A character who has held court at a popular Disney World attraction for over 50 years is being retired after being considered “insensitive and outdated.”
When the revamped and renovated “Country Bear Jamboree” attraction reopens later this year, Liver Lips McGrowl will not be a part of the show, as he has reportedly been deemed potentially offensive to anyone struggling with alcohol abuse.
Instead, he will be replaced with a new bear named Romeo McGrowl, a bear with a pompadour hairstyle, and the departure of Liver Lips is not the only major change planned for the attraction.
Since opening in 1971, the Jamboree has featured 18 animatronic bears “performing” original country songs written for the show. But most of those songs have been jettisoned as part of the revamp, according to Variety.
Instead, the show will now feature not just a brand new script but also “countrified” versions of popular songs from Disney films like “Bear Necessities” and “Fixer-Upper” voiced by Mac McAnally, a longtime Nashville songsmith known for decades’ worth of collaborations with Jimmy Buffett.
Only the show’s traditional closing number “Come Again” will remain from the previous show’s setlist.