Here are some of the most common ways people end up causing harm through appropriation, even without meaning to - even when they're just trying to help. "In an effort neither to offend audiences in the North or South, the production helps to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery ['Song of the South'] unfortunately gives the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship, which is a distortion of the facts," the NAACP said in a 1946 statement. In 1941's "Dumbo," the elephant encounters a pack of crows who are some of the only characters who are friendly towards him in the movie. CULTURAL APPROPIATION IN ROYALE HIGH!! It wasnt that well-received in China because they changed the legend too much. With the recent news of a "Pinocchio" live-action remake moving forward, it's likely that these two plot points will be modernized. I haven . ", "Isaak Surfing the Ironic / For Phoenix, life's a bear", "Looks like a bear market for 2-D animation", "Das Interview mit Ruben Aquino, Supervising-Animator (English transcript)", "Tina, Phil In 'Great Spirits' On Soundtrack", "Diverse Acts Interpret Collins For 'Brother Bear', "Inside Move: Disney wakes 'Bear' for Sat. Every other character speaks in British English, implying that the "Jungle Book" apes embody historically dehumanizing, racist comparisons between black people and apes. Representation or appropriation? Along the way the two eventually form a brother-like relationship. The particular animals they represent symbolize what they must achieve to call themselves men. [15], Following the success of the Tarzan soundtrack, Phil Collins was offered the opportunity to compose songs for Brother Bear, as well as let him "co-write the score". In a post-ice age Alaska, the local tribes believe all creatures are created through the Great Spirits, who are said to appear in the form of an aurora. In the 2016 live-action remake of the film, King Louie is not an orangutan, but a gigantopithecus (a now-extinct primate native to the Indian jungle where "The Jungle Book" is set). The real Pocahontas was about 12 when she met John Smith. "To characterize an entire region with this sort of tongue-in-cheek bigotry, especially in a movie aimed at children, borders on barbaric," The New York Times said of the song in 1993. The film grossed $250 million against a $46 million budget. I am content! A lost cub bear, named Koda (taken perhaps from the Kodiak Eskimos, the enemy of the Tanaina) plays the role of a Zen koan becoming the key to Kenai's realization process. [22], On October 20, 2003, Brother Bear premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre where fellow attendees included New York Governor George Pataki and cast members Michael Clarke Duncan and Estelle Harris. Because Blaise, Walker, and Williams enjoyed Duncan's vocal performance, Tug, the de facto leader of the bears at the salmon run, was written into the film. Frozen features Norwegian traditions ranging from rosemaling on walls and dresses to trolls, Fjord horses and saunas. One of the great American myths about native shamans is that they were rare. He plays the piano with chopsticks, speaks in a stereotypical accent, and sings about fortune cookies. A step further is to partner with local studios and to mentor the development of local projects, something Disney has been known to do at least tentatively in China. The local shaman disagrees with this action, and transforms the brother into a bear. Still, what most people think of today as cultural appropriation is the opposite: a member of the dominant culture an insider taking from a culture that has historically been and is still . As for the talent involved, one of the music producers was South African. We have over 500 surviving tribes over here in the Americas, and they all speak different languages and have different cultures and religions. ", Disney replaced the first half of those lyrics in all future versions of the movie after facing backlash from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, but refused to cut, "It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.". Rafiki might be meant to be some sort of African shaman (?). It is based on the famous Arabic tale set in Arabic China. "Under this reading, when Beauty at last tells the Beast that she loves him, it doesn't feel like a genuine romantic decision made by a fully empowered woman under her own free will," wrote Constance Grady for Vox. Is Brother Bear Cultural Appropriation. [36] Stephen Holden of The New York Times felt the film was too similar to The Lion King. Another thing Id like to see is a movie set in Africa, also with human characters. Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas were to reprise their respective roles while Will Friedle would have replaced Joaquin Phoenix as Kenai. Koda is reunited briefly with the spirit of his mother before she and Sitka return to the spirit world. One recurring theme in early Disney princess films is the power of "true love's kiss." ", Much like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the 1959 film "Sleeping Beauty" also includes a pivotal scene where a man kisses an unconscious woman. But if you're unfamiliar with "Song of the South," the 1946 Disney movie that they come from, you're not alone it's been locked away in the Disney Vault for decades, and is considered the company's most offensive release. Tarzan takes place in Africa, but it features no black character. The company's platform . The movie got a tiny bit of criticism for its portrayal of Kristoff as a blond Sami. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. I don't disagree with the objections that many raise about the harm of perpetuating cultural stereotypes, using sacred or revered symbols and objects in a trivial way, or even having fun pretending to be a member of a repressed culture for a day. On the mountain, Kenai is cornered by Denahi, but their battle is interrupted by Koda, who steals Denahi's spear. Someone might prefer Next fall their doors will open to the public, and since the Air and Space Museum is the Smithsonian's most-visited museum, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what will instantly become the second most visited site on the mall. [5] Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley, an associate professor who taught courses on Alaska Native philosophy at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, claimed he was never given a script, but was instead given "the dialogue that they had written, which was being told by a Native person". The actress playing Nani was born in Hawaii and the actor playing David grew up there. Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion and league Most Valuable Player. Queer-coding is when writers consciously or unconsciously include stereotypes about LGBT people as characteristics of a character without their sexuality being part of a broader story. To track the "king" idea, the hero would naturally be a bear, the king of the forest. [41] The film grossed $85.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $165.1 million in international territories, bringing its worldwide total to $250.4 million.[2]. Exotifying Other Cultures Because You Think It's a "Compliment". 19. He loves it, learned a great, new, easy-to-pronounce vocabulary word, and, most important, it looks adorable in the house but can go outside at any time. Cultural appropriation definition, the adoption, usually without acknowledgment, of cultural identity markers from subcultures or minority communities into mainstream culture by people with a relatively privileged status. Rapunzel is a German fairy tale based on a French story loosely based on an Italian story. bow", "Brother Bear / Brother Bear 2 (3-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray / DVD] (2013)", "FILM REVIEW; To a Grizzly, Humans Are the Hairy Monsters", "Nothing Scary About Brother Bear's Roaring Start", "An Elf and a Bear Trip Up the Final 'Matrix', "O Brother Bear, Where Art Thou? By: David Marcus. [26] In April 2004 alone, 5.51 million DVD copies of the film were sold. The DVD release consisted of two separate discs, which were both THX-certified. The movie has left me with a lifelong interest and appreciation for real life Inuit culture so it would make me sad to find out it was offensive, but if it was I guess I'll just have to accept that. The pair of moose is voiced by a pair of Canadian actors. Disney transposed the story to Jazz Age New Orleans and added voodoo magic and bayous. A solution to mitigate those risks is to hire consultants from the concerned groups, or better yet, hire creators from the concerned groups and let them tell the stories they want to tell. From the racially stereotyped crows in "Dumbo" to the central kisses in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Sleeping Beauty," here are 17 moments and themes in Disney movies that haven't aged well. Denahi arrives and, falsely believing that Kenai was killed by the bear from earlier, vows to avenge Kenai by hunting it down. This fact applies only to more recent times. Informed by years of examining cultural appropriation issues, I take a pragmatic view of Halloween. Following the showing of the film, Collins performed "No Way Out" before introducing Tina Turner to the stage where she performed the opening song, "Great Spirits". It features Lake Titicaca, Mount Aconcagua, gauchos, charros, piatas and various dances and songs. Brother Bear follows an Alaska native boy named Kenai as he pursues a bear and kills it, but the Spirits, incensed by this unnecessary death, change Kenai into a bear himself as punishment. However, every child who participates in the island's activities is then turned into a donkey and sold to work in nearby salt mines. These movies are made of segments presenting famous sights and cultural aspects of Latin America through a mix of animation and live-action footage. Native American war bonnets are among the most instantly recognizable artifacts of Native American culture, and for this reason, often the most appropriated items of Native American culture.. A war bonnet is a piece of headgear made using eagle feathers and beads and worn either during battle or on special ceremonial occasions . Kenai and his brothers pursue the bear, but a fight ends on top of a glacier, during which Sitka gives his life to save his brothers by dislodging the glacier, although the bear survives the fall. Brother Bear was the first feature since The Horse Whisperer to do a widescreen shift. The 2014 film "Maleficent," which is told from the villain's point of view, attempts to resolve the problematic scene by focusing on the untold story of Maleficent's eventual bond with Aurora. It is important to understand, however, that there is a difference between appreciation and appropriation . Status. But Mulan is such an inspiring story, its fair to say it at least depicts the Chinese hero in a positive light. And family audiences are treated to a vibrantly hued movie with appealing characters. Her trip to England and marriage to John Rolfe are bizarrely portrayed in the direct-to-video sequel. The cartoon characters include a Brazilian parrot, a penguin from Patagonia and a Mexican rooster. Its just too bad they got Eddie Murphy to voice Mushu instead of say Jackie Chan. The Evolution of Anthropomorphism in Animated Movies. Disney films have been a mainstay in many people's childhoods for generations, but some elements of them don't hold up today. The central question posed at the beginning of "Beauty and the Beast's" opening monologue is, "Who could ever learn to love a beast?". . In the 2019 remake of "The Lion King," the hyenas are much shrewder and more threatening. Mostly, people view cultural appropriation as simply the adoption of some particular cultural aspects of another culture. In a scene where Dumbo is being bathed, a clown runs in with a bottle of champagne and the ringmaster protests, "Hey, no booze near the baby.". "Because you can not kiss someone if they're sleeping! [40] On its second wide weekend, the film continued its strong showing grossing $18.6 million against new competing films such as Elf and The Matrix Revolutions, collecting $44.1 million in three weeks. Irene Bedard, a Native American actress, voiced Pocahontas. But . . It was a bit of a disappointment, because I [usually] write songs that I sing myself. At the end of the movie though, an Indian girl appears wearing a bindi and she sings a strange song that seems to imply that things never really change in the jungle. You might be familiar with the Disney theme park ride "Splash Mountain" or the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." 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