People are pissed and calling Disney’s Moana costume racist.
Disney has released their line of clothing, toys and merchandise for Moana and Disney decided to make the character Maui’s costume a full-body suit, which has many people up in arms calling the costume racist and “brownface”.
Disney’s full-body children’s suit is designed to look like the Polynesian demigod, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, including tattoos, grass skirt and even brown skin.
That has pissed off many Disney fans and critics. For example, Beth Elderkin for Gizmodo wrote:
“The costume looks great on the young male model because he has a similar complexion, but you can’t escape the fact that a white boy or girl is going to be in brownface. Just because you don’t darken the face itself doesn’t mean it’s not offensive and wrong.”
But, it doesn’t stop there. Many fans took to Twitter to bash Disney’s costume merchandising department.
dont get mad at the moana team and people behind the film for the racist merch like animators/actors have nothing to do w marketing
— hannah ? (@fireflypendants) September 18, 2016
I don’t know why anyone is surprised at Disney: they’re a racist empire. What they’ve done with Moana costumes is one vomitous example.
— binary smasher (@kiwinerd) September 19, 2016
Oh what? Disney is racist and stereotypical? Jeez would’ve never thought after generations of movies and merch before moana that it could be
— Iron man (@HelloFernandooo) September 19, 2016
Hey @disney how the heck did the literal brown skin suit merch for Moana get through product development? Awful and racist. Please pull it.
— annie mosity (@queenofzan) September 18, 2016
Moana arrives in theaters November 23.
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