Pan. Those films have also been recently removed from Disney Plus “Kids” profiles for viewers aged seven or younger.