People are angry that the Blue Power Ranger did not have, in fact, blue skin.What is even going on in this thread?
People are angry that the Blue Power Ranger did not have, in fact, blue skin.What is even going on in this thread?
I did read it back to myself for a grammar/spelling check before having posted it. I’m very proud of having written this sentence, given the context. If you’re taking this as me saying your daughters don’t matter in general, then I can see why you asked me this question. I’m not saying that at all, nowhere near it. I’m saying if we’re talking about representation of people of color in film and television, in this case, black representation, then no, white children don’t need to be inserted into the equation because they’re not affected in the same way that black children are. There’s plenty of white representation, and not just in media and entertainment. They’re not going to potentially grow up hating their brown skin and kinky hair (this happens a lot more than you may or may not think). Your white daughters loving that this Ariel is black is great, but it’s not the same as black children being able to see themselves on screen and thinking it’s great. It just isn’t, and this is getting into politics, which I tried to avoid doing yesterday, but I felt I needed to respond to this because you keep inserting your white children into this conversation when it doesn’t concern them.So what's our goal here, societally? Do we want little black girls and little white girls to play with each other, love the same movies, sing the same songs, and not even notice that their skin is different from each other? Because that's what I thought our goal was, and that's what I teach my kids. It doesn't matter what you look like, or what your friends look like, or what your friends' parents look like, because God made all of us special and what matters is who we are as individuals, not what group we belong to. Don't we want our children to be thinking about what dress is the most sparkly, which songs they like to sing in the bathtub, and which animal sidekick is the cutest, rather than the race of the actress playing the fictional mermaid? It's such an awful burden to impose on kids to make them worry about the legacy of slavery or Jim Crow or colonialism, just let them be freaking kids.
You seem to be preaching this kind of neo-segregationism where black girls can only have black role models and black heroes, and it's such a poisonous mindset. "You white girls go over here, this isn't for you." "You black girls go over there, this isn't for you."
Read this back to yourself. You're proud of having written this sentence?
Right, but you also said it’s not about race, which is directly related to her physical appearance, no? So if it’s not about race, if it’s not about Halle’s peanut butter skin and kinky red locs, what is it? The shape of her eyes? The mole? Is it that fact that her eyes aren’t blue?Maybe you should reread my posts. I said she doesn't look like Ariel, which is a fact.
My point was more that clearly this is causing such a fantastic reaction for these kids seeing this trailer. Does it warm my hear a bit more that this clip shows little girls reacting to the trailer AND they happen to be black? Sure-I didn't have that when I was younger-and it's wonderful to see it. That being said, any clip of kids reacting so emotionally to this warms my heart 100% because at the end of the day, to me-that's what it is about more than anything. That's where my "important" comment came from more than anything. There is enough going wrong in this world not to see how lovely it is to see how excited they are. I'm ecstatic your daughters had the reaction they did and would hope than most would be if it's a movie they would be into in general.That's exactly how my white daughters reacted to the trailer. Little girls love mermaids.
To reiterate, since I know not every person reads every post, I have no problem with this casting. But that doesn't mean it's "important." In fact, the argument up until this point has been the opposite, that it shouldn't matter what race or nationality she is, an argument that I agree with.
Position 1: "It's important that she's white." <--- Racist people say this.
Position 2: "It doesn't matter what race she is." <--- We were here. This is the consensus mainstream opinion.
Position 3: "It's important that she's Black." <--- But you moved the goalpasts to here. This is where you get backlash.
So what's our goal here, societally? Do we want little black girls and little white girls to play with each other, love the same movies, sing the same songs, and not even notice that their skin is different from each other? Because that's what I thought our goal was, and that's what I teach my kids. It doesn't matter what you look like, or what your friends look like, or what your friends' parents look like, because God made all of us special and what matters is who we are as individuals, not what group we belong to. Don't we want our children to be thinking about what dress is the most sparkly, which songs they like to sing in the bathtub, and which animal sidekick is the cutest, rather than the race of the actress playing the fictional mermaid? It's such an awful burden to impose on kids to make them worry about the legacy of slavery or Jim Crow or colonialism, just let them be freaking kids.
You seem to be preaching this kind of neo-segregationism where black girls can only have black role models and black heroes, and it's such a poisonous mindset. "You white girls go over here, this isn't for you." "You black girls go over there, this isn't for you."
Read this back to yourself. You're proud of having written this sentence?
How…I did not care for Rings of Power….but I do not scream every chance I get how awful show is… but because I loved the movie Vengeance… IMO one of the best of the year…which I believe was crimanally overlooked at the box office… and continue to think and talk about it every chance I get…I am just as bad as the “anti-woke mob”You're just like the "anti-woke" mob, but you're on the other side. So you saying this stuff is like "The Pot calling the Kettle black."
No, the casting doesn't do that. The way people are talking about the casting does. For the one thousandth time, I have no problem with the casting.Casting a black actress as Ariel doesn't mean the movie is only for black girls or that they can't have heroes who are white. It's about making sure that the diversity of our culture is represented on screen and black girls get to have a black hero sometimes, instead of almost never having that opportunity.
I don't disagree with this, I just think you're under-selling the progress that's been made. People talking about their experience growing up decades ago as if it's still the experience of people growing up today misses the mark.How many fairy tales has Disney produced? How many featured a white protagonist? Until fairly recently, I want to say all of them. People gloss over this point when they argue the Ariel character was white before and should be white now. People arguing this are essentially saying that they have claimed every princess as being white, and how dare anyone take steps to correct the imbalance and make things just a bit more equitable.
If the new Ariel doesn't "look" like Ariel, but it isn't about race, then what is it? The fact that she isn't a cartoon?It’s not about race at all, I just care about how she looks. And it just doesn’t matchup with the version I watched when I was 6 years old.
They also think that calling someone "woke" is some sort of a clever insult, which it is not, and never has been. I'd rather be "woke" than unconscious any day.The difference is these so-called “anti-woke” people seem to obsess over things they say they can’t stand…how many different ways can they say “ Rings of Power” is woke… if I don’t like something I say it is not for me and move on… I am more inclined to go on and on about something I loved.
No, the casting doesn't do that. The way people are talking about the casting does. For the one thousandth time, I have no problem with the casting.
I don't disagree with this, I just think you're under-selling the progress that's been made. People talking about their experience growing up decades ago as if it's still the experience of people growing up today misses the mark.
Do all the James Bonds look the same? There can be different looks for different interpretations of characters. There is no reason to do something again if you are going to do it exactly as it was originally done.Maybe you should reread my posts. I said she doesn't look like Ariel, which is a fact.
They also think that calling someone "woke" is some sort of a clever insult, which it is not, and never has been. I'd rather be "woke" than unconscious any day.
So true. All the Batmans are different. All the Spidermen are different. The 1997 remake of Cinderella had Whitney and Brandy. The original Twelve Angry Men was all white men. The remake had black actors. The 2010 remake of The Karate Kid starred Jaden Smith (black) instead of Ralph Macchio (white). Steel Magnolias was remade with an all black cast in 2012. Annie was remade with a black cast in 2014. Splash is being remade with Channing Tatum as a merman instead of Daryl Hannah as a mermaid. I could go on and on.People this is a remake. If you want the Ariel you remember, watch the original.
This is just ridiculous.
Casting, directors, production, all have the creative right to adjust characters for remakes, in this case they chose an incredibly talented black woman, who sounds incredible, and looks the part to me.
Yep, it's just a new word from the same people making the same tired arguments.
They're the same ones that used to complain about things being "politically correct".
New word, new day, same arguments.
It's also a way to be more, shall we say, subtle in their criticisms. Being "anti-woke" sounds better than being "racist".
Why don't you just come right out and say that people who disagree with you are racist? That would sound better too. Much more honest.
Did you mean "woke" ?I assure you, if I felt that way I would say it. I'm not saying that at all.
When people complain about a movie being "work", that movie is being labelled as such because of it is purposely being inclusive and diverse. That's the definition of being woke. So yeah, when someone says they are anti-woke they are stating that they are anti-diversity and anti-inclusion.
If the shoe fits.
Did you mean "woke" ?
Dang autocorrect![]()
Very good point!No issue with the casting on my end. I just think overall, Disney is being really lazy here with the stories. "Let's do a live action remake of an animated featured that is based on an another European fairytale..but with a diverse cast." Can they not think of any original ideas or other fairytales that have not been used already multiple times? They seem to make that work with their more recent animated features but can't with live action?
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