The Lion King is a beloved children’s film that narrates the story of Simba in his quest of becoming king. The first version was released in 1994 and the second version was released in 2019. The Lion King (1994) raised concerns when the movie was perceived by the nation as a “Black movie” with an all-White cast, suggesting that the roles were Whitewashed. However, with the release of the second version of The Lion King (2019), this issue was believed to be “fixed” because of their predominantly Black cast. Though The Lion King (2019) was seen as a corrective to The Lion King (1994), many aspects of the film and the politics surrounding it exhibit how The Lion King (2019) was only performative and plays into respectability politics.
The original Lion King (1994) was an enormous success in the box office and one of Disney’s biggest hits, earning roughly 1.084 billion USD. However, when looking deeper into the film and its societal repercussions, we notice that it was originally intended to be a movie for the Black community, with the Washington Post stating that “The Disney movie has roots in West African royalty(Jackson, K., 2019).” These intentions fell apart however when it was revealed that the entire cast except for three members, was White.
The act of casting White actors as characters who are non-White or of intermediate race is defined as Whitewashing, and this was one of many examples of Whitewashing throughout the 90s. A direct example of this comes from the movie Spawn (1997), a film based on a comic where the main character Terry Fitzgerald is African American, cast actor D.B. Directors responded to the Whitewashing by saying "[the decision] was somewhat based on the cold reality that if people perceive this as a Black movie there would be no way we would receive the 45 million we were after(Manning, S., 2018).”
The most recent Lion King (2019) had many similarities to the original in relation to box office success, earning roughly 1.657 billion USD. The Lion King (2019) was released on July 19, 2019. This was at the time where it seemed as though being Black was a trend and it seemed that anything Black was popular solely because it was Black. In response to this, the casting of The Lion King (2019) reflected what this post-civil rights, post-Obama, social justice centric society wanted with an almost entirely Black cast with stars such as Beyonce, Donald Glover, and Keegan-Michael Key. This seemed perfect, given that society was in search of Black things and this perfectly reflected what this post-civil rights, post-Obama, social justice centric society wanted for this “Black film.”
However, when looking closely at the cast, we realize that these were important people who were held in the highest regard by not only the Black community but the White community as well. All of the men in the film (Danny Glover, James Earl Jones, and Keegan-Michael Key) played into respectability politics and were already well digested by largely White audiences from their respective shows such as Community(Danny Glover), Key & Peele(Keegan-Michael Key), and Lion King (1994)(James Earl Jones). All of the women in the film, aside from fitting into respectability politics, also reflected elements of the culture of dissemblance(describes the act of Black women concealing their sexuality in order to appear more socially acceptable), which Brown states “The culture of dissemblance as a social practice typically coincides with a politics of representation.” (Brown, M., 2018).
Sarah Banet-Weiser talks about popular feminism and how because it has become so large in popular culture, it is seen as a “defining sign of the times” or in other words, a zeitgeist(Banet-Weiser, S, 2015). Banet-Weiser’s use of the feminist zeitgeist can also be adapted to the visibility of contemporary racial justice movements because as feminism had become popular and trendy, so had Blackness and Black culture around the time of The Lion King (2019). This racial justice zeitgeist surrounding the film influenced the context of the production and reception of The Lion King (2019). This racial justice zeitgeist didn't exist around the time of The Lion King (1994). This explains why commercial success was prioritized over minority representation within the context of the production and reception of the film, causing them to choose an all-White cast in order to play into respectability politics of the time.
Banet-Weiser also speaks about popular feminism and how through its popularity, it becomes commodified, pushing corporations to produce “feminist” products or media because of how popular it is(Banet-Weiser, S, 2015). In the case of The Lion King (2019), though seeing that racial justice had become popular, they cast actors such as Donald Glover and Beyoncé, who both prioritize racial justice through their respective platforms. This then raises questions about the sincerity of the choices made about the film and whether they were made in a genuine attempt to have more minority representation in the film or if they were purely reactionary to play into the zeitgeist surrounding the movie and generate maximum revenue.
Another thing Banet-Weiser notes about zeitgeists is that they often come with backlash or a contrasting movement. For popular feminism, popular misogyny contrasts it. For The Lion King (2019), the backlash surrounding the zeitgeist were movements such as All Lives Matter or people who were angry about the emphasis of an all-Black cast. While the backlash to The Lion King (2019) may not have been as direct, the movie can be seen as an intermediate piece of pop culture caught between two zeitgeists, one of racial justice and one of White supremacy. While there is representation of Black people in the film, the reason why they were cast is to generate revenue that supports White patriarchal structures within the culture industry.
Through examining zeitgeists surrounding films and respectability politics that each film played into, we can see that culture industries depend on social issues to capitalize off of minority struggles.
Works Cited
Banet-Weiser, S. (2015, January 21). Sarah Banet-Weiser. Culture Digitally. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://culturedigitally.org/2015/01/popular-misogyny-a-zeitgeist/.
Brown, M. (2021, March 4). Beyonce's boudoir and the culture of dissemblance. Blackfeminisms.com. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://blackfeminisms.com/boudoir-beyonce/.
Jackson, K. C. (2019, July 17). Perspective | the true story behind 'the lion king'. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/07/17/true-story-behind-lion-king/.
Manning, S. (2018, February 19). Spawn's whitewashed cast in the Black Panther Age. Historian on the Warpath. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://scottmanning.com/content/spawns-whitewashed-cast-in-the-black-panther-age/.
The original Lion King (1994) was an enormous success in the box office and one of Disney’s biggest hits, earning roughly 1.084 billion USD. However, when looking deeper into the film and its societal repercussions, we notice that it was originally intended to be a movie for the Black community, with the Washington Post stating that “The Disney movie has roots in West African royalty(Jackson, K., 2019).” These intentions fell apart however when it was revealed that the entire cast except for three members, was White.
The act of casting White actors as characters who are non-White or of intermediate race is defined as Whitewashing, and this was one of many examples of Whitewashing throughout the 90s. A direct example of this comes from the movie Spawn (1997), a film based on a comic where the main character Terry Fitzgerald is African American, cast actor D.B. Directors responded to the Whitewashing by saying "[the decision] was somewhat based on the cold reality that if people perceive this as a Black movie there would be no way we would receive the 45 million we were after(Manning, S., 2018).”
The most recent Lion King (2019) had many similarities to the original in relation to box office success, earning roughly 1.657 billion USD. The Lion King (2019) was released on July 19, 2019. This was at the time where it seemed as though being Black was a trend and it seemed that anything Black was popular solely because it was Black. In response to this, the casting of The Lion King (2019) reflected what this post-civil rights, post-Obama, social justice centric society wanted with an almost entirely Black cast with stars such as Beyonce, Donald Glover, and Keegan-Michael Key. This seemed perfect, given that society was in search of Black things and this perfectly reflected what this post-civil rights, post-Obama, social justice centric society wanted for this “Black film.”
However, when looking closely at the cast, we realize that these were important people who were held in the highest regard by not only the Black community but the White community as well. All of the men in the film (Danny Glover, James Earl Jones, and Keegan-Michael Key) played into respectability politics and were already well digested by largely White audiences from their respective shows such as Community(Danny Glover), Key & Peele(Keegan-Michael Key), and Lion King (1994)(James Earl Jones). All of the women in the film, aside from fitting into respectability politics, also reflected elements of the culture of dissemblance(describes the act of Black women concealing their sexuality in order to appear more socially acceptable), which Brown states “The culture of dissemblance as a social practice typically coincides with a politics of representation.” (Brown, M., 2018).
Sarah Banet-Weiser talks about popular feminism and how because it has become so large in popular culture, it is seen as a “defining sign of the times” or in other words, a zeitgeist(Banet-Weiser, S, 2015). Banet-Weiser’s use of the feminist zeitgeist can also be adapted to the visibility of contemporary racial justice movements because as feminism had become popular and trendy, so had Blackness and Black culture around the time of The Lion King (2019). This racial justice zeitgeist surrounding the film influenced the context of the production and reception of The Lion King (2019). This racial justice zeitgeist didn't exist around the time of The Lion King (1994). This explains why commercial success was prioritized over minority representation within the context of the production and reception of the film, causing them to choose an all-White cast in order to play into respectability politics of the time.
Banet-Weiser also speaks about popular feminism and how through its popularity, it becomes commodified, pushing corporations to produce “feminist” products or media because of how popular it is(Banet-Weiser, S, 2015). In the case of The Lion King (2019), though seeing that racial justice had become popular, they cast actors such as Donald Glover and Beyoncé, who both prioritize racial justice through their respective platforms. This then raises questions about the sincerity of the choices made about the film and whether they were made in a genuine attempt to have more minority representation in the film or if they were purely reactionary to play into the zeitgeist surrounding the movie and generate maximum revenue.
Another thing Banet-Weiser notes about zeitgeists is that they often come with backlash or a contrasting movement. For popular feminism, popular misogyny contrasts it. For The Lion King (2019), the backlash surrounding the zeitgeist were movements such as All Lives Matter or people who were angry about the emphasis of an all-Black cast. While the backlash to The Lion King (2019) may not have been as direct, the movie can be seen as an intermediate piece of pop culture caught between two zeitgeists, one of racial justice and one of White supremacy. While there is representation of Black people in the film, the reason why they were cast is to generate revenue that supports White patriarchal structures within the culture industry.
Through examining zeitgeists surrounding films and respectability politics that each film played into, we can see that culture industries depend on social issues to capitalize off of minority struggles.
Works Cited
Banet-Weiser, S. (2015, January 21). Sarah Banet-Weiser. Culture Digitally. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://culturedigitally.org/2015/01/popular-misogyny-a-zeitgeist/.
Brown, M. (2021, March 4). Beyonce's boudoir and the culture of dissemblance. Blackfeminisms.com. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://blackfeminisms.com/boudoir-beyonce/.
Jackson, K. C. (2019, July 17). Perspective | the true story behind 'the lion king'. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/07/17/true-story-behind-lion-king/.
Manning, S. (2018, February 19). Spawn's whitewashed cast in the Black Panther Age. Historian on the Warpath. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://scottmanning.com/content/spawns-whitewashed-cast-in-the-black-panther-age/.
Hi Mason!
ReplyDeleteThe Lion King has always been one of my favorite Disney movies, and I am so glad you chose to write your blog post about it. You provided such valuable insight about the movie and how the 1994 and 2019 versions both had extreme racial implications. I had previously known about the original movie’s all-white cast and how this served as a prime example of Whitewashing. I was therefore excited for the release of the 2019 film which employed an all-Black cast. However, I was unaware of the fact that the 2019 film specifically used voice-actors that were already prominent and respected figures in popular culture. I knew that Beyoncé voiced Nala, but I had simply thought this was a marketing ploy to capitalize off her fame. However, after reading your piece, I now realize that there were ulterior motives behind casting Beyoncé and the other Black cast members. Sure, they wanted to advertise the movie with someone famous, but the film specifically cast her because she checked off the categories of being Black, fitting into respectability politics, participating in the culture of dissemblance, and being an advocate for racial justice. Furthermore, the film itself was released during a time when being Black was “trending,” causing the movie to capitalize off this as well. This information came as a shock to me, forever altering my perception and appreciation of The Lion King (2019).
Banet-Weiser explains how the commodification of popular feminism is a double-edged sword because even though it will never structurally alter the patriarchy, it still gets circulated which allows its influence to spread. However, if you were to apply this ideology to The Lion King, I find that the cons outweigh the pros. Even though it is true that the 2019 film was a step forward for the Black movement due to the implementation of an all-Black cast, the casting decision was still inherently racist. This causes people like me to watch this film and ignorantly believe that racial progress is being made, yet in reality, the industry remains racist as ever.
Thanks again for your insight on this!
Hi Mason! I really enjoyed you dissection of both the 1994 and 2019 productions of the Lion King! The topics of respectability politics and the constant battle to cultivate true representation on film have always been interesting to me. I believe that you touched on two major issues regarding the Lion King. One being the idea that the original Lion King, though having roots in black culture, failed to cast black roles to black bodies, and instead cultivating a cast that was majority white. Your commentary on the act of Whitewashing by casting only white actors reminded me of Sender's explanation of respectability politics within the lens of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy as she touches on how this 'respectability' is tied to consumption. Directors responding that the reason for Whitewashing is simply that doing so has been shown to bring in more revenue unfortunately highlights a larger problem that is much ingrained within society. The other major issue you highlighted on was in regards to the debate on the motives behind the rendition of the Lion King in 2019. As a black person, I've always experienced a constant tug-a-war between feeling that the motives behind certain black representation is solely to be trendy or for show but also feeling grateful that, well, at least there are black people who are given these roles at all. It always comes back to the idea that some representation (wether for theatrics or not) is better than no representation at all. I think what I appreciate most about your blog is how you touched on how a major object of popular culture, something so seemingly harmless such as a kid's movie, can exemplify social issues that have long been ignored and overlooked. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Mason,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your insights on this topic. I found your analysis on the transformation of this film from 1994 to 2019 to be both fascinating and disappointing. That is, I have always loved the Lion King but delving into its production on a deeper level through a lens of structural inequalities exposes faults embedded within media production that have persisted throughout history. Your discussion of Whitewashing in a movie that is intended to reflect “West African royalty” reveals power dynamics within the culture industry which result in people feigning support of racial counter-narratives. Your exploration of respectability politics also effectively conveyed the inextricable link between race and gender, specifically in the public eye.
In Arcelia Gutierrez’s piece, she discusses minority representation in the media industry. While her discussion focused on the clashes between competing ethnoracial groups (Latinx and Black communities), she also touched on the #OscarsSoWhite movement. This movement exists as a compilation of consistent neglect and exclusion faced by minority groups at the Academy Awards. Specifically, it articulates how the Black Twitter community utilized a shared environment to challenge trends of exclusion and subordination. In your post you discussed how while the 2019 remake of the Lion King incorporated Black artists and celebrities, certain celebrities such as Beyonce were included as a tool to achieve revenue generating success (thus commodifying the actors).
In Jason Parham’s “TikTok and the Evolution of Digital Blackface,” he describes how “Blackness is a proven attention getter. It’s adoption is racism, custom fit.” While Parham mostly discusses harmful racist stereotypes being perpetrated online, the idea that blackness is used to propagate attention and viewership is apparent in this argument. Black celebrities such as Donald Glover and Beyonce were used to satisfy Black casting requests and to bolster monetary success for the movie. In this case, these specific Black artists were arguably used to capture attention and check off the box for minority representation.
I appreciate your insight! Thank you for posting this!
Hey Mason!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your thoughts and interpretation of the two versions of the Lion King (1994) and (2019). I also thought it was nice you gave us [the audience of your blog post] some background information on how the cast of the first Lion King was whitewashed and how the movie was intended for the Black community. One of the things I would say Disney is trying to do now does not only include diversity and inclusion but is also relevant to current events. It is appropriate for Disney to cast a majority Black cast for the 2019 Lion King as the film was to be meant for the Black community, but it was instead White Washed. I think it was also important how you noted that the racial justice zeitgeist did not exist in 1994, and that is one of the notable reasons why Dinsey did not focus on minority representation. Usually, when it comes to the live-action Disney reboots, I would say Adorno and Horkheimer would argue that these reboots are made for generating more profit since the original film is well known and loved by audiences around the world. However, with reading your interpretations of how the film was originally White Washed; I wonder if the true purpose of Disney making the reboot to introduce the film to a new audience and for-profit, or if Disney remade the film as a way of adapting to this new approach in where they correct some of the cultural mistakes, such as whitewashing, in the past.