Exploring Moana Through a Critical Lense

I have to admit that this was an exercise that made a little uncomfortable before I went through it in total . Listening to Lesley's slidedeck was both a relief and concerning at the same time. I found relief at the thought that Disney could be both pleasure and critique. I was uncomfortable about learning that the launch of the princess "empire" was in 2000. One look at Disney Store online shows just how much money there is in the marketing of princess culture. 

 My girls are 25 and 23. We were the target of that launch and we owned every princess dress ever made. I don't think that Alyssa and Emily wore clothes for years. They lived in their princess dresses. Though of course I realized that Disney is and was a marketing machine, Lesley's story of the executive who looked at all of the homemade costumes and calculated the branding and marketing strategy is uncomfortable.

That said, I am so proud of my girls and where they are in life. Alyssa just bought her first house entirely on her own and Emily just finished her masters degree and landed her first job. I know that I have countered the princess culture that perpetuates finding a prince to complete yourself.

When watching Moana it was refreshing to see that some of the princess conventions have been challenged and updated. Moana is not searching for a prince to complete her and she does not go from rags to riches. Delving deeper though, there are some stereotypes that are still perpetuated. Moana's mother is quiet and seems to defer to her father in most of the story (aside from helping Moana pack for her journey). Her father has a large ego and large stature.He expects his family to listen to him and not to challenge him.

 

TeFiti feeds into the stereotype that beauty is valued as does Moana in some ways with her long flowing hair. It is also worth noting that when she is angry she is ugly and dark (TEKA) suggesting that women should not be angry or anger in women is to be feared.

The sidekick Heihei is small and dumb taking a backseat to the more traditionally valued characters of Moana, her father and Maui. 

Tamatoa is stereotypically flamboyant and there to provide comic relief. Homosexuality is not portrayed in any kind of dimensional way.

Even though Moana does not marry a prince there is a happily ever after component when gets the stone back to Tefiti she saves her village from despair. 

In all, I enjoyed Moana, particularly her relationship with her grandmother. I appreciated that on the face Disney has made some move toward creating a less traditional princess. It is clear though that there is a long way to go and a lot of value to conversations with our children about social stereotypes perpetuated in movies.