{"product_id":"disneys-most-notorious-film-jason-sperb-9780292739741","title":"Disney's Most Notorious Film: Race, Convergence, and the Hidden Histories of Song of the South","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Walt Disney Company offers a vast universe of movies, television shows, theme parks, and merchandise, all carefully crafted to present an image of wholesome family entertainment. Yet Disney also produced one of the most infamous Hollywood films, \u003ci\u003eSong of the South\u003c\/i\u003e. Using cartoon characters and live actors to retell the stories of Joel Chandler Harris, \u003ci\u003eSotS\u003c\/i\u003e portrays a kindly black Uncle Remus who tells tales of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and the \"Tar Baby\" to adoring white children. Audiences and critics alike found its depiction of African Americans condescending and outdated when the film opened in 1946, but it grew in popularity--and controversy--with subsequent releases. Although Disney has withheld the film from American audiences since the late 1980s, \u003ci\u003eSotS\u003c\/i\u003e has an enthusiastic fan following, and pieces of the film--such as the Oscar-winning \"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah\"--remain throughout Disney's media universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eDisney's Most Notorious Film\u003c\/i\u003e examines the racial and convergence histories of \u003ci\u003eSong of the South\u003c\/i\u003e to offer new insights into how audiences and Disney have negotiated the film's controversies over the last seven decades. Jason Sperb skillfully traces the film's reception history, showing how audience perceptions of \u003ci\u003eSotS\u003c\/i\u003e have reflected debates over race in the larger society. He also explores why and how Disney, while embargoing the film as a whole, has repurposed and repackaged elements of \u003ci\u003eSotS\u003c\/i\u003e so extensively that they linger throughout American culture, serving as everything from cultural metaphors to consumer products.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jason Sperb\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0292739745\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780292739741\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Texas Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/01\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 294\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.92lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.40h x 6.50w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChronicle of Higher Education\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/08\/2013 pg. 14\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2013","brand":"Jason Sperb","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48086465642751,"sku":"9780292739741","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_c7604d98-c6f0-48a8-bfd3-751a18b37ca3.jpg?v=1769094824","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/disneys-most-notorious-film-jason-sperb-9780292739741","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}