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Barely a day after it became public that Disney had made a move to trademark Dia De los Muertos for an upcoming Pixar film about the holiday, the company has given up the effort.

A company spokesperson has stated that the effort to trademark Dia was given up as the film’s title would change. However, the backlash regarding the move was enormous — and almost instant. Many were furious that Disney had attempted to turn their culture into a piece of consumerism. The effort to fight off this cultural appropriation is certainly admirable and a testament to how the Internet can become a loudspeaker for the marginalized, however, Dia De los Muertos did not escape unharmed, and the exploitation of the holiday continues unabated — with icons and symbols being sold constantly to naive consumers at Hot Topic.

This isn’t the first time that retailers have appropriated ethnic images and dress styles.

The weird trend of “Navajo” patterns, on dresses, bags, and moccasins was just the tip of the iceberg. It met with backlash, of course. Next, “Aztec” style patterns are springing up on the racks — but they seem to be as Aztec as the Mayan ba’ktun cycle. America isn’t all to get exploited, though!

Victoria’s Secret re-sexualized the geisha of Japan with a downright trashy “sexy geisha,” upsetting plethoras of Asian Americans for carrying on a stereotype that Asian women are “exotic.” Not to be outdone, Urban Outfitters decided to mix it up and sell an ethnic Ethiopian dress — which either sold out quickly or got pulled down after Ethiopians and Ethiopian-Americans noticed it.

Now, it seems that the calavera, Dia de Los Muertos, and the Virgen de Guadalupe are up for appropriation now on Hot Topic’s website and in their stores.The choice of these images hasn’t been brought up much — but it is rather troublesome, and definitely tasteless. Tank tops, tee shirts, and even bikini pieces feature the images. Glitter-shaped calaveras on people’s chests or butts, and shirts or patches featuring defaced images of  la Virgen de la Guadalupe with a calavera for a face are also up for sale, as well as a boatload of other images that steal the motifs and imagery and turn them into wearable outfits.

Nothing screams trendy or cool like exploiting people’s culture. The clothes pull Mexican images and culture from where they belong and turn them into cute jokes for teens and twenty-somethings to wear without a clue or a care as to where these images came from. The meaning and culture is completely pulled from the holiday when somebody decides to slap a picture of Marilyn Monroe with her face done up as a sugar skull onto a tee shirt. Or, turn a Star Wars storm trooper’s helmet into a calavera.

It’s sickening. It’s a sign that despite the big victory against Disney trademarking Dia, Latinos and other minorities need to continue the fight against corporations which seek to make a quick profit over their symbols. The sudden torrent of anger toward Disney was impressive and swift, it forced them to give up their bid to turn a holiday name into a profit. However, it can not end there. Stores such as Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters and others which pull from ethnic and cutlural images such as Dia need to be aggressively pursued and harassed about the trashy images they peddle around of our culture. To the 20-somethings who will buy this merchandise, wear it, then throw it out when it’s no longer in vogue, our culture means nothing.

It’s a cute gag, a cute picture to wear. A “punk” skull with “cool” symbols. It’s a stupid little trend for now to these people who buy and consume these materials. An oddity. Our culture is not your fashion statement. If we sit back and breathe a sigh of relief that Dia De los Muertos is not going to have a grinning mouse behind it, then we might as well give up our culture right now. It is imperative that we continue to watch for and fight vehemently against appropriation of our culture.

Otherwise, what was the point of raising hell against Disney?

It would have been pointless because Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters, whatever, will continue to make profits off of Geisha girls, defaced Virgens, African dresses, and whatever else they continue to get their hands on and run with. It is not okay to let our traditions and history fall victim to predatory capitalists and ignorant hipsters, and we need to fight that tooth and nail. Otherwise our heritage and holidays will mean nothing.

More Dia De los Dólares void of meaning.

[Image by Lalo Alcaraz via Pocho.com]

About Elaine Rita Mendus (50 Posts)

Elaine Rita Mendus is a undergraduate student working on graduating college (someday soon). Her career interests include geopolitics, the Hispanic community, and urban planning. She really wouldn't mind ending up a scriptwriter though...