Jim Henson’s classic series “The Muppet Show” began streaming on Disney+ on Friday, but now will come prefaced with an offensive content disclaimer, saying, “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversations to create a more inclusive future together.”
The show, which ran for five seasons between 1976 and 1981, features the new content warning on 18 episodes, including those guest-hosted by Steve Martin, Peter Sellers, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Debbie Harry and Marty Feldman, among others.
Each episode bears the 12-second disclaimer for a different reason; Cash’s appearance had him singing in front of a Confederate flag, and other episodes had negative depictions of Native Americans, Middle Easterners and people from other cultures. Two episodes from the final season, featuring guest stars Brooke Shields and staff writer Chris Langham, are left out entirely.
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