On May 26th, the very first life action adaptation of the Little Mermaid will be released in theaters. Based upon the Disney classic of 1989, the fairy tale follows Ariel, a mermaid princess who dreams of becoming a human so that she can pursue her true love, Prince Eric. Despite the fact that fans have been waiting for this movie, it has sparked a great deal of controversy. Many fans are devastated that Halle Bailey, a black woman, is playing the role of Ariel.
Disney princesses have a very large impact upon the children that are watching the films. Particularly for young girls, they see these young women as role models as they demonstrate great persistence and bravery in each of the films. Growing up, white girls had over a dozen Disney princesses to look up to and admire. This left the black community with hardly any representation. With the exception of Princess Tiana, black children were typically subjected to racist stereotypes that Disney produced. Oftentimes, these black characters were either side characters, the comedic relief, or even villains. Thus, the fact that one of the most iconic Disney princesses will be portrayed by a beautiful and successful black actress is a relief for these young black girls as they will finally get a second fictional role model.
Critics argue that if a director made the first and only black princess Tiana white in a film today, fans would have lost their minds in fury. However, this is a completely different scenario and can therefore not be compared. Princess Tiana was based upon a real person. Her character’s entire race and ethnicity were a main factor in what fueled the plot of the film as she was a black woman in the 1920s trying to be taken seriously in the business world. Not to mention, a large portion of the movie was centered around Voodoo, which is an African diasporic religion originating in New Orleans, Louisiana. If Tiana was any other race, the plot of the film would simply not make sense.
As captured in the viral internet chain of black children blindly reacting to the Little Mermaid’s trailer, there is a lot of excitement around the fact that there is finally another positive role model for young African American girls. Although it may not have been what the public was expecting, there is a lot of good in this decision made by the director. Not only does it prove even further to black children that they can be the beautiful and iconic characters that Disney wants to produce, but it also gives them another example of a positive and successful actress to look up to such as Halle Bailey.
