Liver Lips McGrowl, one of Disney’s most popular Country Bears, has officially had his name changed to Romeo after a full refurb of the show. The change was announced last year, giving fans plenty of time to say goodbye to their favorite permanently puckered pal. Now, it’s time for Romeo to take the spotlight.
Yesterday was the official grand opening of the brand new Country Bears Musical Jamboree at Walt Disney World, and so far, most of the Disney Parks’ crowd seems to be receiving it with open arms. Even longtime Country Bear fans who were skeptical of the change have taken to social media to tout their praise for the new show.
While one of the major reasons for the update was the age of the animatronics, Liver Lips’ old animatronic, in particular, might have been causing some extra problems for Disney. And it has nothing to do with old hardware.
“Liver Lips” And Its Racist History
Liver Lips McGrowl had the face to fit the name, but the bear was and still remains a fan favorite, in spite of and perhaps because of his appearance. The character was one of the few bears to roam as a meet-and-greet character in the park, a testament to his popularity (those costumes ain’t cheap!). So why did Disney decide to change his name to Romeo?
The phrase might make you chuckle, but its history is nothing to laugh at. The Oxford English Dictionary labels the word as extremely derogatory for a reason. Its roots are steeped in racism, not just alcoholism.
Considering that the Disney attraction opened in 1971 and was likely under development long before that, the use of the phrase to name a titular character in the show was not viewed as a problem at the time. However, holding onto that name after the show’s remodel could be seen as intentional on Disney’s part. Hence, the introduction of Romeo McGrowl.
Disney and Racism
Several of Disney’s older projects have outdated racist jokes and segments which the company has since acknowledged. The Siamese cats from Aristocats, for example, or the crows’ scene in Dumbo.
Disney has even been known to censor itself. The original Fantasia included racist characterization, and if you watch it on Disney+ now, those particular scenes have been cut, However, removing scenes from a movie is much harder than changing the name of a single animatronic, or even an entire ride.
Major Changes in Frontierland
One of the most radical changes to come to Disney World happened only a few short weeks ago when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure replaced Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom. Just like Country Bears, the ride is located in Frontierland.
Splash Mountain had deep ties to racist media, therefore, it made sense for the company to replace it with an attraction featuring its first black princess.
Upon the announcement of Splash Mountain’s closure, however, many took to social media to protest, claiming that Disney had taken their “wokeness” too far. We’ve yet to see any Facebook groups titled “Liver Lips Forever!”, so it’s safe to say that Romeo will be able to go on singing A Whole New World in peace, at least for the time being.
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