Encanto


Encanto is a film that makes me think of the pandemic in that the first time I watched it was with my family as we were huddled together in quarantine.  During quarantine, new releases on streaming services became appointment viewing.  We would wait for new releases to occupy our time as there wasn't much new content being released and no one was going to movie theaters.

I would have loved to have gone to the movie screening at Rhode Island College as it would have been nice to see everyone in person and had the opportunity to discuss Encanto in a group setting through different lenses.  It was not meant to be as I had to work that evening.

When I originally watched Encanto with my family, it was for entertainment.  It was a fun film with a family of Latino heritage and catchy songs.  It was not a film that I gave much of a second thought to outside of hearing "We Don't Talk About Bruno" on the radio a million times in the months following.

After reading Linda Christensen's piece in Rethinking Popular Culture and Media called "Unearthing the Myths that Bind Us" I began to think about Disney in a different way.  I had always thought that the Disney princesses were unrealistic and a work of fiction, but I never thought about, "The 'secret education,' as Chilean writer Ariel Dorfman dubs it, delivered by children's books and movies, instructs young people to accept the world as it is portrayed in these social blueprints."

I never realized how racist the social blueprints are to people of color that are never exposed to white people in their communities.  Do they think that everyone is supposed to be a Disney princess?  Beautiful and waiting for Prince Charming to sweep them off of their feet.  Do they think that all white men are barrel chested, carry guns and need a beautiful woman on their arms?  These stereotypes and others in media (television news), television, advertisements, etc. set unrealistic expectations of beauty and strength.  There is less of a value put on intelligence then there is on looks and strength.

Watching Encanto through the critical lens that Christensen puts forward was very interesting.  It is especially interesting as Encanto is part of a new wave of Disney movie that is trying to be more representative of other communities.  It features a Latino family that is led by strong female characters.  It is not the Disney film that I was raised on.  That said, even the characters that are not supposed to be traditionally beautiful, like Mirabel, are.  It is impossible for Disney to put an unattractive main character in a movie.

I am glad to have learned about Christensen's views and been able to watch a Disney film through a different lens.  I may never be able to watch a Disney film in the same way again.  Blissfully ignorant to the stereotypes that Disney pushes forth into society...never again.

Here is my Disney Princess Conventions 2022 chart from the viewing of the film...

  



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