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Disney’s Racist References.. Hard Rock Cafe.. Santa Monica Beach.

Hey! If this is your first time coming across this, this is my travel blog where I speak on places I’ve gone to and things I’ve learnt in the week of being abroad. Enjoy (: - K.W


California, Los Angeles 

Wednesday 6th November - The first place I’m gonna recommend for you guys to go is Hard Rock Cafe on Hollywood Boulevard! Hard Rock Cafe is a very popular restaurant and has branches all over the world. TRY THE STEAK SALAD. Guys when I tell you it was amazingggg!! I don’t usually get salads when I go out to eat mainly because I don’t really trust people’s ability to season properly lol especially a salad! I always ask for recommendations when it’s my first time going somewhere (really helps when you’re indecisive like me). I asked the first staff I came across, they were young and black so honestly I trusted their judgment lol and was convinced to go for the salad and thank God I did!! The flavours, worked perfectly together from the steak to the sauce to the different vegetables. 8/10 for me definitely! Would highly recommend and I would definitely get it again. 

Friday 8th November Santa Monica Beach is a great beach to go to, it’s family friendly, there’s rides and although I haven’t been on them yet it’s something extra to do when you get there. You can go with your family, on a date, with some friends or on your own. There’s entertainment and food everywhere so you’ll never get bored and it’s a place that you’ll never get tired of going, (it was my second time), you may even catch your favourite celebrity there, which is very likely. There’s also a quieter side of the beach you can go to if there’s too much going on for you on one side! The vibe is great, although some of the restaurants on the beach are packed, when you go out off the beach on the road opposite there’s many more restaurants. When I first went to this beach I got a bacon wrapped hot dog which was delicious, try it (and yes I eat pork, sue me). 

Friday 8th November - I went to a comedy night at The J Spot Comedy Club in West Manchester. Not sure what I expected because I haven’t actually been to one but the audience was dead!!!! I found it so rude how people were speaking over acts and not paying attention, it was some of the acts first time performing which is understandable as to why they weren’t the best but I mean you’re paying for something to watch and enjoy not to be there stiff face and speaking over people. I honestly felt bad for the acts, it’s hard enough going up in front of people doing your passion and it’s even harder when you’re not getting any type of response or support. Talk about a bloody confidence crusher! The acts were also meh, 5/10 wouldn’t recommend.

So a controversial topic i spoke about in my African American Lit class was about the new streaming service Disney Plus. So... lol Disney has A LOTTTT of movies that contain racist references and honestly it’s so ridiculous. Guys, deep there’s a black bird in Dumbo called ‘Jim Crow’ if that’s not foul then I don’t know what is. They have the Siamese Cat in The Lady and The Trump in which they have eyes that barely open and play drums with chopsticks. Lol chopsticks... taking the piss. Those examples are nothing compared to the other racist references but that’s beside the point. The discussion was on whether their ‘trigger warning’ about these references were valid. They basically added a ‘trigger warning’ in front of a few films to warn they have ‘culturally outdated depictions’. It stated ‘This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.’ 

Firstly, I personally think these warnings are necessary, because to not add it, you’re ignoring the fact that these are in here and you’re insinuating it’s okay. But if you’re gonna acknowledge that your company is and was flat out racist then say it with your chest. Most people don’t even know they have these references, so using the words ‘culturally outdated’ can be misinterpreted to be anything but racist connotations! When you think of culturally outdated things it would make sense to think of things like the fashion of the time, but racist views? Na. 


Warner Brothers also did a trigger warning for their films and explicitly say they have racist references and acknowledge that it’s NOT okay now and WASN'T okay then, why should we have to be okay with Disney’s pathetic excuse of a ‘disclaimer’ when other company’s can successfully do it. Bearing in mind they added the warning to the last sentence of the description, who even reads that? Although it is a step in the right direction it is still a bit insulting. They decided not to add the film 'Song of the South' because of the criticism it received when it first came out, so where do you draw the line with everything else? Is it too extreme to say they shouldn't stream the films with these references at all? 

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