Tar Baby

The Tar Baby is an inaminate character from the 1946 Disney film, Song of the South, in which the animated segments of the film are based on the Uncle Remus stories compiled by Joel Chandler Harris. The term "tar baby" is viewed as a negative connotation revolving around African Americans. The controversy of the Tar Baby, and other issues relating to race, has plagued Song of the South from being released on home video or DVD in the United States.

In Song of the South
In the second animated segment of Song of the South, Brer Fox is determined to catch Brer Rabbit. Using tar and items from Brer Bear such as buttons from his jacket (for the eyes), the bowl of a corn-cob pipe (for the nose), and hair from his tail (for hair), he makes the Tar Baby. He and Brer Bear take it to the road. After putting Brer Bear's hat on the Tar Baby, they hear Brer Rabbit coming and hide behind a tree and nearby bush. As Brer Rabbit hops along he says, "How do you do?", to the Tar Baby, but recieves no response. He tries it again and still no reply. Then Brer Rabbit, percieving the inanimate Tar Baby's unresponsiveness as being rude, he precedes to punch it. He does, and gets his fist stuck in the tar. He hit it again and kicked it, but the more he struggled, Brer Rabbit just got more stuck. He was so messed up in the tar that "he could scarcely move his eyeballs." Then Brer Fox and Brer Bear come out of hiding dancing around Brer Rabbit in glee. Then Brer Fox prepares to cook Brer Rabbit "right there and now". Then Brer Bear walks up with the intention to knock Brer Rabbit's head off. As Brer Fox pulls Brer Rabbit out of the tar, Brer Rabbit sees a briar patch. He tells Brer Fox not to throw him in the briar patch, prompting to do just that. When he does, Brer Rabbit pretends to yelp in pain, as Brer Fox and Brer Bear take off their hats in silence. Then Brer Rabbit appears and reveals that he was born and raised in a briar patch, which makes Brer Fox feel humiliated for being tricked again.

The short story sort of teaches that you shouldn't be doing things that you have not business in the first place.

In House of Mouse
The Tar Baby makes occassional appearences in House of Mouse.

In Splash Mountain
In the ride Splash Mountain, located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland, Brer Fox catches Brer Rabbit in a beehive. Originally, the Tar Baby was to be used, but it was changed; possibly to avoid the same issues to why Song of the South has not been released on video or DVD in the United States..