Not only did The Lion King offer fans a plethora of amicable characters, including Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa, but it also produced a number of popular spinoffs. Aside from the most recent live-action remake and a series of direct-to-movie sequels, the film also produced a spin-off for Toon Disney. Timon & Pumbaa allowed audiences to travel all around the world while also learning about the nuances of wildlife and biodiversity.
Generally, the show was pretty simple and mainly just expanded on the film’s main sources of comic relief. But in 1996, a simple segment was taken off the air because of fears that it would upset cultural audiences. «Catch Me if You Kenya» seems to be a simple sketch about a butterfly, but actually has a few racist undertones that Disney quickly tried to diverge from.
Timon and Pumbaa Innocently Seek Out Butterflies
The Timon & Pumbaa spinoff series first aired in 1995 and followed the characters as they explore everything that the African plains have to offer. In «Catch Me if You Kenya,» Pumbaa meets a delightful little butterfly and is determined to keep it out of harm’s way. But Timon has other plans and is determined to eat the tiny creature for lunch. However, a devious butterfly collector traps the helpless bug and takes him home to add to his broad catalog. So, the protagonists chase after him, only to discover that his home is guarded by a gruesome tiger.
Thus, Timon and Pumbaa decide to get creative, using an array of different devices to help them get over the collector’s fence. After failing to use a catapult and a super-tall rollercoaster, the pair decide to throw some pixie dust on the tiger so it can float out of their way. When they enter the collector’s study, Pumbaa is disgusted by his shrine and aims to set them all free. Even though Timon is against the idea and just sees them as a delicious snack, the pair save the day by opening the windows and saving all of the winged creatures.
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Written By |
Directed By |
Original Air Date |
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Robert Grannaway |
Tony Craig |
October 7, 1996 |
While this spin-off is nowhere near as sophisticated as the film, it serves its purpose. Timon & Pumbaa merely capitalizes on The Lion King’s success by providing audiences with a handful of simple skits featuring their favorite sidekicks. That being said, segments like «Catch Me if You Kenya» prove that even the simplest stories can be entertaining. Due to its highly slapstick nature, this skit must have taken a long time to produce.
The team obviously didn’t just use stock animations from the initial film and instead tried to make this spin-off as original as possible. The show also presented the characters in a completely different light. Pumbaa is no longer just a troubled waterhog, but a three-dimensional protagonist who is eager to learn more about his surroundings. Timon, on the other hand, still has a lot of his signature vibrancy, but now allows his companion to take center stage every once in a while instead of being obsessed with being the center of attention.
With regard to «Catch Me if You Kenya,» this skit seems to be completely harmless. In fact, some audiences may even argue that it’s educational. Pumbaa is very informed about butterflies and is keen to show Timon and the audience that humans should not interfere with the intricacies of nature. It doesn’t feature any violence or crass language, which possibly makes it ideal for preschoolers. Overall, this skit seems to be a very typical Disney show; squeaky-clean and reminiscent of the early years of animated movies.
The Episode Contained a Few Racist Undertones
From the synopsis given, fans may not be able to find fault in this episode. However, a lot of audiences argue that the butterfly collector’s appearance is based on harmful stereotypes. The antagonist has slight monolid eyes and speaks in a very strained accent that some would associate with China or other East Asian countries. Plus, his clothing is reminiscent of typical Asian attire.
The collector wears an explorer’s hat, which is very similar to a traditional conical hat. As such, it seems that a lot of Asian influences inspired the animators and they forgot that the episode was supposed to be set in Africa. Strangely, when the character first appeared on-screen, a gong sound was played. Not only does this strengthen the idea that this antagonist was based on Asian stereotypes, but it also suggests that the team didn’t know whether they wanted to base this episode in Africa or Asia.
At first, Disney was happy to air the original cut, which showed the collector in traditional Asian dress. The antagonist also threatened to capture the protagonists so that he could add them to his collection. But at some point, the animators altered his appearance and deleted a few scenes. This edited version was then broadcast on other Disney channels like Toon Disney and Disney Jr. Nowadays, the show is available on Disney+, where fans can obviously stream the edited and remastered version.
This show was one of the last to be broadcast on CBS during its collaboration with Disney.
It should be noted that «Catch Me if You Kenya» is a very silly sketch and doesn’t rely on any intellectual plot devices to keep the story going. However, by removing certain scenes of the butterfly collector, the skit loses a lot of dramatic tension. The edited short is less than 10 minutes long, the majority of which is centered around Timon and Pumbaa trying to get over the fence. But once they get inside the collector’s lair, they don’t face any obstacles. Pumbaa offers an impassioned speech about butterflies, and that’s about it. As such, it appears that censorship caused this skit to lose a lot of its plot.
This Highlights the Issue With Censorship in the Modern Age
Due to the advent of streaming services and social media, censorship is a hot topic among Disney fans these days. While this type of editing can sometimes get out of hand, a lot of audiences agree that certain older programs need a bit of spring-cleaning in order to make them suitable for modern audiences. But, the problem is that the original cut of «Catch Me if You Kenya» is still freely available on video-sharing platforms like Internet Archive and Daily Motion. Thus, the fact that Disney wants to wash away a lot of its more controversial content seems a bit redundant, considering that audiences can view it for free, instead of paying to watch the edited version on Disney+.
While it makes perfect sense that Disney would want to steer clear of any controversial content, this skit hasn’t impacted the popularity of The Lion King at all. Even though the 1994 film was highly inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Disney has still managed to put its own spin on the story, expanding every character’s lore to maximum effect. Even though the live-action remake from 2019 received a lot of criticism, fans still praised its musicality and notable cast. The franchise has expanded once again with Mufasa: The Lion King, helping the film to break away from its Shakespearean past and begin its own journey. Overall, even with this controversial episode tarnishing its legacy, The Lion King still remains one of the world’s most lucrative film franchises.
The voices of Timon and Pumbaa, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, also appeared in Guys and Dolls on Broadway together.
Timon & Pumbaa also deserves some recognition, especially since it performed so well during a very competitive era of children’s television. During its short run, the show won three Daytime Emmys and was nominated for countless other awards. Not only does this prove that the show was immensely popular, but it also suggests that the animation quality was at the same level as The Lion King.
It should also be noted that this show aired in the same year as Arthur, Hey Arnold!, and Blue’s Clues, highlighting that it did very well to stay afloat in the face of so much competition. Plus, the fact that the show is now available on Disney+ indicates that it’s still popular, even if that is because it’s following the ’90s nostalgia trend. As such, while «Catch Me if You Kenya» hardly broke the mold with its storytelling, its censorship suggests that Disney wanted to preserve its legacy for years to come.
