With Halloween just around the corner, we as parents are frantically trying to figure out what our children want to be dressed as. Clearly, you want them in the most popular costume, but yet you don’t want them wearing what everyone else will be in either. But unfortunately we have another costume controversy this year and it’s all thanks to Disney’s Moana.
Recently, Disney pulled their demigod Maui, the fictional co-star played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The decision to pull the items came when it was brought to their attention that they were viewed as offensive.
I understand the reason people would be offended, especially those of the Polynesian decent, but really who wouldn’t want their kid dressed as a character played by “The Rock”?
For me, I find it interesting that when Disney brings a unique and fun character for our children to look up to and admire that suddenly we as parents have to quickly shut it down. Yes, I understand that it’s like you are putting your kid in the brown skin of the character, but that’s what he is. He is a Polynesian and he has brown skin. Does that mean that only brown kids can wear this costume so that it wouldn’t make it about race?
Last year the costume controversy was all about if your kid was dressing in the wrong “gender appropriate” costume. Getting upset that boys were dressing as Elsa from Frozen. Today we are putting our kid in the right gender appropriate costume, but now it’s all about skin color.
Also, for years people complain that their larger kids don’t have someone to look up to and dress up as. Well, Maui isn’t the first larger character Disney has had: The Sultan of Agrabah, Pumbaa, Merry Weather, Mrs. Potts, Friar Tuck, Cogsworth, Chien Po, etc.
I have many Polynesian friends that I have looked up to and admired my entire life. If my kid finds a Polynesian character that he loves and wants to be for Halloween or just to dress up and use his imagination I support it 100%.
Maybe let’s think about things that are more important than what the kids will be dressing as and just be excited that Disney has created an actual Polynesian princess movie that will be a hit (cause who really liked Lilo and Stitch?).
