The Characters: A group of crows who, though initially mocking Dumbo's big ears, eventually help the poor elephant to fly. Why They're Offensive: It's frequently pointed out by the crow defenders that the characters actually do help Dumbo in the end, but that's got nothing to do with it: in look and speech they are blatant black stereotypes, regardless of whether they're ultimately kind or not. For further proof that this was intentional, just look at the name of the crow leader: Jim Crow. This is obviously a reference to the racist Jim Crow segregation laws established in the 19th century. They're just too heavy-handed as caricatures to be anything less than outrageously offensive. Do They Ruin The Movie?: Dumbo is so sweet and charming that most viewers can look past this misstep, as well as accept that the film is almost 75 years old, and as such is a product of a different time. Still, as a modern viewer, it makes the otherwise gorgeous film look incredibly dated.