Reflecting on Moana

    

    Before this class I had only seen Moana once or twice. I have heard about all of the families whose children adore this movie and look up the Moana's character. From decorated lunch boxes to Moana themed birthday parties, this is a Disney film that is trying to bring more inclusivity into the princess world. 
    
    Disney has been criticized for their use of white, cis, straight princesses who just want to find their Prince Charming. The idea that women should be waiting around for the man of their dreams who will sweep them off their feet and provide a life worth living in paradise. These ideals and values permeate Disney princess movies and affect perceptions that children have on love, family, values, and so much more (whether consciously or not). Moana, in addition to other movies such as The Princess and the Frog, are trying to represent more races and ethnicities in the Disney space. However, while changing the race of a couple princesses might be a step in the right direction, it is not enough. 

    As Linda Christensen states in her chapter "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us" in the book Rethinking Schools, princess movies and fairy tales need to address the fact that most of these princesses are coming from wealthy, upper class families who are very powerful. Challenging race is needed in these texts, but other biases cannot be ignored. In addition, relationships that are presented in these movies are always heterosexual and stereotypes are always used when implying a LGBTQ+ character. The audience is so much more diverse than Disney is representing in their actual films, which can lead to children feeling inadequate and continue to perpetuate gender roles, racism, and more.

    When watching Moana through the lens of a "traditional Disney princess" and its implications, I noticed some similarities, but also positive differences. In the movie, Moana seeks to save her island rather than find true love. This narrative diverts from the usual princess tale that once you find a man, your mission is complete. However, there are still quite a few aspects to this movie that perpetuate gender roles. For example, Te Fiti, the "Mother Nature" figure that has her heart stolen and turns into an evil, fire-raging landmass that is destroying islands and their resources. The idea that women are nurturing beings that provide the nourishment families (in this case, islands) needs to survive. Also, the fact that when she loses her heart she becomes evil and starts taking from those around her. 

    In addition to perpetuating the gender role of women, this movie depicts men like Moana's father and Maui as larger than life and controlling of those around them. Moana's father, Tui, determines where the family and island live and how to handle day-to-day concerns. Maui's tattoos represent all of the battles he has won, perpetuating that men fight battles and are rewarded for that violence. The men in Moana are larger and more muscular as they get older and then decline in size as they become elderly. This emphasizes when men should be considered at their "peak".

    While Disney is seen trying to address some of the racism in their past films, there is still work to be done. These movies are some of the first that children watch in their lifetime and it is so important what they see is representative of what they are experiencing. Media of all kinds affect how we view ourselves and others, whether we are aware of it or not. Therefore, more conscious changes need to be made about what is posted and published.

Comments

  1. Hi Carly, I enjoyed reading your post. I agree that as these are the first films children are viewing at an early age Disney should be doing more to show diversity, positive and varied gender roles, and should focus on teaching universal life lessons.

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  2. This was my first time watching Moana. I thought it was an interesting movie because she wasn’t the typical Disney princess. However, there were still some stereotypical female and male roles within the movie.

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  3. I am glad that this viewing allowed you to explore Moana with a critical lens. I appreciate your critique and also find a ton of pleasure in this text. As I have noted on others' blogs, I think that Moana does some things that no other film has done for me. Namely, it shows that courage and bravery are not magical skills that you have to be born with. They can be learned and practiced -- I AM MOANA, she says over and over again. She is afraid but she keeps rehearsing her courage and the film rewards her for that in the end. I love her vulnerability because she is not punished for it. It takes a village and this film does not see that kind of team building -- Maui, Moana, her dad, hei hei, grandmother, etc -- as a weakness. It is part of Moana's strength. Does that resonate with you at all?

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