MOANA ... One of the Best Disney Movies of All Time ... but, is it prejudiced?

[leibowde84]

Hey, I just wanted to get some opinions on this movie. I think it is fantastic. I have been listening to the soundtrack non-stop, and I think I like it far more than even my 8 year old niece. But, I've been hearing a lot of nonsense (imo) about it being prejudiced against Polynesians, which I just don't get. Can anyone give me some insight into why anyone would have a problem with this movie? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Nakosis]

Hey, I just wanted to get some opinions on this movie. I think it is fantastic. I have been listening to the soundtrack non-stop, and I think I like it far more than even my 8 year old niece. But, I've been hearing a lot of nonsense (imo) about it being prejudiced against Polynesians, which I just don't get. Can anyone give me some insight into why anyone would have a problem with this movie? Thanks in advance for your help.

Disney’s “Moana” a box office hit, but is it offensive?

I suppose I've started seeing these things as a kid would, seeing their culture/identity being mocked. I could imagine other kids calling the slightly over weight Polynesian boy "Maui". Might cause them to dislike their own culture.

 

[Father Heathen]

Hey, I just wanted to get some opinions on this movie. I think it is fantastic. I have been listening to the soundtrack non-stop, and I think I like it far more than even my 8 year old niece. But, I've been hearing a lot of nonsense (imo) about it being prejudiced against Polynesians, which I just don't get. Can anyone give me some insight into why anyone would have a problem with this movie? Thanks in advance for your help.

The question to ask is, is it actual polynesians who are taking offense, or is it just SJW whities getting offended on their behalf?

Remember Speedy Gonzales?

 

[Jesster]

I haven't heard of any Polynesians (including the movie cast) complaining about this. It might just be more internet background noise you're hearing. Don't amplify it.

As for the movie, I enjoyed it. I would probably be more impressed if I was still a kid, which is kind of the point of these movies.

 

[BSM1]

The question to ask is, is it actual polynesians who are taking offense, or is it just SJW whities getting offended on their behalf?

Remember Speedy Gonzales?

You mean "The Fastest Mouse In All Mex-hico"? I miss that little rodent.

 

[Father Heathen]

You mean "The Fastest Mouse In All Mex-hico"? I miss that little rodent.

According to the link he was brought back at the urging of Latin Americans who, instead of finding him offensive, considered him a cultural icon.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

Don't amplify it.

This.

Nothing more to say really.

 

[Revoltingest]

Hey, I just wanted to get some opinions on this movie. I think it is fantastic. I have been listening to the soundtrack non-stop, and I think I like it far more than even my 8 year old niece. But, I've been hearing a lot of nonsense (imo) about it being prejudiced against Polynesians, which I just don't get. Can anyone give me some insight into why anyone would have a problem with this movie? Thanks in advance for your help.

Why don't you personally tell The Rock that his movie disrespects his own heritage.
(He voiced Maui.)

 

[suncowiam]

Why don't you personally tell The Rock that his movie disrespects his own heritage.
(He voiced Maui.)

CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING?!?!?!

My intellectual side keeps on asking, Is that rhetorical?

 

[YmirGF]

Hey, I just wanted to get some opinions on this movie. I think it is fantastic. I have been listening to the soundtrack non-stop, and I think I like it far more than even my 8 year old niece. But, I've been hearing a lot of nonsense (imo) about it being prejudiced against Polynesians, which I just don't get. Can anyone give me some insight into why anyone would have a problem with this movie? Thanks in advance for your help.

I'm not a Disney fan. Too insipid for my tastes.

That said, I think the only folks who would be offended by a mainstream cartoon are those who have far too much time on their hands and are likely good candidates for extended counseling sessions.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

We've come a long way from Pocahontas, which was a pile of garbage that Native American communities did justifiably find reprehensible. Moana is not perfect, it's still largely a story written by a bunch of white dudes for a white audience using a very simplified and not very correct version of cultural mythology. While that's not a huge deal it is what got Christians upset over various non-biblically accurate versions of bible stories written as rather asinine fiction. This matters to people and brushing off people's feelings as 'butt hurt' is childish and unproductive. Moana, however, does have a lot of representation and a completely different tone than Pocahontas, even if there's a lot of story parallels. There was a really good video by Lindsay Ellis which explains where Moana got things right over Pocahontas and how that effected the communities being portrayed. It's a long video and explores some aspects of cultural appropriation (which she calls a neutral term, not a negative term), but I think it's worth it overall.

Why don't you personally tell The Rock that his movie disrespects his own heritage.
(He voiced Maui.)

Not only did the Rock voice Maui, but his granddad was the model for the character.

Auli'i Cravalho did a wonderful job as Moana, too.

 

[SomeRandom]

Offensive? It's a rough amalgamation of various traditions associated with Polynesian Islands. Is it simplified? Of course it's a freaking Disney movie, not a thesis on various traditions found on the islands. It tweaked mythology to suit the story, like it does for every movie they've been doing since Snow freaking White.
If people take issue with it, then fine, their prerogative. But do we really need to overtly deconstruct a Disney movie of all things? If that's your biggest problem in life, then you my friend have one hell of a privileged life!

 

[ADigitalArtist]

But do we really need to overtly deconstruct a Disney movie of all things?

Of course we do. It's a billion dollar industry and has so huge a media presence, especially for kids but also adult nostalgia, that it's just as worthy of deconstruction as classic lit. Arguably it has even more cultural impact than many works of classic lit. It speaks a lot to how Americans disseminate information, current opinions on a wide range of topics, and how these evolve and change over time. There's another video on that channel talking about comparing Saving Mr. Banks to the actual story of Disney acquiring the rights for Mary Poppins and it's a fascinating deep dive into the two titanic personalities and their very different philosophies on life. Discussions of cultural topics in media impacts tons of people and has even more nooks and crannies of nuance.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I do not know if I will see it. There is a lot of repetition and recycling that happens. Often films feel...bleached. After you see many that are similar you start to compare plots while you are watching them, and you start to realize you are watching a film instead of watching the film. For example after you've seen The Matrix, 13th Floor, Inception and The Adjustment Bureau you start to wonder if the problem is that there is a limited number of potential plots in the universe. That shouldn't be the case, but it just starts feeling like that. The same goes for a certain series of Disney musicals, a rash of Pride & Prejudice clones etc. Then there are certain films nobody can hope to repeat, such as The Princess Bride. You know any clone would be doomed to destructive comparison, so it will never be copied. Cinderella on the other hand is open season and there are so very many versions of that, an ever increasing number of versions.

 

[SomeRandom]

Of course we do. It's a billion dollar industry and has so huge a media presence, especially for kids but also adult nostalgia, that it's just as worthy of deconstruction as classic lit. Arguably it has even more cultural impact than many works of classic lit. It speaks a lot to how Americans disseminate information, current opinions on a wide range of topics, and how these evolve and change over time. There's another video on that channel talking about comparing Saving Mr. Banks to the actual story of Disney acquiring the rights for Mary Poppins and it's a fascinating deep dive into the two titanic personalities and their very different philosophies on life. Discussions of cultural topics in media impacts tons of people and has even more nooks and crannies of nuance.

Sometimes a movie is just a movie. Granted the evil overlords at Disney will slowly conquer us all and resistance will be futile. But still.
People project their own feelings and insecurities onto pop culture all the time. So I'm suspicious of such dissection. Not that I'm against discussion of course. By all means discuss Disney or Dreamworks or Peter freaking Rabbit. Fine. But I find that too often people just jump to conclusions about the actual artistic process being taken and end up looking like the racist jerks they were ostensibly fighting in the first place (see the author's response to the Carve the Mark controversy.) And I guess not being American, Disney isn't as big where I live. I mean don't get me wrong, it's huge and it's deeply ingrained in pop culture. But it's not like people outside of the Disney fandom take it that seriously. Also the jerks withhold some of their older live action movies from us. Rude.

And Saving Mr Banks was amazing. Somewhat historically inaccurate (Walt didn't really go to her house to get her to change her mind, didn't interact with her that much at all, but he did snub her at her own premier) obviously fitting events into a structured traditional three act family film rather than showing reality, but an amazing film nonetheless.
And I do happen to enjoy Lindsay's video essays/rants about various products. Hercules, Phantom, Hunchback and Rent are my faves from her. I still sometimes watch her Matilda review from her NChick days.

 

[Stevicus]

You mean "The Fastest Mouse In All Mex-hico"? I miss that little rodent.

He had a cousin named "Slowpoke Rodriguez," the slowest mouse in all of Mexico.

 

[Stevicus]

I don't even understand why Disney even makes movies like this. Whatever happened to movies about Mickey Mouse or Porky Pig or Donald Duck?

According to the article in the OP:

Criticism from the Pacific has likely stung Disney, which went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the movie was culturally appropriate after being accused of racism in previous movies such as “Aladdin” (1992). For “Moana,” the filmmakers traveled to the Pacific and met with anthropologists, historians, fisherman and linguists, part of what they came to call the Oceanic Story Trust.

So, they go through all this to be culturally sensitive and avoid this kind of criticism, and yet, this is the result.

 

[BSM1]

He had a cousin named "Slowpoke Rodriguez," the slowest mouse in all of Mexico.

"Meh-hico", lol

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't even understand why Disney even makes movies like this. Whatever happened to movies about Mickey Mouse or Porky Pig or Donald Duck?

P Pig is Warner Bros.

Anyway, is there any more boring a cartoon character than M Mouse?
I never saw the appeal. He's no Itchy.

 

[Stevicus]

P Pig is Warner Bros.

Anyway, is there any more boring a cartoon character than M Mouse?
I never saw the appeal. He's no Itchy.

Thanks for the correction. I guess I got my cartoon universes mixed up.

But I'd cut poor Mickey a bit of slack. After all, he came before Itchy or Jerry or Mushmouse or even Pixie and Dixie.