Notes

Maui Halloween Costumes: Cultural Appropriation on Its Best.
Disney's forthcoming film Moana gets great reviews, as it showcases Polynesian cultural elements in an animated format. The Rock, Dwayne Johnson plays Maui. Maui is a demigod with tattoos.

Disney's website recently featured a children's outfit that featured brown skin with tattoos. The costume was considered culturally insensitive by many. After public protest, the costume has been removed.
DISNEY REMOVAL MAUI COSTUME From Stores

Disney has withdrawn an insensitive Halloween costume designed for children. Many Pacific Islanders found it offensive. The kids' costumes depicted Maui - the demigod Dwayne Johnson plays in Moana. The zip-up brown costume featured tattooed arms and legs and skin that stretched from the neck to the ankles.

Critics have said that the costume represents a blackface practice, which involves painting a person’s face and hand to appear like someone of another race. They claim it insults Polynesian cultural values and reinforces stereotypes based on the weight of the Polynesian community.

Tevita Kaili a professor in Hawaiian and Pacific Island study at Brigham Young University said the Maui costumes are offensive because they remove him from his cultural background. Maui is a legend about an ancestor, who grabbed the sun from the sea and pulled the islands out.
Cultural Appropriation

If people of dominant culture dress up in costumes which depict marginalized members, this can be considered cultural appropriation. If you dress up as a Native American, Japanese geisha, Arab sheikh, etc., then it is cultural appropriation. The costume can reinforce stereotypes, and it can add to the oppression of some communities.

Critics claimed that the Maui outfit from Moana did not only perpetuate stereotypical images about Polynesian society, but it also appropriated the culture. The brown costume was covered with tattoos and looked like the demigod Maui. As the tattoos had been removed from their original context, the outfit was a sign of disrespect and not appropriation. It is important to always consult Pacific cultures before creating a costume based on their culture.
Disney's Response

The costume has been criticized by several people who claim it promotes the notion that any child can dress as whatever they like. Others claim that the costumes is racist as it implies that white kids should match their skin tone with that of Maui.

Maui, the Polynesian goddess and ancestor of most of the Pacific islanders is depicted in this costume. It includes a bodysuit in brown with tattoos, a grass skirt and a shark tooth necklace.

Disney has been accused of racism by some critics for using the costume based on Moana, the new movie. The movie is about a Polynesian princess and the demigod Maui who team up to sail across an ocean. Despite its controversy, this film has received positive reviews. Moana has been hailed by many as more realistic than any other Disney princess and without a love interest.
Final Thoughts

Disney's Moana inspired kids of all ages. It encouraged them to live life to the fullest and find their passion. It was also the first Disney character to feature a polynesian-born demigod. The two main actors in the film are Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Aulii Cravalho.

Maui is one of those characters that has received a lot of praise. But, some have criticized his portrayal in costume. The costume, which included a body suit in brown covered with tattoos to look like a demi god, was available online and at Disney shops.

Some people compared this look to blackface. This practice has been around for centuries and is used to mock or ridicule those of African descent. Disney is right to remove the Maui Costume from its store, but the decision not to apologize or market the item in the first instance was disappointing. Disney must take greater care in the future when it comes to the cultures that are being honored through its merchandise and filmmaking.
Website: https://www.mauicostume.com/