Comments on: Cannibals of the Caribbean

By: G

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:48:36 +0000

I know exactly how you feel. Some of my ancestors came from Italy, and all the media keeps wanting to do is portray them as organized criminals and gangsters. Others came from Poland, and I cringe every time I see anything in the media about Polka music because they are always portraying it as this horribly geeky, awful music when in fact, this music is so light-hearted because the Poles lived in abject poverty, and music and dance was the only form of entertainment they had, and it was meant to lift the spirit, much like the Negro Spiritual (I have a Masters in Jazz).

Also, my ancestors on both sides came to the U.S. fleeing wars and oppression. They came here with nothing and worked as indentured servants in the anthracite coal mines of Pennsylvania; I’m not sure if you know any of the history of this work, but I assure you, it was not a pleasant life. And yet, I find my “white” heritage (Italians were not considered white when the emigrated to the U.S.) often portrayed as being one of privilege and ease, and of being oppressive to other cultural groups when in fact, I had no ancestors in this country prior to 1908.

So, I absolutely agree with you on this point. It is horrendous the way Disney portrayed these people, and it does nothing but create negative stereotypes. I wish that people would stop doing this.

By: Hoodstar415

Hoodstar415 — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:23:53 +0000

Hmmm.. I’m Filipino+White and yeah it kinda got to me.. But some of us were canibals back in the day..

But so was EVERYONE.. I’m not mad that they portrayed poleynisians as canibals.. But that they hella just put that shit out there and don’t admit that they were like that before too. . I’m half white but I learned you can’t really trust white people.. They try to underhand you while smiling in your face.

By: Ed

Ed — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:55:43 +0000

Morons! This is called fiction and entertainment. Get over your pissy selves.

By: White Liberal Guilt « The Angry Black Woman

White Liberal Guilt « The Angry Black Woman — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 01:00:50 +0000

[...] Over in the comments on the Pirates post Wendy said something very prescient: I didn’t think about the racism at the … but now, dammit, you’ve made me think about the racism. Grr! I hate racism! I hate finding myself colluding with it, mentally, even if I DID fall asleep later on! Grrr Disney!!! [...]

By: Raznor

Raznor — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 02:17:00 +0000

The thing is I thought it was a good movie before and after the pointless cannibalism part. I didn’t really think about the racism while I was watching it, I just thought about how completely bored I was with the movie at the moment. AFter the movie I thought “that movie was good but at least 30 minutes too long” and thought of what should have been cut, and I realized that not only was the cannibalism scene pointless filler in a 2 and a half hour movie, but racist to boot. Why add racist filler in a too long movie? You fuckers?

Oh yeah, not to mention that they managed to kill off all the black crew members in that scene. What the fuck were people thinking?

And while I’m on the subject of what was wrong with that movie, how incompetent of a choreographer do you have to be to make a 3-way swordfight boring?

By: Laurel

Laurel — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:59:00 +0000

I’m glad I’m not the only person who was bothered by this. I was actually so uncomfortable in the theater that I leaned over to my girlfriend during the extended (and I agree with your characterization of it as unnecessary!) cannibalism bit, no doubt during some particularly eggregious “brown people whoopin’ it up in the jungle” sequence, and said “Dude, can they still make movies like this?!?”

By: Wendy

Wendy — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 17:17:00 +0000

I’m kind of retrospectively pissed off about it, too – I didn’t think about the racism at the time (because the plot was so stupid, this section was filler like you said, and anyway it was all just a set up for the rolling cage sequence which is no doubt going to be a theme park ride in due course) but now, dammit, you’ve made me think about the racism. Grr! I hate racism! I hate finding myself colluding with it, mentally, even if I DID fall asleep later on! Grrr Disney!!!

As far as what to do… hit them where it hurts, maybe? In the pocket. Now, what have Disney got to sell that we can refuse to buy??? Thoughts, anyone?