Three decades later and Disney’s 33rd animated feature remains one of its most controversial for its historical inaccuracies and racial depictions. Yet Pocahontas also remains a celebrated film for its score and songs, garnering Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz a pair of Academy Awards. On this episode of Notably Disney, host Brett Nachman leads a discussion of Pocahontas. Joining Brett are two guests who have examined Disney work from a scholarly sense: Dr. Peter Kunze, Assistant Professor of Communication at Tulane University, who was on the podcast a couple of years ago to discuss his book Staging a Comeback, as well as Dr. Michelle Anya Anjirbag-Reeve, Affiliated Researcher at the University of Antwerp. Michelle and Pete examine the roles of race, culture, language, and more in this thoughtful dialogue about how Pocahontas fits within the Disney Renaissance period and in the company more broadly.

Email Pete at [email protected] and check out his book about Disney musicals - Staging a Comeback  - on the Rugters University Press website.

Learn more about Michelle's work by checking out her website: MichelleAnjirbag.com

Feel free to reach out to Brett via Bluesky @drnachman and Instagram @drnachman, subscribe to the podcast, and send your feedback to [email protected] 

New episodes of Notably Disney debut on the first and third Tuesday of each month.