Tar Baby

The Tar Baby is a decoy object from the 1946 Disney film Song of the South, the animated segments of which are based on the Uncle Remus stories compiled by Joel Chandler Harris. Although its provenance rests in African folklore, the term "tar baby" later acquired negative connotations towards African Americans. This controversy, among other alleged racial issues with the movie, has for decades prevented its release on home video and streaming services in the United States and other countries.

Appearances

Song of the South

In the second animated segment of the film, Br'er Fox is determined to catch Br'er Rabbit. Using tar and items from Br'er Bear such as buttons from his jacket (for the eyes), the bowl of a corncob pipe (for the nose), and hair from his tail (for a hairdo), he makes the Tar Baby. He and Br'er Bear take it to the road. After putting Br'er Bear's hat on its head, they hear Br'er Rabbit coming and hide behind a tree and nearby bush.

As Br'er Rabbit sees the Tar Baby, he greets it with, "How Do You Do?", but receives no response. He tries again and still, naturally, receives no reply. Then Br'er Rabbit, perceiving the inanimate its unresponsiveness as rudeness, punches it in the face. He gets his fist stuck in the tar. He hits it again with his remaining hand, and then kicks it, but the more he fights, the more stuck he gets. He becomes so entrapped in the tar that "he can scarcely move his eyeballs." Then Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear come out of hiding and dance around Br'er Rabbit with glee.

Br'er Fox prepares to cook Br'er Rabbit "right there and now". Then Br'er Bear walks up with the intention of knocking Br'er Rabbit's head off. As Brer Fox pulls Br'er Rabbit out of the tar, Br'er Rabbit sees a briar patch. He begs Br'er Fox not to throw him in it, prompting him to do just that. When he does, Br'er Rabbit pretends to yelp in pain, as Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear take off their hats in respectful silence. Then Br'er Rabbit appears and reveals that he was born and raised in a briar patch, which causes Br'er Fox to feel humiliated for being tricked again.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The Tar Baby makes a brief cameo in the movie along with Br'er Bear and other singing characters, when Detective Eddie Valiant arrives in Toontown.

Gallery

Some eyes

A nose

And hair

"Maybe he outta have a hat."

Where's his head?

There it is

Br'er Rabbit spies the Tar Baby

The Tar Baby says nothing

The Tar Baby's cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The sign reads, "Visit La Brea Tar Pits". The image's distortion is because it is being seen through a car window

Trivia

• There is a similar object, called the Watchamadingle, in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episode "The Masked Offender". It was used to trap Tigger, when he was disguised as a vigilante hero. However, the Watchamadingle is made of glue and molasses instead and does not look even remotely human.
• The Tar Baby story possibly originated from an old African folk tale about Anansi, the spider man, and his attempts to catch a fairy using a doll made of gum called a "gum baby". When the fairy gets angry that the gum baby doesn't respond to her, she sticks her hands on the doll and gets stuck.
• African American animator Floyd Norman stated that the 'Tar Baby was never meant to be a metaphor originally.
• In the Splash Mountain rides, located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland, Br'er Fox catches Br'er Rabbit in a beehive. The Tar Baby was not used, possibly due to to the terms appropriation by bigots, but an even more likely reason may be due to the story narrated in the attraction being new and different from the animated segments, possibly taking place after them.

v - e - d

Media Films and Television: Song of the South (soundtrack) • One Hour in Wonderland • The Walt Disney Christmas Show • House of Mouse Video Games: Mickey's Great Adventure in Tokyo Disneyland • Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour • Virtual Magic Kingdom • Kinect: Disneyland Adventures • Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two • Disneyland Explorer • Disney Infinity: 3.0 Edition • Disney Tsum Tsum • Disney Magic Kingdoms • Play Disney Parks App Books: The Wonderful Tar Baby • Brer Rabbit Rides the Fox • Brer Fox and the Rabbit Trap • Brer Rabbit's Laughing Place • Brer Rabbit Painting Book Disney Parks Mickey Mouse Revue • Splash Mountain • Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes • Disneyland Railroad • Walt Disney World Railroad Entertainment: Mickey's Gift of Dreams • Once Upon a Mouse Parades: Disney's Dreams On Parade: Moving On • Disney's Party Express • Jubilation! Fireworks: Fantasy in the Sky • Remember... Dreams Come True • World of Color: Celebrate! Spring: Disney's Easter Wonderland • Hippity Hoppity Springtime • Usatama on the Run! Halloween: Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade • Br'er Rabbit's Laughin' Place Candy Patch! Christmas: Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade Restaurants: Grandma Sara's Kitchen • Rackety's Raccoon Saloon • Brer Bar • The Snackin' Place Shops: The Briar Patch • Hoot & Holler Hideout • Professor Barnaby Owl's Photographic Art Studio • Splashdown Photos Characters Song of the South: Br'er Rabbit • Br'er Fox • Br'er Bear • Mr. Bluebird • Uncle Remus • Johnny • Ginny Favers • Toby • Sally • Grandmother Doshy • Aunt Tempy • John • Mrs. Favers • Mr. Favers • Chloe • Pearl • Ned • Jake and Joe Favers • Bull • Teenchy • Br'er Terrapin • Miss Possum • Sis Moles • Hummingbird Trio • Br'er Frog • The Bees • Butterflies • Br'er Raccoon • Skunky • Sis Porcupines • The Fishes Splash Mountain: Professor Barnaby Owl • Boothill Boys • Swamp Boys • Br'er Goose • Br'er Gator • Br'er Porcupine • Br'er Dog • Br'er Roadrunner • Turtle Drum • Singing Geese • Singing Bullfrogs • Br'er Worm • The Donkey • Farming Rabbits • Pansy, Poppy, and Petunia • Hitchhiking Alligator • Hitchhiking Turtle and Turkey • Betsy • Sis Vixen • Singing Storks • Colonel Houndstoothe • Br'er Pig • The Laughin' Place Band • Blossom-Nose Murphy • Br'er Chicken • Saddlesore Swanson • Laughing Turtles • Little Weasels • Plaintive Possum • Mother Rabbit • Bats • Capt. Andy • River Belle Chorus • Geese Can-Can Dancers • Tex Ranger • Belle • Big Daddy • Collegiate Quartet • Br'er Turkey • Bass Frog • The Owl • Br'er Owl • Beaver Brothers • Phineas Firefly • Rackety Raccoon • Grandma Sara • Zachariah Muskrat • Jasper P. Woodchuck • Sis Raccoon • Bunny Bonnet Trio • Sis Weasel • Br'er Beaver • Br'er Mouse • Rufus the Bear • Ol' Gray Mare • Br'er Donkey • Br'er Goat • Forlorn Fox • Prospector • Hound Dog • Hippie Stork • Br'er Rattlesnake • Br'er Prairie Dog • Br'er Ground Squirrel • Desert Critters • Catfishes • Sis Frogs • Mr. Mayor • Mabel • Annie Gator • Ol' Ben Books: Molly Cottontail • Mrs. Fox • Mrs. Bear • Br'er Possum • Br'er Wolf • Br'er Weasel • Br'er Buzzard • Mammy Bammy • Doc Crane • King Lion • Annie and Fannie Cottontail • Kubs and Klibs • Junior Bear • Br'er Stork • Br'er Crow • Br'er Sparrow • Mr. Man • Janey Malone • Granny Fox • Mr. Sheriff • Mr. Dog • Karel Kat • Miss Meadows • Miss Turkey • Miss Swan • Br'er Elephant • Br'er Lion • Br'er Rooster • Judge Owl • Deacon Beaver • Sis Bunny • Sis Goose • Br'er Turkey Buzzard • Nibbles • Kojinan Stad • Karl • Mrs. Frog • Sis Cow • Br'er Bull • Rollo and Rover • Snapper • Swamp Gators • Buford Video Games: Shielded Frog • Dragonflies • Alligators • Vultures Cameos and Crossover characters: Henry • Five Bear Rugs • Sammy the Raccoon • Ernest • Liver Lips McGrowl • Shaker • Wendell • Gomer • Teddi Barra • The Big Bad Wolf • Li'l Bad Wolf • The Three Little Pigs • Chip and Dale • Bambi • Wicked Witch • Winnie the Pooh • Owl • Madam Mim Others: King Sun Organizations Rabbit Tales • Finest King Carrots • Mugg & Bean Coffee • Moving & Storage Company • Hercules Oats • Quilted Northern • Dry Goods • Provisions • Chattanooga Plow Comp. • Critter Elixir Objects Muskrat Moonshine Songs Original songs:Song of the South • That's What Uncle Remus Said • Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah • Who Wants to Live Like That? • Let the Rain Pour Down • How Do You Do? • Sooner or Later • Everybody's Got a Laughing Place • All I Want Splash Mountain:Burrow's Lament • Little Brown Jug • Shortnin' Bread • Polly Wolly Doodle • Froggy Went a Courtin' • Shoo Fly (Don't Bother Me) • Goober Peas • Camptown Races • Dixie • Swing Low Sweet Chariot • When Johnny Comes Marching Home • Comin' Round the Mountain • Ol' MacDonald • Skip to My Lou • Freight Train Blues • Wabash Cannonball • St. James Infirmary • Tennessee Waltz • Show Me the Way to Go Home • Alabamy Bound • Down By the Riverside • My Old Kentucky Home • Blue Moon if Kentucky • Blue Ridge Mountain Blues • Carolina Moon • Deep River Blues • Goodnight Ladies • Honey Comb • Jailhouse Blues • Old Mill Stream • Salty Dog • Up a Lazy River • Tom Dooley • Oh, Susanna • John Henry • Sixteen Tons • I've Been Working on the Railroad • When the Saints Go Marchin' In • You Are My Sunshine Locations Georgia • Critter Country • Briar Patch • Chick-A-Pin Hill • The Corn Field • The Fishin' Place • Old Mill Pond • The Old Swimmin' Hole • Rainbow Ponds • Rainbow Hollow • The Burrows • Caverns • Doo Dah Landing • Critter Cave • Slippin' Falls • The Barn • Br'er Bear's cave • Catfish Bend • Br'er Terrapin's Home • Br'er Goose's Home • Br'er Gator's Home • Fowler's Cellar • Critter Country • Rufus' Cave • Tackle • Boat Rental • General Store • Dark Room • Pumpkin Patch • Turtle Ranch • Porcu Pines • Camp Alligator Boats Zip-A-Dee Lady See Also Disney Sing Along Songs: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah • Tar Baby • The Laughing Place