Disney's "We Don't Talk About Bruno" even hit Billboard's charts, ranking as one of only two Billboard #1's from an animated Disney film in history.
Though the whole town seemed to be in unison that they're never to speak of Bruno, or his prophecies of doom, the entire premise of the movie was a reaction to everything Bruno had ever said, and a vigorous avoidance of ever hearing him speak again. It was also apparent that the one person who did not wish to talk - or hear - about Bruno was Abuela, who blamed everything that had gone wrong in her family's lives on him. But as the lyrics of the song, which the entire town seemed to know, demonstrated, a laundry list of Bruno's wrongs had been circulating for nearly a decade.
In the movie, Bruno, whose gift was predicting the future, exiled himself from his family for ten years to stop negative events from happening to those around him. But, as the song states, Camilo, who would have been only five when his uncle Bruno disappeared, seemed to recount his appearance in great detail - "seven-foot frame, rats along his back." Similarly, other relatives and neighbors seem to and recount in horror - over and over again - every word Bruno had ever said. The reason no one talked about Bruno was to avoid upsetting Encanto's Abuela, who believed she lost control of her life and family as a result of Bruno's gift. In essence, the family was shooting the messenger. It wasn't Bruno's fault what he was sharing, but he was blamed for all he shared, causing him to remain in hiding for ten years. Clearly, however, it was only around Abuela that the town was silent. Family and neighbors seemed to relish sharing Bruno's perceived crimes.
Bruno's Reputation Grew More Fearsome After His Absence In Encanto
The entire town quivered in fear at the mere mention of Bruno's name, which may also indicate that his reputation, with every iteration of these stories, had likely grown increasingly terrible over time. Neighbors young and old were well-versed about Bruno's wrongs, in fact, because everyone talked about Bruno, all the time. Clearly, Abuela was to blame. The pressure Abuela put on the Madrigals to be perfect and to keep their reputation from being damaged caused Bruno to run away and a curse to fall over her Casita.
If no one talked about Bruno, no one would have perceived him to be the villain - the monster - he was described to be. No one would have recoiled at the sound of his name, and no one would have been afraid of him or his gift. If not for Mirabel, the true hero of Encanto, who bravely lifted the curse from her family, Bruno would still be a fabled monster lurking around inside Casita's walls, and the town would, no doubt, still be talking about him.
