an act of cultural appropriation. The two are hunted by Denahi, who is still determined to avenge Kenai, unaware that the bear he is pursuing is actually Kenai himself. And, believe me, that reality still lives hidden away out there among our American Indians. In its limited release, Brother Bear played only in two selected theaters in Los Angeles, California and New York City, grossing $291,940 for a per-screen average of $145,970. kiss kiss kiss! Now imagine if they did an animated movie like Moana, but with a black African Disney princess. The cast is mostly from Hawaii and New-Zealand. Mouse, tells him to drink a barrel of alcohol that he thought was water. "[33] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a playful movie that celebrates nature and the spirit world with striking imagery and a smooth blend of drama and comedy. "I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother." Brown - born dirt-poor in Barnwell, South Carolina, on the other side of the . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. My favorite quote from Brother Bear: "Hey baby! "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. A simple definition of cultural appropriation is the idea of someone adopting something from a culture that is not their own. [5] They also traveled through Denali National Park and the Kenai Fjords National Park, where they visited Exit and Holgate Glacier. He later recorded his translation at an Anchorage studio while being videotaped for animation reference. Last century they dubbed themselves the "forgotten minority." Thus, the account not only bolsters our un derstanding of how cultural appropriation can cause harm, but may also provide the resources to lodge objections to cultural appropriation without exacerbating the harms of essentialism. Isn't that the greatest? It also includes the unauthorized use of parts of their culture (their dress, dance, etc.) They tried. There's a big difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. I will go over the movies that either take place outside the United-States or focus on minorities of the United-States (but I will skip Songs of the South!). Festival fashion has recently come under criticism for cultural appropriation. 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. Tangled marked a return to classic European fairy tales. A Beautiful Girl I Knew Became a High-Class Escort And Paid a Terrible Price. "It feels like the characters seemingly have to be transfigured in some form for the writers and animators, mostly white men, to be able to truly care about them," wrote Monique Jones for Shadow and Act. I'm a leading bear. He is the author of the new book, Writings on the Wall. Cultural appropriation refers to the use of objects or elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that reinforces stereotypes or contributes to oppression and doesn't respect their original meaning or give credit to their source. Another thing Id like to see is a movie set in Africa, also with human characters. When Tahana calls for him, Kenai's childish dream is to get a power stronger than either of them. This fact applies only to more recent times. He plays the piano with chopsticks, speaks in a stereotypical accent, and sings about fortune cookies. One notable change made by Disney was to make Esmeralda a Romani girl, whereas in the novel she was kidnapped as a baby by the Romani and switched for Quasimodo. With Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, Rick Moranis. Mulan and Aladdin are to date my favorite classic Disney films. And of course theres the pitfall of veering into hurtful stereotypes. 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. Answer (1 of 23): I once sat at a dinner party and this ridiculous subject came up, usually this sort of thing is seen for the agenda pushing nonsense it is. Kenai accepts his new surroundings and is comfortable living with the other bears. What a perfect gift! "The hyenas transparently represent the black, brown, and disabled bodies that are forcefully excluded from this hierarchical society," Dann Hassler-Forest wrote in The Washington Post. Cultural appropriation is a topic that is either explicit or implicit in our classrooms and one that must be . As we meet Kenai, his two elder brothers have already received their totem spirit helpers from Tahana. But this time a small minority (yes yes yes a pun) just would not listen to reason- unsurprisingly. "Noticeably marked by their ethnically coded 'street' accents, the hyenas blatantly symbolize racist and anti-Semitic stereotypes of 'verminous' groups that form a threat to society.". It is partially a documentary and the rest is humorous. Many parents (including celebrities) have voiced their concerns over sharing the scene with their children. Life in this cold climate was extremely difficult, and it behooved everyone to have some form of medicine power. 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. 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. If you haven't watched 1940's "Pinocchio" in a while, you might mainly remember the movie for its lovable titular puppet and the song "When You Wish Upon a Star." Diversity makes the stories feel less repetitive. [26] In April 2004 alone, 5.51 million DVD copies of the film were sold. The real Pocahontas was about 12 when she met John Smith. Cultural appropriation often insults the target culture or reinforces stereotypes, thus causing harm to people's identities. This type of cultural appropriation is a form of dehumanization. However, every child who participates in the island's activities is then turned into a donkey and sold to work in nearby salt mines. Pocahontas rewrites history and kind of falls into the noble savage trope, wherein the good indigenous character has not yet been corrupted by the evil of civilization. ", In the original theatrical version of "Aladdin," a line from the opening song, "Arabian Nights," goes, "Where they cut off your ear, if they don't like your face / It's barbaric, but hey, it's home. 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. Authenticity evolves with experience. killed in an altercation with a bear, another brother kills the bear to avenge his brother's death. There are two songs performed and written by a Hawaiian musician. It has an American narrator and Latin American actors. Be sure to watch for how many times along Kenai's way a prayer is given in a time of need or danger, and help is instantly there. Cultural appropriation affects the soul of people, a sense of their inherent value, and it also affects their pockets, their capacity to rise above their circumstances through the fair rewarding . Typically, queer-coded male villains tend to be effeminate, flamboyant, and/or talk with a lisp, while queer-coded female villains tend to be more masculine and brash than the movies' heroines. [23], Brother Bear was released on VHS and DVD on March 30, 2004. The first disc contained the widescreen version (1.66:1 aspect ratio) and the second disc featured the original theatrical widescreen version (1.66:1 and 2.35:1 aspect ratio). (As we will see, the representation of other cultures is often regarded as a form of cultural appropriation. A version of this trope seems to appear in the upcoming Pixar film, "Soul," in which Joe Gardner (the black main character) is separated from his body and appears as a teal mass (meant to be his "soul") for what seems like most of the story. As the concept of cultural appropriation is used in this essay, it does not necessarily carry with it any moral baggage. The Japanese influences are reflected in the architecture mostly, but also in the design of the robot and tech. On the other hand, if you learn, explore, and understand a . Best. These movies are made of segments presenting famous sights and cultural aspects of Latin America through a mix of animation and live-action footage. I also read that the story was inspired by a supposed gap in the navigation history of the Polynesian peoples. The main protagonist is half Japanese and is played by an actor who is also half Japanese. Cultural appropriation is starting to become more . Its too anachronistic to be taken as a serious attempt at cultural representation. 6 min read. Voiced by Christopher Walken, he forgoes any jive associations and is much more menacing towards Mowgli. Add a Comment. 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 . "The hyenas had to change a lot," said Jon Favreau in Disney's press notes for the new movie. Most people had at least one small power. . Its an adaptation of a 1912 American novel set in 1888 Africa. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 20:57, Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Production, Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in a Feature Production, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production, List of Disney theatrical animated features, "These Two Talking Moose Let Their Antlers Down", "Fraternal Obligation: Disney Revisits the Animal Picture with 'Brother Bear', "Brother Bear: Production Notes About the Production", "Brother Bear: Production Notes - Nature Calls", "Why For was Michael Clarke Duncan's Grizz character cut out of Disney's "Brother Bear"? Since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was released in 1938, the fantastical worlds of Disney's children's films have captivated generations and become a mainstay in many people's childhoods. Don't call me a leading man. Ed, the third hyena, doesn't talk, but cackles and spasms in a way that was reminiscent to some of Tourette's Syndrome. Writers. Yes, powerful shamans who could cure were rare, but the use of medicine powers was not. 1. The trend continued well into the latter half of the 20th century with all-European classics like Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Hercules. The term "Cultural appropriation" is a post-civil rights liberal revisionist term. What is cultural appropriation? The Evolution of Anthropomorphism in Animated Movies. Some even argue that Belle is showing signs of Stockholm Syndrome, in which hostage victims develop feelings of trust or affection toward their captors. This blending of two cultures is a timely concept and a nice love letter to immigrants. 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 . This 2015 video from MTV News weekly series Decoded features Franchesca Ramsey breaking down 7 myths about cultural appropriation, or where dominant groups "borrow" or capitalize upon cultural practices or expressions from marginalized groups who are not similarly celebrated, but rather face oppression or are stigmatized for their cultural practices and expressions. Sitka complies, and Kenai is transformed back into a bear. ", "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. brother bear cultural appropriation. When it comes to cultural portrayal, Disney has to walk the line between representation and appropriation. (This is a linguistic score for Disney--the Kenai people belong to the Tanaina tribe, and her name symbolizes that Tahana is the essence of her people.) So when I see people dressed as Indians on Halloween, I can't just have a good time. The phrase originated in the . A direct-to-video sequel, Brother Bear 2, was released on August 29, 2006. A deeper understanding of what cultural appropriation is digs up issues of whether it is offensive and even racist. 'Big Brother 24' houseguest Matt 'Turner' has faced backlash regarding his use of words including 'bussin' as many viewers believe it's cultural appropriation. Saludos Amigos (1942) & The Three Caballeros (1944). Adding a new wrinkle to the conversation is Bruno Mars, whose unmistakable references to funk, R&B, and New Jack Swing in his art have long sparked whispers of appropriation and lawsuits over . You speak of justice yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help! But Mulan is such an inspiring story, its fair to say it at least depicts the Chinese hero in a positive light. . "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. 1. The voice cast isnt Peruvian, nor Latino, nor indigenous. While the first film dealt with Kenai's relationship with Koda, this one focuses more on his bond with a young human of his past, Nita. Historically, deciding exactly what culture is hasn't been easy. Its a cool concept, and they cast African-American actors to voice the African-American characters, but I thought it was a bit weird to make Tiana the pseudo-servant of a rich white girl. It's never a good idea to give up your voice or sense of self for a romantic partner especially when you're 16 and your potential love interest is a man you've never officially met. Think black people being called thugs, assumed to be gang members and refused job opportunities when we wear cornrows, or even our own natural hair. 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. Aurora founded Brother Vellies in January 2013 with the purpose of preserving the craft of design throughout the African continent by creating a sustainable business model. He gets caught in a trap, but is freed by an outgoing bear cub named Koda. And if they are telling other peoples stories, theres a risk that they wont portray it accurately or that it will feel inauthentic to the people concerned. This helps the message reach a wider audience and helps get the . The voice actors were American and African-American. Meanwhile, Rutt and Tuke, having had a falling-out, reconcile in front of Koda, prompting him to forgive Kenai. It is set approximately 2000 years ago. See more. This year's Met Gala theme China: Through the Looking Glass was just begging for cultural appropriation, which led many starlets to play it safe with minimal references to China.Emma Roberts, however, earned herself Twitter backlash for wearing chopsticks in her hair.. Chopsticks in the hair is one of many broadly "Asian" styles tried on by Western dressers (for what it's worth . For Lavalier and many others, the origin of the term spirit animal is unclear. [30] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Cultural appropriation is the "adoption or taking of specific elements of one culture by another without substantive reciprocity, permission, compensation, understanding, or appreciation" (Chepp, 2012). Disney films have been a mainstay in many people's childhoods for generations, but some elements of them don't hold up today. The film stars the voices of Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Jason Raize (in his only film role), and D.B. The terminology we find amongst proponents of cultural appropriation - "homage", "borrowing", and "sharing" - centers the desires of those who take artistic expression for profit. In the halls of academia, discourse regarding cultural appropriation arose in the late 1970s, sparked by the publication of Edward Said 's famous book "Orientalism.". Ollie Millington / Getty Images. I think cultural appropriation is a load of baloney, based on the most persistent errors in political/social thought: abstraction errors - misunderstanding the relationship between people and labels, between aggregates and concretes. Amandla Stenberg, an activist and an individual who has considerable reach amongst the masses used her platform as an actress to speak out against cultural appropriation when she responded to a post on the Instagram of a celebrity teen socialite in early July. Cultural Appropriation, by some it's seen as an adoption culture being stolen away from a dominant group. "[29] Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 48 based on 28 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [5] Around 2000, the story evolved into a tale in which the transformed Kenai is taken in by an older bear, Grizz, who was to be voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan. 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