A Step in the Right Direction: Fighting Princess’ Norms

Before Moana came, the closest Disney character I could relate to physically was Mulan, but I’m not Chinese. I’m Filipino. I look a lot like Moana, black hair, brown eyes, brown skin.  She has a body type that matches distinctly with that of past princesses.  It is realistic, but I call it more relatable.  As Disney’s first Polynesian “princess,” I know it’ll mean so much to young girls like my niece to see themselves in a strong character like Moana.  I like the movie Moana because it serves as an inspiration for girls to dream big and expect equality in anything they do.  Despite an almost universal love for Disney’s assortment of “perfect” princesses, a problematic trend is that many of these princesses are white, and most of them depict the helpless damsel in distress archetype.  Moana of Motunui fights these “princes' norms,” and I can’t help but love her for it #badass.  She also follows her heart despite what her dad thinks and says she should do.  I don’t like the whole “not listening to your parents” thing, but I believe one of the most important concepts of feminism is being able to choose your path and not letting other people put a hindrance on what you can do. Moana is also a strong girl who doesn’t need a man.  There is no single reference to a love interest for our heroine in this entire film. Moana’s independence is something that should be promoted way more in movies of this type. Young women deserve to know that they do not need a man to succeed. #independenceissexy

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I also love that Moana takes advice and is led to her true self with the help of her wise grandmother. Having respect for the women who had helped us to take the right paths and appreciating their wisdom and guidance is another meaning of feminism for me. It isn’t about doing whatever I want; it’s about being the person that I want to be. Finally, the representation of the culture in this film is extraordinary. It is apparent that the team did extensive research on Polynesian culture (Herman, 2016).  While I cannot speak for this culture, it is always exhilarating to see non-white people being represented positively in the media. Disney did not only represent this culture in Moana, but they also cast actors who are of Polynesian descent to play the iconic roles. Moana is portrayed by Auli’I Cravalho, a native Hawaiian (Varner, 2016; Chinen, 2016). Maui is voiced by a famous wrestler-turned-actor, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is of Samoan descent (Varner, 2016; Chinen, 2016).  Even with the voices in the ensemble, Disney kept their casting choices true to the characters.  Moreover, Moana delivers in an era when females and non-white cultures can use positive representation more than ever.  From this, I hope Disney will continue this path in the future.

For a long time, young girls who do not have "white and skinny" features have been subjected to a lack of representation in a media appearance that is undeniably desirable to most young girls.  It is frustrating for these young girls who are not so able to find princesses that look like them.  Therefore, this is why it is important to have princesses of all shapes, sizes, and colors because positive values presented in Disney movies may be parallels to young girls' lives.  It rendered the fact that it is okay to be different, and girls can do anything they set their minds to.

#girlpower#empowerwomen

Reference

Herman, D. (2016). How the Story of “Moana” and Maui Holds Up Against Cultural Truths. Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-story-moana-and-maui-holds-against-cultural-truths-180961258/

Varner, W. (2016). Some Things About Disney's "Moana" That Real Polynesians Want You To Know. Retrieved March 23, 2017, from https://www.buzzfeed.com/willvarner/we-asked-polynesian-people-what-they-thought-of-disneys-moan?utm_term=.bbbdDO5VYm#.svkwZnGYP4

Chinen, N. (2016). How Moana Uses Polynesian Myths to Create a Prototypical Disney Story. Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2016/11/how_moana_uses_polynesian_myths_to_create_a_disney_story.html