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Second Take: Disney offensively depicts Polynesian demigod in upcoming film ‘Moana’

Some audiences claim Disney’s depiction of the character Maui (Dwayne Johnson) in the upcoming film “Moana” perpetuates stereotypes of Polynesian men as overweight. (Courtesy of Youtube)

By Christi Carras

July 18, 2016 12:00 a.m.

The Walt Disney Company has invited its first ever Polynesian princess into its animated ranks, but the tan-skinned, thick-haired girl has hardly attracted any attention in the midst of a controversy.

Instead, the title character of Disney’s “Moana,” which is set for release Nov. 23, has been overshadowed literally and figuratively by her sidekick Maui, who appears to be at least four times her size.

While the company went to great lengths to bring voice actors of Polynesian descent into main roles and even employ a Polynesian composer for the score, Disney seems to have carelessly overlooked Maui’s potentially offensive design.

The character, whose massive body is topped by a comparatively small head with bushy eyebrows, is a Polynesian demigod who joins Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) on her journey across the Pacific Ocean. Critics of the film’s promotional art argue the exaggerated depiction of Maui (Dwayne Johnson) perpetuates the stereotype that Polynesian men are overweight, and disrespects his namesake, who is a strong and powerful figure in Polynesian mythology.

Others argue that Maui’s animation depicts him as a “strongman” and those claiming he is overweight or obese are crafting issues from nothing and insulting men who resemble Maui in real life.

By upping the diversity in its royal court, Disney should have been more mindful of the culture “Moana” represents.

Members of the Polynesian community are justified in their disgust, as both Maui’s over-the-top animation and outrageous actions in the new “Moana” teaser trailer depict the Polynesian fabled hero as a comedic figure. The only opinions that matter in the Maui debate are those of the Pacific Islander community.

“When we look at photos of Polynesian men and women from the last 100 to 200 years, most of our people were not overweight, and this negative stereotype of Maui is just not acceptable. No thanks to Disney,” wrote Jenny Salesa, a New Zealand Parliament member, in a since-deleted Facebook status.

Others in the social media sphere joined Salesa in criticizing the character’s appearance, saying Maui is an inaccurate depiction of the Polynesian legend.

However, many rebutted critiques of Maui’s animation. Defenders of the drawing claim that those attempting to protect Polynesian culture are simultaneously body-shaming overweight men. This argument reflects a recurring pattern in race debates in which people deflect a cultural issue by morphing the problem into one that is universal, such as body-shaming.

Supporters of Maui’s animation revere the character as an inspirational figure capable of showing its young audience that physically bigger men can be strong and worthy of respect.

But the cultural insensitivity discussion is larger than Maui’s size or even his mythological history. Since Disney has boasted the collaboration of “Moana” with Pacific Islanders, it should adopt a responsibility to portray the culture accurately and respectfully, instead of abusing it as a means to make its princess posse appear less devoid of color.

Michel Mulipola, a Samoan comic illustrator, has defended Maui’s animation, arguing that his large appearance serves two non-offensive purposes: to distinguish him from other characters and to convey his “strong, powerful and protective” personality to audiences.

But Disney’s artists could have erased half of Maui, and he still would have greatly offset Moana and appeared to be a strong and powerful force. Traditional art of the Polynesian legend depicts him as muscular, fit and considerably thinner than the “Moana” version.

Casting actors of Polynesian descent such as Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson certainly seem to be a promising start to offsetting the animation, and hopefully the “Moana” plot can prove more tasteful than some of Disney’s past portrayals of indigenous peoples. The Pacific Islander community will be the judge when “Moana” hits theaters.

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Christi Carras
Carras is an A&E senior staff writer. She was previously the assistant editor for the Theater Film and Television beat of A&E.
Carras is an A&E senior staff writer. She was previously the assistant editor for the Theater Film and Television beat of A&E.
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