Ebony PhD's Blog

No, I am not accepting counter-arguments

Not only is he super sweet to Nani, he's just really nice to Lilo. Just genuinely nice. He cares about Lilo like they're already Ohana, which is perfect because when he marries Nani, they will be one

There are tragically people who see the children in single-guardian families as burdens or obstacles. I once heard of a man who told a single mom "I don't mind if you have baggage." Said "baggage" being her daughter and she did not take that comment well at all. I've even personally heard stories about a stepmother who actually pushed to replace their spouse's old children with new children

The fact that David cares about Lilo enough that he essentially tries to be an older brother/father figure for her makes him so great. There's never even an implication of him trying to get brownie points from Nani by taking care of her. Lilo will bring up that they like each other, but David only ever focuses on Lilo when they hang out

David never treats Lilo like a problem he has to accept to be with Nani. It's never "Well, I like Nani so Lilo's part of the deal, I guess."

David just genuinely cares enough about Lilo that he willingly puts himself in a paternal role for her well-being

american indian men are at the 2nd highest risk of death by murder compared to all other ethnic groups. in their lifetimes, 82% of native men report having experienced domestic violence. yet the overwhelming majority of perpetrators are non-natives (88% of native men and 92% of native women who reported violence said their attacker was non-native). what’s more, tribal governments are often stymied in their attempts to bring justice against non-natives, meaning that many of these cases go unresolved.

this was an intersectional attack. the fact that he is indigenous matters, even if the motivation was homophobic, because it made him even more vulnerable and disposable in the eyes of his killer.

and the pitt is just like. well tbr the cops and social services are in and out of the ER a lot, and there’s basic cordiality and cooperation and 1 instance of flirting. but that MCI hits and the cops are 1 (one) guy who got shot and 10 performative idiots who are literally standing IN THE WAY, stressing out and slowing down the doctors, who are the only ones actually HELPING, and then they somewhat understandably tackle the wrong guy as a suspected shooter, and then they try to ARREST one of the doctors who just saved 20 lives bc she broke parole conditions to do so…. unfeeling enforcers of a purely punitive criminal system… and THEN they only back down when another COP is like “well she did save our boy. in particular. she saved a cop.” and they’re like WELL IN THAT CASE

what do you mean nani gives up custody of lilo.

what do you mean no jumba redemption— and he’s the twist villain???

what do you mean no pleakley in drag.

what do you mean no nani and david romance subplot.

what do you mean no gantu.

what do you mean no ugly duckling scene.

what do you mean no anti-tourism theme.

what do you mean jumba just sounds like some random american guy.

what do you mean cobra bubbles isn’t the social worker

not to mention nani’s actress being in brownface.

and more than anything— showing an indigeneous family being separated by the government, and having it be shown as a “happy ending.” the original ending was perfect. nani kept custody and gained a support system.

And as someone who was bullied for being the weird girl in school, and went to my teachers multiple times about it only to be met with advice like "ignore them" or "be the bigger person" and in the case of one boy who pushed me, threw things at me, and hit me "it just means he likes you". It hits hard…

a young woman suddenly saddled with raising her younger sibling who ultimately has to accept that she isn't up to the task and it'd be better for her sibling to live in a stable and loving home with a family friend, leading to a bittersweet ending where the siblings remain in contact and still love each other, but must accept living apart at least for the time being, could be an interesting and compelling character.

Lilo and Stitch (the real one, natch) is about traumatized people trying to make the best of a really bad situation and almost failing, but ultimately succeeding beyond their wildest dreams because they opened their hearts to the strange and expanded their ohana beyond the boundaries of the solar system. But either way, certain ships had sailed and they could only move forward.

And right before that scene? We have Bubbles telling Nani that he believes SHE needs Lilo, not the other way around, because duh, that's her baby sister. And this hits so hard because through the whole movie we have Lilo feeling like she's different and that people dislike her for it (and the autistic community has heavily latched onto that character over the years for that exact reason). Stitch lands on Earth right after she prays for a friend... right after Nani was apologizing for being too mean and acting like she'd trade her for a pet.

The movie was making it very clear: Nani might not want to be a replacement parent, but she does want Lilo in her life. And not in a "Maybe we'll reunite eventually" or "We'll see each other every now and then" but in a "We're FAMILY, my life is not complete without you, we'd be completely lost without each other" therefore Bubbles and literal alliens are going to have to fight her because she's NOT giving up on being Lilo's new mom, it's a sacrifice, but it's worth it, because that's just what you do when you love someone.

Lemme tell you what I think that means:

It means the online backlash is bad enough they had to pay some shills to put out good press for them. They're terrified the movie's further profits are going to be hurt, even if only slightly. That momentum will be slowed or even stopped and they won't be able to milk every sent of merchandising money out of it. Not to mention the racial/culture aspects of it are really, really embarrassing for a company that wants to be seen as pristine and totally woke as possible.

The initial description that Jumba gives the council about Stitch greatly exaggerates his threat level. When he's speaking to the Council, he focuses on his physical strength and his intellect ("think faster than supercomputer" and "move objects 3000 times his size").

But when he's on Earth, and explaining Stitch to Pleakley, the examples he gives are largely just property damage and mild annoyances. (Backing up sewer systems, reversing street signs, and stealing everyone's left shoe.) Now, granted, backing up a sewer system could have serious consequences if not quickly addressed, but depending on HOW it's backed up could just be a relatively easy fix. Same goes for the street signs.

But because all the council heard was the most superficial information about him, they jumped to the worst possible scenario and deemed him completely evil and decided there was no other course of action than for him to be destroyed.

It makes narrative sense why the Council would jump to the worst possible conclusion, but I think it also serves as a one-two punch against Stitch. Much like Lilo, the people around him ostracize him for assumptions they made because they don't have accurate information about him. These assumptions further isolate him and create an environment where he is convinced that what they say about him must be true. If that's the case, why go against what must be his nature, since no one obviously thinks that he's capable of anything else?

NO!!?!?!?!?

SHE LEARNS THAT ALIENS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY SECRETLY SABOTAGING HER AND LILO'S ALREADY STRUGGLIG LIFE TOGETHR, AND SHE CAN AND IS WHAT LILO NEEDS

IF ONLY ACTUAL POWERS FROM ANOTHER WORLD WOULD STOP FUCKING WITH THEM! IF ONLY THE POWERS THAT BE WOULD GIVE THEM A CHANCE EVEN THO THEY'RE A SMALL BROKEN FAMILY!

WHEN SHE GETS EVEN THE SMALLEST HELP SHE CAN DO THIS!!!

STITCH IS THE REASON SHE LOST HER JOB, WHY SHE COULDN'T GET ANOTHER ONE, WHY HER HOUSE BURNT DOWN, WHY LILO WAS TAKEN- BOTH BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGAIN BY ACTUAL FucKING ALIENS!

AND THE POINT OF NANI IS!!! SHE LETS HIM STAY!

EVEN AFTER GETTNG FIRED EVEN WHILE HER SISTER'S NEW 'DOG' RUINS HER CHANCES OF BEING HIRED

HE

IS THEIR

FAMLILY NOW!!

AND NANI NEVER /EVER/ GIVES UP OR ABANDONDS HER FAMILY

THATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY SHE'S RAISING LILO!!!!!!

SHE'S NOT A FOIL FOR JUMBA IN THE “both need to learn to be better more understanding and responsible guardians way” SHE IS WHAT HE REALIZES HE WANTS TO BE

when Stitch askes him for help Jumba yells at him but then he’s like “fine!”. the most important thing to Jumba has been STITCH. he starts being a GOOD part of Stitch’s life when he chooses the Nani route! by NOT trying to control this “problem” or get his old life back but be THERE for Stitch any way he can! LIKE NANI HAS BEEN FOR LILO

NANI SAYS LILO NEEDS HER BC NANI SPENDS THE WHOOOOOLE MOVIE TRYING NOT TO LET LILO FEEL BAD OR GT GROUND DOWN FOR THE THINGS SHE LIKES AND DOES

IN A WORLD WHERE PPL CALL LILO WEIRD AND CRAZY TO HER FACE AND PUSH HER AWAY FOR IT-

NANI, HER BIG SISTER, INVENTS VAMPIRES RATHER THAN LET LILO TAKE ANY BLAME FOR NANI’S LOST JOB! YES LILO’S NEW DOG GOT NANI FIRED, YES NANI DOES SEE HOW HAPPY LILO IS WITH A FRIEND AND WILL TRY TO MAKE THIS WORK ANYWAY! SHE HAS LILO’S PHOTOS DEVELOPED EVEN THROUGH SHE DOESN’T GET OR LIKE THEM!

SHE DOESN’T PUT BLAME ON LILO FOR THE JOB FINDING DISASTER EITHER! SHE’S JUST SCARED OF NOT BEING THERE FOR LILO! OF LOSING HER LITTLE SISTER BC THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WOULD RATHER TEAR THEM APART THAN HELP THEM

SHE ADOPTS STITCH IN THE FIRST PLACE EVEN THO HE’S WEIRD AF AND CLEARY GONNA MAKE MORE PROBLEMS FOR HER BECAUSE LILO! PICKS HIM!!!!

LILO WAS LONELY AND SAD AND HURTNING AND NANI /DID/ REALIZE SHE HERSELF WASN'T ENOUGH TO HELP WITH THAT

SO SHE HELPED LILO FIND STITCH INSTEAD!! AND KEEP HIM!

Nani IS the family Lilo needs! OTHER PEOPLE just have to realize that!

THAT’S THE POInT THATS THE Whole POINT

I need Kory to be allowed to interact with the Amazons as her sisters

I need her to be friends with Diana and Nubia and Artemis

I need her to talk to the Amazons about her slavery and suffering and them respecting Kory for her strength and compassion

I need Donna to cry when her sister Kory is given honorary bracelets by her other sister

As someone who was raised by a young mother that didn't get to go to college, because she got 2 kids at 18-20, but then went to college in her early/mid 30s when me and my sister were old enough to be left home alone, it just feels really insulting.

It really adds to the harmful mindset that someone's life, especially that of women, is over if they haven't "got their life together" yet before the age of 25.

There would've been no harm in Nani delaying college for like 5-10 years, instead of abandoning her sister during the most vital years of her development only 2-3 months after already having lost her parents. Animated Nani would never.