BE, on "Pocahontas: Waiting on the World to Change "

Commentary: One point of debate about Disney movies is that they promote a negative message about non-white races and cultures. Many argue that the movie Pocahontas supports this theory. Scholars such as Lori Rowlett suggest that Disney's Pocahontas fully embraced John Smith's European culture. On the other hand, there is a competing argument that suggests that the movie portrays the exact opposite message: that this movie shows the Europeans in a bad light and Pocahontas' way of life in a good light, as much more peaceful and open-minded. Instead of Pocahontas converting to John Smith's way of life, she actually converts him to her way of life. I have created this video to showcase this competing argument; that this movie portrays the Europeans as “wrong” and through Pocahontas' love and knowledge, John Smith learns a better way of living. John Smith comes to this foreign land with his European ideas of savages and colonialism, but upon meeting Pocahontas, he is persuaded to turn from his previous “evil” lifestyle towards Pocahontas' more peaceful and loving lifestyle. After learning about Pocahontas' culture, he sides with her in the end, even willing to risk his own life in order to protect her father from Smith's “own people”. Pocahontas' love encourages Smith's understanding of a different culture and way of life, but not everyone understands that, such as Smith's boss. In the end, like the song says, they are both still “waiting on the world to change”.