You may not have seen Disney’s latest animated film, “Encanto,” but you probably have heard someone break into the refrain of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno-no-no-no.”
This catchy tune by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the famous creator of “Hamilton,” was not submitted for consideration to any major awards. While another song from the score, “Dos Oruguitas,” received a number of nominations, “Bruno” became an unexpected hit and earned the love of audiences worldwide as an internet sensation.
During its first week on Disney+, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” reached number one on Spotify in the United States. On Feb. 5, 2022, it became the second song from an animated Disney film to reach first on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it stayed for five weeks, longer than any previous Disney movie.
On Feb. 12, it reached number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart, the first time a Disney animated song has topped both charts simultaneously. It has now been released in forty-six languages.
The song was the top streamed music video on YouTube from Dec. 28, 2021, until Jan. 7, 2022. It also has established a record for having the most credited artists in a number-one hit—six in this case.
What is so special about “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”? Surely other Disney tunes have had tunes which are just as catchy, lyrics which are just as clever, and visuals which are just as engaging.
Bruno Who?
In case you’re wondering who Bruno is, let’s start by talking about this song’s basic meaning. IMDb claims that Bruno Madrigal, leading lady Mirabel’s uncle referenced in the song, was originally going to be named Oscar. Supposedly, Lin-Manuel Miranda changed the name to fit the rhythm of the song and to avoid offending the countless real-life Oscar Madrigals. (Apparently Disney isn’t concerned about offending people named Bruno Madrigal.)This is by no means the first time the name Bruno has been used by Disney. In June 2021, Pixar’s “Luca” left children shouting “Silenzio, Bruno!” at each other. Between “Luca” and “Encanto,” it’s been a tough year for people named Bruno. Perhaps the earliest filmmaker to attach infamy to the name was Alfred Hitchcock, who named the charming killer in his “Strangers on a Train” (1951) Bruno Anthony (played by Robert Walker).
Getting back to “Encanto,” Bruno (voiced by John Leguizamo) is one of three original siblings in the Madrigal family. Each of the children, as well as their offspring, is blessed with a magical gift. All the Madrigals, plus their spouses and children, live in the enchanted Casita, guided by the domineering matriarch, Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero).
Bruno’s gift is the ability to foresee the future, but his friends and family began to blame him for predicting misfortune. After his niece Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) was strangely denied a magical power at age five, Bruno disappeared because others were holding him responsible for the growing problems with the family.
No one sees Bruno for ten years, yet Mirabel grows curious about her elusive uncle when cracks start forming in the Casita and threatening their magic. She learns that Bruno’s last vision was about her, so she decides to ask her aunt, Pepa (Carolina Gaitan), about him. She responds with the song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” The irony is that the song, which is all about not discussing Bruno, mentions his name twenty-one times.
What begins as a simple conversation turns into a complex group number, which features a polyphonic musical style known as a madrigal. Before the song is over, practically every member of the cast joins the song, including people outside the family, to dramatically recount the obviously unavoidable misfortunes which they claim Bruno caused.
The Deeper Meaning
You’re probably wondering what deep, significant meaning can be attributed to this rather fantastic story. The theme of Bruno’s plight could be described by the old maxim: “Don’t shoot the messenger.” The Bible declares that a prophet is not welcome in his own country. Many science fiction or disaster films feature a lone person warning about an impending disaster. However, it’s not Bruno’s pessimistic clairvoyance which sets this story and, specifically, this song apart. It is the other characters’ reaction to it and him.This scenario is basically an unintentional parody of cancel culture. Although it may be true, Bruno said the wrong thing one time too many and became an outcast. Even though he hasn’t been seen in ten years, any mention of his name is silenced with the reply, “We don’t talk about Bruno,” either spoken or sung. It’s no wonder that his own niece barely knows anything about him.
When he finally is discussed, he is grossly misrepresented as an evil wizard who cursed people with his prophecies. If he had predicted good things or had made up more pleasant stories to tell people, he might have been popular. However, he spoke the unpopular truth, so he has essentially been blocked by all his social media friends and his accounts deleted by the admin. When Mirabel tries to go to his profile, all she gets is a broken link warning, so she must piece the information together from the bitter rants on his former friends’ pages.
Cancel culture pervades our entire society, especially haunting those in the limelight. It is probably more powerful in Hollywood than anywhere else. No matter how many Oscars he has won, an actor is doomed if he makes a casual comment about somebody’s race, posts an insensitive meme, or is discovered to have worn a Halloween costume in high school which is now not deemed “politically correct.”
Too Close to Reality
Few people would admit it, but deep down most individuals are afraid of cancel culture. Today you may be one of the judgmental people applauding the destruction of someone’s reputation, but tomorrow it may be your favorite celebrity who is being branded as a leper. The day after that, you yourself may be ostracized by your co-workers, friends, or even family for expressing an unpopular opinion.This fear is more palpable for conservatives, who frequently hear about organizations and individuals whose posts are deleted, content flagged, and accounts suspended for “spreading misinformation,” hate speech, etc. Nevertheless, anyone could potentially have an isolated insensitive comment be misinterpreted, as in the case of Justine Sacco’s 2013 tweet about getting AIDS from going to Africa.
Why not listen to the song yourself for the first or the fiftieth time and see if you perceive this meaning? Interestingly, it’s being performed live at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, which, we might note, is now the reigning film awards show since the Golden Globe Awards were basically cancelled this year.
This is just one more reminder that the Academy, as well as the rest of Hollywood, supports cancel culture until it happens to them. A culture that perpetuates unproven slander is doomed to be ruled by gossip mongers and manipulators instead of honest, ethical people. Like the Madrigal’s Casita, it will only continue to break and render its inhabitants powerless until they abandon falsehood for truth.
