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Naly Setthavongsack
Rodgers, Yonamine, Washington
11/09/15
Whats with Americans and Appropriation!
The Book of Life, is a film that took a spin on Dia de los Muertos, -- the Day of
the Dead. But according to the film, they werent celebrating Dia de los Muertos on a
Tuesday, the kids were celebrating Taco Tuesday; as stated to thousands of young
viewers and families. Dia de Muertos is a significant holiday for Mexico to honor the
deceased. Imagine being a young Mexican child who has grown up celebrating Dia de
los Muertos for as long as you could remember. Think of the excitement you feel as you
settle in to watch a movie that represented you and your culture, only to find that it
depicts your beloved holiday accurately in just the opening scenes, and continues the
next hour and 35 minutes with stereotypical jabs towards your ethnicity. Disney wanted
to further their festive movie by accompanying it with a copyright on none other than
the holiday itself; but failing. Not only did Disney fail to achieve copyright of a cultures
holiday, but Disney also failed to represent the culture correctly, resulting in
appropriating Mexican culture.
Viewers are firstly introduced to the opening scenes which vividly represent the
candlelight tributes families create and hold for their deceased loved ones in real life.
The artwork beautifully created an image for those who have never celebrated this
holiday to what it would be like on some level. Unfortunately, the scene was abruptly cut
short and was followed by a wager between La Muerte and Xibalba over what boy
would marry Maria, which continued as the theme of the movie.

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The focus of the movie switched quickly to the wager, rather than educating the
viewers on Dia de los Muertes. From the love scenes to the death scene of Manolo, the
focus of the Day of the Dead was quickly lost. Disney tried to stay on topic by theming
the death location as the Land of the Remembered, where those who passed went
when their families celebrated and thought of them, connecting to how the Day of the
Dead is spent typically doing. Although the idea of the Day of the Dead was there subtly,
Disney used the Day of the Dead to only tie the plot of the marriage wager (the plot) to
the movies original focus, which was revolved around the date of the Day of the Dead.
The wager continued to a fight between Manolo and Joaquin, and Manolos
deceased ancestors aiding him back to life to save the town from Chakal and winning
Marias heart. That being the end of the movie that was supposed to be focussed
around the Day of the Dead, no decorations or rituals were shown at the end, bringing
the focus on the Day of the Dead only at the beginning. So Dia de los Muertes was
used in this film once beginning the wager, and once when the wager ended to connect
references pertaining to Manolos ancestors returning to life because it was the day of
the dead, to aid him in his troubles. Which was an inaccurate representation of the Day
of the Dead. Adding to the importance the movie should be showing the real culture to
this holiday to remove comments from viewers such as whats up with Mexicans and
death! which was readily added as a line in the movie.
The movie showed no appreciation towards the culture of Mexico, specifically the
Day of the Dead. Disney chimed stereotypical comments of winning the girl with musical
bars with Weve already been to four bars- twice! raising the stereotype that Mexicans
are alcoholic to viewers, when this movie is supposed to represent the factual positive

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culture of Mexico. A common physical symbol in this movie was mustaches, appearing
on globes, faces, items- just because its a movie revolving around Mexico. In other
movies such as Tom and Jerry, youll find pain props to be pianos dropping, or even
stepping on rakes. But in The Book of Life, the pain prop of humor is a cactus. Disney
attempted to add in symbols to represent the culture of Mexico, making it automatically
a cactus.
The importance of the Day of the Dead is completely lost in this movie. The
culture, the meaning and purpose is completely taken away and turned into just taking
this piece of culture from Mexico and recreating it without permission in The Book of
Life. The Day of the Dead was rarely mentioned let alone represented correctly. This
movie only makes the youth and families who are unknowledgable about the holiday
take away inaccurate information to ignorantly spread around and not feel the need to
learn the real culture. Disney definitely accomplished appropriating Mexicos culture
within just one hour and 35 minutes.