In addition to creating mini-shared universes that include many of their films over the years, Disney and Pixar have a long history of including easter eggs referencing previous films in their new releases. The Pizza Planet delivery truck from “Toy Story” is encountered by our robotic trash compactor in the “WALL-E” animated film, which is my particular favourite. With a well-established history of in-jokes and homages, fans are continually searching for common threads, especially because the latest Disney and Pixar mystery is around the character that has received the most attention in recent memory.
The first rule of the Madrigal Family Magic Club is that we do not discuss Bruno. Although “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the misunderstood anti-antagonist of “Encanto,” has been on peoples’ minds (and internal singing) for months, subsequent developments from certain eagle-eyed fans have raised an even bigger question.
Although “Encanto” may have made “Bruno” a household name, the studio has attempted to turn the moniker into a villain before. The Disney and Pixar movie “Luca” featured the catchphrase “Silenzio Bruno!” earlier in 2021 as a technique to remind yourself to tell the intruding doubtful thoughts to shut the hell up. In 2021 alone, there were two instances of Bruno slander. Did a boy named Bruno abuse Disney and Pixar executives when he was younger? Is Bruno a hidden message, similar to how “A113” appears in Pixar films in reference to CalArts? Why can’t we discuss Bruno and why do we have to stay quiet about him? WHAT Responses Does He Possess?
A Look At Bruno Pre-2021
Cinderella’s pet bloodhound, Bruno, made his debut as a Disney character way back in 1950. Bruno, Cinderella’s devoted and loving pet, always quarrels with Lady Tremaine’s pet cat Lucifer, and their arguments frequently result in Bruno being ejected from the house. Even Cinderella advises the floppy-eared pup to quit retaliating and start getting along with Lucifer, despite the fact that we are supposed to feel sympathy for him. Bruno changes into a foot servant when the fairy godmother appears, and his job is to attend to Cinderella while she is at the ball. He ultimately succeeds in saving the day by frightening Lucifer away, and as a consequence, he is allowed to join Cinderella and Prince Charming on their honeymoon. In “Cinderella II: Dreams Come True,” he was reduced to a cameo rather than a supporting role.
While not quite Bruno, the character of Bruton from the 2000 movie “Dinosaur” is close enough to call for additional investigation. The majority of people detest Bruton because he is an unkind, irritable, and merciless iguanodon. He only comes to his senses and learns how to be pleasant after being abandoned, and he can only demonstrate his sincere kindness by SELF-SAVING to save others. He has to die to demonstrate that he is more than just a terrible attitude after spending the entire movie acting like a bowl of poop and vinegar.
“Screw Bruno, All My Homies Hate Bruno” – Someone at Disney, Probably
The “Silenzio Bruno!” and “Don’t Listen to Stupid Bruno” catchphrases, according to “Luca” director Enrico Casarosa, originated because they sound equally ridiculous and sage. The author Jesse Andrews is said to be the source of the moniker, and his only response to criticism of its use has been, “Well, that’s the line.” Using the name Bruno to stand in for his own imposter’s syndrome, Casarosa, a first-time director, adopted the chant and repeatedly told his own Bruno to quiet down whenever he intruded with thoughts of “You can’t do it,” “What are you doing?” and “You shouldn’t be here.” Casarosa also apologised to everyone named Bruno, fully aware that the nice motivating saying had been used at the expense of a very well-known name.
But when “Encanto” came along, everything changed. According to the legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda came up with the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” first, and the character’s initial development name of “Oscar” had to be changed to “Bruno” to fit the song. Because “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has been climbing the Billboard and Spotify charts, they undoubtedly made the right choice. Fans now think Disney has an anti-Bruno agenda, despite the fact that this was probably just a humorous coincidence. The issues afflicting the protagonists in both “Luca” and “Encanto” wouldn’t have been resolved without Bruno, even though both characters represent negative feelings like dread, doubt, and insecurity.
Bruno is Secretly The Best of Us
Alberto attempts to humanise that annoying little voice in his brain by giving him the name “Bruno” in an effort to aid Luca in learning to control his own emotions. This is actually sound advice for anyone who battles self-doubt in the real world. I’ve given mine the name “Tucker Carlson” because I would simply never listen to anything he has to say. It is much simpler to ignore if I pretend that he is saying what I am thinking about not being good enough. A very, very nice thing is that Bruno is an indication that Alberto and Luca are learning how to believe in themselves.
Regarding the neighbourhood in “Encanto,” Bruno Madrigal is initially shown as a villain but ends up being the deuteragonist. Bruno’s family views his talent as disruptive and unwanted, yet so much heartache and strife could have been avoided if they had just taken the time to learn what it actually meant, rather than shunning him. It’s simple to see the back-to-back Bruno slurs and conclude Disney is out to get Brunos, but perhaps their real message is for us to pay more attention to and empathise with the Brunos of the world. With such a humble gift, it is a huge lift.
