By Elise Solis, Yahoo Lifestyle
A kiddie YouTube channel called My Pingu TV canceled a cartoon about an angel who loses her “beauty and youth” by becoming a Black woman.
In the episode titled “Dina and The Prince,” Dina, who is white, is forbidden from speaking to her husband to hide the fact that she is an angel. This proves impossible for Dina, so she eventually breaks down, and is sentenced to living as a Black-skinned woman — or more explicitly, relinquishing her physical beauty.
The next day, the prince visits his wife. “Dina turns,” says the narrator. “And we see that she is not as beautiful. Her glow is gone and her face is scarred.”
“I am so sorry,” Dina cries to her prince, “… and now I am ugly.” But he is flattered. “You love me so much that you gave up your beauty for me, Dina! You think I care how you look? I love you!”
Now that she has agreed to “sacrifice” for her true love, “Dina becomes beautiful again” as she’s transformed back into a white woman.
The channel was shamed on Twitter for instilling racism in young children.
Wow! Look at what they are teaching our kids! Totally unacceptable! https://t.co/BT89DJLH5l #racism #takeitoff #youtube #expose Shame on you “My Pingu TV” pic.twitter.com/Bwc7WFywi4
— Lady Rodgers (@TeenKitty) July 18, 2019
@mypingutv teaching children that black is ugly and white is beautiful and desirable https://t.co/qh7c0H2x3z
— Ntimbo Mgqweto (@ScottNgozi) July 23, 2019
#mypingutv I’m laughing at the fact that y’all even thought that was okay to put up. What did you think was gonna happen lol #BrownSkinGirl
— Ayanna black (@yannablk) July 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/DisgustingCultr/status/1153776588489494528?s=20
Watch "Dina And The Prince Story | Bedtime Stories for kids | My Pingu Tv" on YouTube https://t.co/ubHPZN9VPX
Wow we're doing blatant racism in 2019.
— Nessa🔔 (@Nessa_IdrsaBell) July 19, 2019
My Pingu TV removed the episode from YouTube, replacing it with a written apology. “We sincerely apologize. We and our animation team made a great mistake. We assure you that it was unintentional and we promise that it won’t happen again,” read the apology.
On the company’s Facebook page, a descriptor reads, “Our Team is dedicatedly working to provide the best quality animation videos on popular Fairy tales, Aesop’s fables, Bedtime Stories, Children’s songs & Nursery Rhymes for children’s fun, entertainment and education.”
On YouTube, hundreds of people said the episode was a deliberate attempt to spread a racist message.
- “Subliminal and intentional you want to feed the young minds of children what is supposedly ‘beautiful’ and what is supposedly ‘ugly.’ What a shame.”
- “Apology not accepted you knew exactly what you were doing.”
- “You need to create a video with an all Black cast that reminds little Black girls that they are beautiful princesses just the way they are. THAT will make things right.”
- “I think she was still beautiful with the dark skin and curly hair.”
Representatives from My Pingu TV did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s inquiry.
A YouTube representative tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the cartoon was removed by its creator.
This article originally appeared in Yahoo Lifestyle.