Introduction
It is significant to mention that author Wesley Yiin wrote an article, “Is Disney’s portrayal of Maui, a Polynesian demigod, in ‘Moana’ culturally insensitive?” June 28, 2016 (Yiin, 2016). Moreover, the author is a former Washington Post reporter who now lives and works in Sitka, Alaska. The article’s main topic concerns the Polynesian culture and its incorrect representation by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Thus, it is crucial to provide a brief summary of the article and a personal example to describe the problematic issues of stereotypes in the film.
Summary
Importantly, the trailer for “Moana,” produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, was first shown to the audience during the Tony Awards broadcast. In addition, the film’s creators invited composers, writers, and actors of Polynesian descent to join the team. However, immediately after the broadcast, some politicians, experts, and artists expressed dissatisfaction with the depiction of Maui in the film. For instance, Marie Alohalani Brown, who has Hawaiian roots, indicated that in Hawaiian mythology, Maui is not a “God” in the traditional sense (Yiin, 2016). The woman explained that Maui has the characteristics of people and gods, which is why Maui is a “demigod” and the ancestor of the ruling elite of Hawaii. Instead, in the “Moana” trailer, Maui does not contain the traits granted by the character in Hawaiian culture.
The main criticism is that Maui is not portrayed as a strong and influential person. Jenny Salesa criticized Maui’s appearance in the movie. In order to reinforce the effect, she shared a meme on Facebook comparing the three Polynesian actors to “half pig half hippo” to show the poor portrayal of Maui in Moana (Yiin, 2016). Salesa also explained that photographic evidence demonstrates that the population of Polynesian men and women over the past 100-200 years has not been overweight (Yiin, 2016). Therefore, portraying Maui as overweight distorts the real facts and creates a negative stereotype. Jenny Salesa’s criticism was also joined by Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu and Will Ilolahia, who argued that the obesity of the main character is a purely American stereotype. Meanwhile, Michel Mulipola called Maui’s overweight not a stereotype and a change in cultural perceptions but a symbol of strength and power. Instead, Leah Damm believes that the discussion that has arisen about Maui is in line with the leading European narratives about the concept of a healthy and beautiful person (Yiin, 2016). Accordingly, the film’s depiction of Maui demonstrates the challenges of modern society that lead to social inequality.
Moreover, the film’s critics have expressed negative opinions about the character’s personality. This is because Maui is portrayed as a comedian who has frivolous personality traits, which creates a negative stereotype of all Polynesians. As evidence, Brown argues that different Polynesian cultures had differences in the portrayal of Maui, but they all confirmed the character’s intelligence (Yiin, 2016). Thus, it is not appropriate to portray Maui as a character characterized by humor rather than intelligence.
A Personal Example
I consider that historical data and evidence should be followed to demonstrate the true character and traits of characters if they are borrowed from the culture of certain nations. For instance, I think that if there is photographic evidence of how Polynesians looked 100 years ago, then it should be used as a basis for creating the character’s appearance. Accordingly, this will help to reveal the real facts about this culture and, at the same time, demonstrate an interesting plot of the movie.
Conclusion
Therefore, the issue of stereotypes in the movie “Moana” was actively discussed among people of Polynesian descent. Most people opposed the distortion of cultural facts and the creation of an image of Maui that does not correspond to the basic information about the character and does not reflect the characteristics of Hawaiians. Thus, the portrayal of heroes of certain ethnic groups in films should accurately correspond to the description of them that has been preserved. Otherwise, it creates negative stereotypes not only about the characters but also about the culture of certain people in general.
Reference
Yiin, W. (2016). Is Disney’s portrayal of Maui, a Polynesian demigod, in ‘Moana’ culturally insensitive? The Washington Post. Web.