Live-Action The Little Mermaid

[Motown Marvel]

In the Lion King thread, there are people who wants the Lions to be voiced by black actors, let me tell you.

Nothing suggest that Tiana was black and I'm sure if Tiana, in the future, will be played by a white, people would have the same reaction as "Ariel played by a black", or even worse. It's completely normal and nothing to do with "racial bias", especially with an iconic character like Ariel.

The lions in Lion King should absolutely be voiced by black actors. Hell, that film should have had a black director. It is unequivocally a black story and deserves to be told by black people.

And in the future, Tiana should be represented as black, because there aren't enough black characters in media. There are more than enough white characters, we don't need more white characters. It took Disney 49 feature length films over 70 years before they introduced their first black princess with Tiana. If she is ever changed to white people should 100% be super pissed about it. Again, changing a non-white character to white is not equal to changing a white character to non-white.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

Well, fair enough. Don't really buy that argument but to each of their own. I'm gonna see this regardless of who they cast, anyway.

 

[writer0327]

Except there is a big difference when changing a white character to a character of color and changing a character of color to a white character. There is, and never has been, a shortage of white people being represented in media. But the racism of our culture has been responsible for a horrible under representation of colored characters. So when you change a character of color to white, you are decidedly making an already bad problem worse. When you change a white character to non-white, it is a small step in addressing an issue.

Nothing about the character of Ariel has ever been defined by the color of her skin, nor has anything of her character required her to be white. People's complaints about this are rooted in racial bias which we are all inherently afflicted by and need to work to overcome.

Whereas I agree with representation being sadly lacking, this is the wrong way to go about it. Its almost like Disney is saying..."Okay, let's make Ariel black on the live action movie. Boom! Diversity!"

Just the fact that you have to make a character black highlights the problem. The character has existed in Disney for 30 years and wasn't created or envisioned as black. Ariel was created as a young white girl and money was spent, marketing campaigns were launched, all to build the character of Ariel and make her an icon. If Disney is concerned about representation, create new characters that represent us and do the same as they did for Ariel. Don't piggyback on existing characters popularity. Don't give us hand-me-down characters. Put the same money, time and effort into building up original black characters as you have spent building up other characters. Otherwise, honestly, its backhanded representation, its tokenization, and its hurtful pandering. This isn't what we want.

P.s.: Be careful with calling characters "colored".

 

[Abudefduf]

Liu Yifei is announced as Mulan: 2 pages of discussion
Halle Bailey is announced as Ariel: 17 pages of discussion

 

[MarvelU]

This is a new take on The Little Mermaid story. We have the animated adaption which is a classic and we have this new take in the film. I don't see any issues with the casting. For the movie I assume they are taking a new approach and will most likely modify the story which is alright in my books.

As a kid, Ariels skin color is not something I felt was essential to her character for the most part. I assumed she was part of a completely different species and not necessarily human. Kinda weird when you think about it since she marries a human. As long as Ariels youthful spirit, rebellious attitude, and singing voice are all in the film then I am fine with it. I think the singing is something that needs to be perfect since that is what Ariel is known for and a major plot to the story.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

Liu Yifei is announced as Mulan: 2 pages of discussion
Halle Bailey is announced as Ariel: 17 pages of discussion

Weird comparision..

If they cast any person other than an Asian, it will be 100 pages of discussion

 

[Lencho01]

Weird comparision..

If they cast any person other than an Asian, it will be 100 pages of discussion

Scarlett Johansson or Emma Stone.

 

[MarvelU]

Do you guys think Prince Eric will be cast as a different race? I feel like they might keep him White for some reason haha.

 

[Abudefduf]

Weird comparision..

If they cast any person other than an Asian, it will be 100 pages of discussion

I wasn't making comparisons... I was pointing out how this controversy is making people talk about the movie. A lot.

 

[Lencho01]

For a laugh...



And Deborah Cox reacted to it too...

 

[kaypain]

Interesting...China internet is none too pleased. China is obviously a huge market for film. Will Disney blink? Likely not, but it will be interesting to see those China numbers.

Chinese filmgoers unhappy with Disney’s Ariel casting

Dont give a damn what the hell they think

 

[Motown Marvel]

Whereas I agree with representation being sadly lacking, this is the wrong way to go about it. Its almost like Disney is saying..."Okay, let's make Ariel black on the live action movie. Boom! Diversity!"

Just the fact that you have to make a character black highlights the problem. The character has existed in Disney for 30 years and wasn't created or envisioned as black. Ariel was created as a young white girl and money was spent, marketing campaigns were launched, all to build the character of Ariel and make her an icon. If Disney is concerned about representation, create new characters that represent us and do the same as they did for Ariel. Don't piggyback on existing characters popularity. Don't give us hand-me-down characters. Put the same money, time and effort into building up original black characters as you have spent building up other characters. Otherwise, honestly, its backhanded representation, its tokenization, and its hurtful pandering. This isn't what we want.

P.s.: Be careful with calling characters "colored".

I can agree to the extent there are more creative ways to accomplish diversity, but I still wouldn't qualify this particular example as being wrong or not worth supporting simply because there are other avenues to achieve diversity. I think all these Disney remakes are stupid to begin with. It would be preferable they created new tales along with new diverse characters. But regardless, this is what they are doing, it is not wrong, and anyone who feels Ariel's character requires her to be white is expressing a racist sentiment.

The idea that Ariel needs to be white now because she was white thirty years ago is failing to recognize she was white thirty years ago was because she was born of a white patriarchal society. She wasn't just white, she was a white, scantily clad, large breasted 16 year old who doesn't talk for half the movie because she traded her ability to speak for the chance to woo a young white prince whom she'd not even met. That's some serious white male fantasy b.s.. It's the same reason why in the new Aladdin movie they had to go as far as to write a whole new song for Jasmine.

And as for money Disney spent...yeah, I'm not worried about a multi-billion dollar corporation's finances at the expense of racial equity.

 

[writer0327]

I can agree to the extent there are more creative ways to accomplish diversity, but I still wouldn't qualify this particular example as being wrong or not worth supporting simply because there are other avenues to achieve diversity. I think all these Disney remakes are stupid to begin with. It would be preferable they created new tales along with new diverse characters. But regardless, this is what they are doing, it is not wrong, and anyone who feels Ariel's character requires her to be white is expressing a racist sentiment.

The idea that Ariel needs to be white now because she was white thirty years ago is failing to recognize she was white thirty years ago was because she was born of a white patriarchal society. She wasn't just white, she was a white, scantily clad, large breasted 16 year old who doesn't talk for half the movie because she traded her ability to speak for the chance to woo a young white prince whom she'd not even met. That's some serious white male fantasy b.s.. It's the same reason why in the new Aladdin movie they had to go as far as to write a whole new song for Jasmine.

And as for money Disney spent...yeah, I'm not worried about a multi-billion dollar corporation's finances at the expense of racial equity.

I believe the wrong that is being done here is the pandering nature of the casting. Its obvious tokenization, its insulting as hell, and I'm truly shocked that most people don't realize how demeaning it is to pander to a racial group in this manner. Its like how televison shows used to have the "token black kid" in an entire town of white people. This move is just the next step up from that. Just take an existing character and make her black, that'll make em happy! As if this is what we've wanted from Hollywood this entire time. No, we want original stories that were written with black characters in mind. Don't build up a character for 30 years and hand her off to us as a token. That's pandering.

My point about money was Disney, and any other studio in Hollywood that really cares, should pour their money into original characters and endeavor to build them up to iconic mainstream status, just as they did for Ariel. And Snow White. And Cinderella. And Belle. And Pocahontas. And Jasmine, etc. That shows you really believe on what you're doing, not this nonsense. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if they release this film during February.

 

[writer0327]

Dont give a damn what the hell they think

Nor should you. But I'm sure Disney does.

 

[The Guard]

I can agree to the extent there are more creative ways to accomplish diversity, but I still wouldn't qualify this particular example as being wrong or not worth supporting simply because there are other avenues to achieve diversity. I think all these Disney remakes are stupid to begin with. It would be preferable they created new tales along with new diverse characters. But regardless, this is what they are doing, it is not wrong, and anyone who feels Ariel's character requires her to be white is expressing a racist sentiment.

It's fine to make the "create new black characters" argument, but Hollywood creating "new tales" isn't all that common compared to its reliance on adaptions, bios, etc. I think it's fine to wish that was the case, but that's not how Hollywood works. Hollywood, especially in its larger movies, tends to package the familiar and the comfortable with a twist here and there to make it new and fresh. That's what they've always done. There's a reason adaptions and cookie cutter action movies make bank.

The idea that Ariel needs to be white now because she was white thirty years ago is failing to recognize she was white thirty years ago was because she was born of a white patriarchal society. She wasn't just white, she was a white, scantily clad, large breasted 16 year old who doesn't talk for half the movie because she traded her ability to speak for the chance to woo a young white prince whom she'd not even met. That's some serious white male fantasy b.s.. It's the same reason why in the new Aladdin movie they had to go as far as to write a whole new song for Jasmine.

There it is.

Like Belle, Ariel is going to receive an update, and probably should. We can expect messaging in the movie that parallels relevant issues of our time.

 

[Abudefduf]

Honestly I don't care if they don't give her red hair. Bailey's natural hair color is fine

 

[Mad Ones]

Racists will say you can't cast black folks in a fantasy film that has a vaguely "medieval" setting because it's not "historically accurate" but those same racists cry when a black person is cast in a movie literally set in the Caribbean.

 

[The Guard]

They're going to give her red hair.

That's the thing I can't believe people are up in arms about. Like, really? You think Disney won't give The Little Mermaid red hair?

They can't afford to piss of both racists and an oppressed white minority.

 

[Fincher]

They're going to give her red hair.

That's the thing I can't believe people are up in arms about. Like, really? You think Disney won't give The Little Mermaid red hair?

They can't afford to piss of both racists and an oppressed white minority.

I don't know, is someone saying they won't give her red hair?

 

[Drizzle]

Was it ever confirmed that the original film was set in the Caribbean? Besides Sebastian having a Jamaican accent, there's nothing that really points to it being the location. Or any country, really.

 

[The Guard]

The original story is set in Denmark. The movie is generally thought to be set in France, or a French colony in the Caribbean.

 

[Abudefduf]

I don't know where exactly the animated movie takes place but this isn't Denmark, that's for sure.

 

[sueb1863]

Now if they REALLY wanted to be daring they could design their mermaids to look like the creatures in the "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" movie. Now that was different. They weren't pretty women with fish tails, they were scary looking sea monsters and probably a lot closer to what a real mermaid would look like.

 

[THORin]

The flamingos and palm trees and references to hurricanes suggest a Caribbean setting, for sure, not to mention the varieties of fish and other sea life that we see in the film, though there’s definitely a good case to be made for it being set in the western Mediterranean. Though even just the screenshots that Abudufdef posted look more tropical in nature.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Hailey Kilgore was the runner-up