10 Huge Changes In The Live-Action Dumbo Remake
9. The Name "Dumbo" Is Actually Sympathetic
At first, Dumbo's name is an act of mockery. He receives it during the same scene that ultimately leads to the loss of his mother, when a sign reading "DEAR BABY JUMBO" becomes altered to read "EAR BABY DUMBO." The spectators - who for some reason take big ears to mean that Dumbo's not a real elephant - laugh so hard they nearly die.
In the original, it's never quite explained why one mean joke by the other elephants causes everyone else to begin calling Jumbo Jr. by his hurtful nickname. The remake addresses this issue by having the sympathetic Farrier children make the tough decision to keep calling him Dumbo for his own good.
This occurs shortly after Medici's decision to sell Dumbo's mother. In a scene mirroring Timothy Mouse's introduction in the original, Milly and Joe Farrier attempt to comfort Baby Jumbo by feeding him peanuts. Not only do they hope to comfort him, they also believe at this point in the film that peanuts are what cause him to become airborne.
When Milly asks him to fly, she casually drops the name "Dumbo" in the process. Joe responds with immediate disgust: "We're calling him Dumbo now?" As Milly explains, Baby Jumbo shares a name with his mother. Having just been separated from her, the name would evoke painful memories. Paradoxically, the same name used to mock him becomes a way of sparing him from further emotional turmoil.