The Militant Doberman
Banned
With Disney’s live-action Mulan remake in the headlines I thought this might make an interesting discussion. It’s inspired by posts from a few months ago:
Hilariously, whereas OTL Mulan cartoon came under fire from conservatives like Mike Pence when it first came out I can easily imagine ATL “Mulu” upsetting both Conservatives AND Leftists (conservatives would have the same complaints as OTL (plus possibly the addition of butthurt Neo-Nazis and Mussolini fanboys) while I can easily see leftists of various stripes accusing the ATL cartoon of “cultural appropriation” and/or “promoting racist & negative African stereotypes”).
How would the film be viewed in Italy? Even if (I assume) your average Italian citizen isn’t a supporter of fascism nowadays would there be any outraged if the Italians were portrayed in the same outward monstrously caricature fashion as the Huns were:
Would the film spark any deep debate about the actions of Italian forces in the Italo-Abyssinian War & WW2? I think this hypothetical version of Mulan would be the 1st Disney animated film to deal with an Axis member country in prelude to WW2.
And how would the film be received in Ethiopia itself? How about Eritrea? Eritrea & Ethiopia did go to war with one another in spring of 1998.
Mulu is a animated film from Disney taking place in the 1935 Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The film follows the exploits of the titular character who takes up military service to avoid her younger brother being conscripted into service with the Ethiopian Army. The film is one of the first to depict the Italian invasion of Ethiopia and received praise from film critics as a result. It also depicts how women in the military were viewed during the 1930s to 1940s.Mulu— Disney’s Mulan (1998 version) but reimagined in the context of the 1935 Italian invasion of Ethiopia.*
* - because in OTL, Emperor Haile Selassie I decreed that all families must provide 1 son to fight the Italians & there were reports of daughters going instead.
Did Mulu wipe out most of the Italian army with an avalanche? Because that would have been cool.
So what if the basic plot of the 1998 animated film was instead transplanted to 1930s Kingdom of Ethiopia? Thus instead of Mulan being Disney’s 1st Asian Princess you get “Mulu” as Disney’s 1st Black Princess (this would predate by a over a decade OTL’s Tiana who became the 1st African-American Disney Princess in 2009). What might be some cultural knock-on effects from this?Ahh,you can see what happens when you put some dynamite and some captured munitions into the Ethiopian Highlands that Mulu did. Hehehe.
Hilariously, whereas OTL Mulan cartoon came under fire from conservatives like Mike Pence when it first came out I can easily imagine ATL “Mulu” upsetting both Conservatives AND Leftists (conservatives would have the same complaints as OTL (plus possibly the addition of butthurt Neo-Nazis and Mussolini fanboys) while I can easily see leftists of various stripes accusing the ATL cartoon of “cultural appropriation” and/or “promoting racist & negative African stereotypes”).
How would the film be viewed in Italy? Even if (I assume) your average Italian citizen isn’t a supporter of fascism nowadays would there be any outraged if the Italians were portrayed in the same outward monstrously caricature fashion as the Huns were:
Would the film spark any deep debate about the actions of Italian forces in the Italo-Abyssinian War & WW2? I think this hypothetical version of Mulan would be the 1st Disney animated film to deal with an Axis member country in prelude to WW2.
And how would the film be received in Ethiopia itself? How about Eritrea? Eritrea & Ethiopia did go to war with one another in spring of 1998.
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