On racism, sexism, and Disney-ism

[maruutsu]

(First a little complaint: my writing SUCKS. Why is it damn so hard?  *goes to her emo corner*)

It's spring break here in Southern-South America, and while my little sister enjoys a well-deserved vacation from that demonic private school she goes to, I study for my test (a little) and do nothing. We organised a Disney marathon, starting with Mulan,

Comments

[misstopia]

Mulan is definitely the superior Disney heroine, though I like others for sure, but like ... as you said, she's not defined by romance, although she's still allowed to like boys (so it's not either/or ... it's just a matter of what her story is about). Also, she isn't in-your-face-better-than-the-other-girls action girl. She does it for a purpose, makes friends, develops aptitude, and has a full-bodied arc that is not about being a Statement (for Disney levels anyway).

Prejudice vs prejudice always gives interesting results! I imagine a white hispanic can always say, Hey African Hispanic you don't have a monopoly on oppression, we're oppressed too! And that could potentially distort a picture of the whole power hierarchy :\

[maruutsu]

Haha, I can totally picture Mulan as a Stark! And yes, my point was actually that she's the only heroine whose storyline revolves around something other than Prince Charming and True Love

[misstopia]

chacusha actually had her as a Tully first, but I made her make me a Stark one :P

Of course you are perfectly right, it's quite ostensibly a feminist statement as well as an intentional personal affirmation. Maybe it's just a statement I like XD

yet these are the same people that get mad when they see fellow countrymen (white hispanics, of course) being discriminated in Spain

Gross. You'd think that would make them more understanding! Sounds to me like people just need something to bitch about, which really undermines the attempts of people who sincerely want to address all the problematic attitudes.

we don't have indians because a Uruguayan PRESIDENT had them killed!

D: *understatement!facepalm*

[violaswamp]

I don't think most Americans are even aware of the distinction between White Hispanics and native-descended Latinos--at least, not consciously. But there certainly is racism against people from South America who are brown-skinned and speak Spanish!

I really like Mulan's arc because, as you said, she's not the "spunky tomboy"; she goes to war for the sake of her family, and survives because of her brain and not because she can out-brawn the boys. And there's no annoying scene where she demonstrates her superiority to lesser, pretty, girly-girls. She's just who she is.

[maruutsu]

Yeah, I figured they think we're all the same, just like our continent is 'one huge mass of rain-forests' or whatever the wording was (I actually read that somewhere).

Ohh, the good ol' superiority of Smart Girls vs Pretty Girls.

[nyaza]

Pocahontas isn't from Disney??

Uhm, sabesen que pensaba el otro día (espero que no suene por el lado que va a sonar, porque no es la intención). Como siempre que quieren representar a la gente de latinoamerica tienden a representar a la gente mexicana, a la gente digamos "latina" que tiene decendencia directa de los indigenas y todo eso. Y como para la gente del norte (en su mayoría, y sobre too de usa) es como raro pensar que hay gente "igual" a ellos aquí porque tienen esta imagen de "hispano" y como les cuesta creer que seamos de aquí. (asi como tmb que haya gente con educación... *rollz eyes*). /random.

De todas formas, partiendo de esa base, supongo que no es sorprendete que la gente hispana no este representada en pelis de Disney (o que mayormente este representada de mal forma en las pelis en gral.).

*no sabe si tiene sentido lo que acaba de decir*
/fin. XD

[maruutsu]

She is.

Creo que te entendí, sip. También está el hecho de que es más fácil identificar a los latinos con ese estereotipo tan fácil de reconocer físicamente, que a la gente "como nosotros", digamos, que además probablemente shockearían a quien nos viera porque, como dijiste, no tienen ni idea de que existimos. Entonces, si quieren transmitirle a la audiencia que un personaje es latino, recurren al estereotipo.

Ahora no sé si *eso* tuvo sentido XD

[nyaza]

si tuvo sentido. es que por ejemplo, yo tngo una prima que fue a trabajar a usa por un tiempo en crucero, y estaban completamente sorprendidos que alguiend e aqui pudeira primero que nada tener tal nivel de cultura (cultura en gral) y que encima se veia como ellos y todo eso. ~~ y LOOL.

en una forma rarezca, es imposible que alguna evz nos vayan a representar con "realismo" XD

[maruutsu]

Sí, tal vez sólo cuando lleguemos a determinado nivel de desarrollo y se terminen los prejuicios, o los medios colaboren para terminarlos. Mientras tanto tendremos que resignarnos, o esperar a que los que están allá hagan algo.