Disney is well known for adjusting content in its titles—to avoid bringing further disfavor upon the studio. Sometimes, that's dropping a particular actor from press events, and other times, it's being more proactive about potential backlash.
In the 90s, Disney had a tough decision while animating the Lilo and Stitch movie. A scene featuring Lilo's interactions with tourists came up due to its subject matter, which included subjecting the young girl to offensive language. It was mild and subtly placed, but out of place for a kid's movie.
The clip shows Lilo walking as a pair of men driving a Jeep pulls up beside her. Entirely unprompted, they ask her if she speaks English. Then, without even waiting for a response, begin asking for directions. They pay zero mind to offending Lilo and still expect her to give them information on where to go. A totally oblivious thing to do while traveling abroad.
Another tourist drives by and asks the young girl a similar question, and while she doesn't say anything overtly offensive, mispronouncing "mahalo" is irksome. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes. It's a natural occurrence.
The issue isn't misspeaking, it's that a tourist allowed her ignorance to make her actions offensive. She's willing to learn the custom of saying "mahalo" to greet in Hawaii, but not the pronunciation. Oddly enough, the scriptwriters probably included the woman's mispronunciation to poke fun at how tourists will pay no mind to language—even after hearing native speakers say words correctly. Such a situation isn't a one-time thing, either. A fraction of English-speaking Americans can't pronounce "guacamole" correctly, despite ordering it repeatedly.
While the commentary was great and would've led to informative discussion, Disney was astute to avoid using the scene. People don't often respond to criticism well. Then, consider how many Americans would've felt like the screenwriters for Lilo and Stitch were calling them all ignorant beatniks. Mispronouncing a word is no big deal, but sending the message that Americans are incapable of something as simple as learning a new word suggests a lack of intelligence.
Despite its' placement in a children's movie, the content would've garnered notice. And one or two parents claiming that Disney is promoting a movie where Americans are mocked would make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
What's interesting is whether or not Disney has plans to include a nod to this controversial scene in the upcoming live-action movie. The collection of characters, including Lilo and Nani, will interact with fictional tourists—the same way they did in animated format—which offers an opportunity to educate audiences about how to interact with people of differing cultures. Unfortunately, Disney is probably playing it safe, especially after the controversy surrounding another of the studio's live-action remakes, Snow White.
The live-action Lilo and Stitch movie opens in theaters on May 13, 2025.