special thanks to @sanktnikolais for editing my messy thoughts, i adore you
As a Colombian woman, it really warms my heart to see how many people are loving Encanto—all the positive reactions and the praise the movie has received not only from the critics but from the audience in general make me happy beyond measure. I, as well as pretty much everyone in this country, have always resented the negative representation we have had in the media.
For instance, “Narcos” is one of the best examples of this hurtful representation that continues to profit from some of the darkest moments of recent history, events that we all would like to bury in the past.
Nonetheless, the discourse I have seen about Encanto, especially on Tumblr, has disappointed me greatly. Most people have focused on coming out with headcanons about the characters’ sexuality and gender, or writing Camilo x reader fics (do you realize he’s a teenager? please stop) shifting completely the real focus on the movie. Listen, I am not going to tell anyone what to do or to gatekeep these characters. The fact that you think Isabela is a lesbian doesn’t bother me; what I’d really like to remind people of, specially queer white folks, is that this movie isn’t for you.
This movie was made first and foremost for Colombians and Latinos. Therefore, when a movie like Encanto, which excels in every aspect and has finally given us the representation that we have been dying for, gets its every valuable aspect outshone by these woke and for the most part ridiculous takes (Bruno is autistic bc the knock on wood thing? Tell me you are white without telling me you are white.) It is expected that people like me won’t feel happy.
That being said, in this post I want to tell you about the amazing job Disney made at representing the armed conflict in my country and what this representation and the song “Dos Oruguitas” mean for Colombian people.
