Moana, Oceania, Moana Pozzi

[little_firestar]

Few days ago, I saw an advertisment (in English) for the upcoming Disny Animation Movie "Moana".
Since when it was wirst announced a few years back (two, maybe? Or ir it less?) I told myself this:
"They are not going to call it like that here in Italy. No way. not with Moana Pozzi"
Moana Pozzi was (as she's been dead for a coupple of decades, even if, according to Conspiracy Theories, she is still alive somewhere) probably the most famous Italian Porn Actress (together with Cicciolina), who even tried her hand at Politics (yes, there's been something worse than Berlusconi Or Renzi) with the "Partito dell'Amore" (Love Party). I still remember her and Cicciolina on the news, walking and presenting at assemblies their party, often more naked than not... I'm no prude, but seriously, there' a place for everything, and in the streets of Rome at midday there are CHILDREN, so, yeah...
Anyway, out of curiosity, I went to see if there was already a Wikipedia page in Italian about the movie (despite the Christmas release), and yes, it was.
And yes, it was.
The movie has been renamed "Oceania", and the main character, Moana in English, has been named Vaiana instead, "not cause confusuion with Italian Porn Actress Moana Pozzi".
But then, what did I expect?
This is the same country where gay scenes were cut from How to get away from  murder, AND the same country where, "THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN" was translated "LA LEGGENDA DEGLI UOMINI STRAORDINARI" ("the legend of the extraordianry men"), because the Italian for League "LEGA", is part of the name of a party, LEGA NORD ("Northern League")...

Comments

[bas_math_girl]

I can certainly understand Disney not wanting their new main character to be linked with a porn star; but changing it rather highlights the connection rather than hiding it.

[little-firestar.livejournal.com]

I could have understood just renaming the movie- I've been told that didn't make it only in Italy, after all. But once you go with your children to see a movie called Oceania, where you LATER find out that the main character is called Moana, what's wrong with that? Malice is in the eye of the beholder, after all. and a kid wouldn't know who the hell Moana Pozzi is. Their parents, maybe, as she is still a major topic and a gossip even decades after her death, but I think that a aparent who enters a movie and see the ADS for a disney movie would get that it's not about porn...
Besides, what's worse? A character called Moana, or the attemped rape of Esmeralda at the hands of a clergyman who sang "Either death or mine"?

[seraphina_snape]

I don't get that at all. The target audience is CHILDREN - how are they going to connect that to a porn star they've never even heard of? Or are they expecting floods of guys to trek to the cinema to watch Moana Pozzi's newest flick? I'm pretty sure the posters alone will tell them it's not that kind of movie. And to be honest, I think it's a little stupid to try and avoid a connection - what connection? Two people having the same name? I don't think anyone would think Disney is suddenly shooting porn film sequels and marketing it to kids. *eyeroll* Besides, Moana is (from what I've read) a traditional Maori or Hawaiian name that directly relates to the theme of the film and Vaiana is... completely made up and random. (And wow, I just googled it and it seems like the film is going to be called "Vaiana" in Germany, but the character is still called Moana? I seriously don't get it.)

[little-firestar.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I thought as well- parents would know that they are bringing children to see a Disney movie (if they don't, it'd be quite disturbing. It means they shouldn't be parents at all, IMHO).
Moana is both a Greek name ("one and only" ) and a Maori one ("Endless mirror of water")- and Disney choose the name because of its meaning. she is a sailor, after all.
*grunt.* Ah. The ignorance....