They’re removed from their cultural context by appearing on a Halloween costume, he said.įor example, the outfit has triangle designs used to symbolize sharks. He said the costume featured tattoos that would be used in Polynesia by chiefs, adults and those committed to the community. Tevita Kaili, a professor of cultural anthropology at Brigham Young University- Hawaii, said he was happy Disney responded to the criticism and pulled the product. The listing noted the getup had “padded arms and legs for mighty stature!” The Disney online store began selling the costume recently, just in time for Halloween. She meets Maui, who helps her explore the ocean.
The animated feature is about a teenager who sails through the South Pacific to a fabled island. She said Disney stopped marketing the outfit only because people spoke out. The Native Hawaiian college student said in an interview the costume doesn’t honor or pay homage to a culture or person, but makes fun of it.įairchild, who is attending school in San Antonio, Texas, later said she accepted the apology, but it didn’t change what the company did. Let’s call it like it is, people,” Fairchild said in a video she posted on Facebook. “Polyface is Disney’s new version of blackface.
“We sincerely apologize and are pulling the costume from our website and stores.”Ĭhelsie Haunani Fairchild said it’s off-putting to have a child wear the skin of another race. “The team behind ‘Moana’ has taken great care to respect the cultures of the Pacific Islands that inspired the film, and we regret that the Maui costume has offended some,” the company said in a statement. It comes with a fake shark-tooth necklace and green-leaf “skirt.”ĭisney’s online store had offered boy’s pajamas and a men’s T-shirt in a similar design.īut those products were no longer available Wednesday. The getup depicts Maui - a revered figure in Polynesian oral traditions and viewed by some Pacific Islanders as an ancestor - who is a character in the upcoming animated movie “Moana.” It has a long-sleeve brown shirt and long pants featuring full-body tattoos. Disney said Wednesday it would no longer sell a boy’s costume for a Polynesian character that some Pacific Islanders have compared to blackface.