Dissecting Disney

 

I am unashamedly one of those self-proclaimed Disney Adults.

I've been going to Disney World since I was a literal fetus.

I've gone as a toddler, a kid, a teen, a young adult, a full grown adult with one other adult friend (Twice.  Both times for 8 days. Completely unjustified and irresponsible.  The entire time she and I would look at each other and ask, "what are we even doing???". We were so happy). And now with my partner and his two kids who are just as much the Disney World fanatics as I am.  

It is our happiest place on earth.  And when we are there we are living in a state of unquestioned pure bliss.  

....Which is why I appreciate Lesley's stance that enjoyment and critique can coexist.  

Because I absolutely do have an issue with some of the messages that are being administered to our kids through Disney movies and characters.  

It's funny.  The yellow dress that Soph is wearing in the pictures above is one we picked out together for her to wear in Magic Kingdom because she'd look like a little "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast.  In that setting and in that context, I was all about her admiring and associating with Belle's character. 

But if she were to adapt that to her everyday life I know that I would be concerned.  

I was 5 years old when the original Aladdin was released.  I was obsessed because as an Arab girl I saw a Disney Princess who looked like me.

Well.......kind of.  I struggled... a lot... knowing that I would never have her shape or her figure.  The dark features, sure.  Got it.  The tiny waist and the belly that I'd be perfectly comfortable exposing....never.  Which to me meant that I would never be considered beautiful.  

Moana was released not too long ago and I can't help but reflect on a thought that jumped into my head after first seeing it.  

I noticed her body type and how it actually resembled a somewhat realistic frame.  I excitedly thought, it could be within the realm of possibility that if I lose some weight I could spend some time working in Disney World as a real-life Moana!

I have still yet to see a Disney female protagonist with my build.  The closest one still would require me to change the way I look in order to fit into her costume.  And the fact that it made me excited, now...well, just kind of makes me feel sad.  

Watching Moana this time with the princess convention chart in hand I was able to delve deeper into what exactly the writers were telling us through her story.  In the end I felt that although some messages were problematic, overall it was certainly a step in the right direction.

I'll Start with the Bad:

One of the most surprising things that hit me was the inference that is made relating to Te Ka and Te Fiti.  

Te Fiti is a mother goddess who holds the power to create life which she shares with the world.  Without her heart she becomes Te Ka, a demon of earth and fire.  The realization I had was that this story is telling us that a woman, when stripped of her ability to create life, becomes a being of terrible darkness.  

WOAH.

Our chart also asked us to notice the significance of Moana's hair, specifically when she put it up.  

I never would have noticed this without being prompted.  

Anytime Moana wanted to be taken seriously or present herself in a light of authority, such as when she was rehearsing her eventual confrontation with Maui, her hair was up. 

The very subtle, almost subliminal message here is that we should reduce our femininity in times when we want to be seen as "in charge".

Unfortunately, I feel as though this is very much a reality we all actually have to deal with in real life.  

Onto the Good!

As she clearly states over and over again throughout the movie, Moana is NOT a princess.  She is not a daughter of a king whose role is solely to be beautiful, marry a prince and live happily ever after.  She is expected to lead as a chief of her tribe. She is given true responsibility and must become the person that her community can turn to when in any kind of trouble, even though she's not a man!! (GASP!).  The fact that she is a daughter and not a son never even comes up, which is great.  There was no dialogue that either straight up stated or even inferred that she was a second choice as a girl and that she was only filling the role because she didn't have a male counterpart to do so.  

I think this is so important because I believe that sometimes it takes NOT talking about something in order to normalize it.  The fact that no one mentions her gender in the context of taking over as Chief gives us the impression that it was never even an issue.  It didn't need to be discussed or questioned because no one thought of it as out of the ordinary.  

Often times I notice in our society we will see messages of acceptance but they are paired with stating the differences that exist.  

For instance, a TV show where a couple has a son or daughter who is getting married to someone of the same gender.  They will state something like, "Our son is marrying his boyfriend, but we are so so happy for him."

As opposed to simply, "Our son is getting married and we are so happy for him."

The second phrase doesn't mention anything about the son being gay.  In this reality, why would they even need to mention it? It's completely normal.  Omitting it is not negating his sexuality, it's completely embracing it.  

I think the same idea applies to Moana and her gender.  

Moana is also a protagonist who is willing to risk her life to save all of humanity. Her pay off in the end is not the love of a romantic interest, it is that her island is restored and her tribe will continue to thrive.  

Even in Mulan, another story of a strong female character who is willing to sacrifice her life for her family, gets wrapped up nicely in the end with Mulan getting her man, the strong and handsome warrior. 

Not Moana.  Her happily ever after is simply saving her people.  

This fact alone is why I would be okay with little Soph rocking a Moana costume whether it be at Disney World or at home.