People are angry that the Blue Power Ranger did not have, in fact, blue skin.
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Disney's Live Action The Little Mermaid
- Thread starter NateD1226
- Start date
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
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.
My societal goal doesn’t include white people at all in this context, unless simply trying to get white people to understand the severity of this issue and just how important it is counts. What I want is for more accurate, positive, and generally more representation of people of color in film and television, including more diverse storylines, not only for the purposes of entertainment, but for the purposes of stopping the development of any potential self-hatred amongst children of color. This is an actual problem faced by actual people, and I know this because I’ve experienced it myself and I’ve spoken to many other people of color, more black people than anything, who’ve also experienced it. I’ve given presentations on the importance of representation in media and my own personal struggles to love myself while growing up black, struggling to love my brown skin, to not want to replace my kinky hair with permanently straightened hair, to not think of myself and other black people as ugly, and to stop the thoughts and desires of wanting to be white instead. Again, I have spoken to MANY other people who experienced the exact same thing, women and men, and the roots of the issue are always the same: lack of representation in media, particularly film and television, being one of a few tokens in a majority white environment, usually school, and lack of parental guidance and assurance regarding loving and appreciating one’s respective race at home. I grew up in the 90s, when these conversations weren’t being had at the level in which they are now, and when representation was sorely lacking. I’m so happy that things have greatly improved and continue to improve. There’s a children’s show called Rise Up Sing Out, and one of the episodes is centered around bonnets, what their purpose is for black hair, and why little black girls wear them. I wish I had something like that to watch as a kid, but I’m happy this generation of black children have it and I hope we see more of it by the time I potentially have children.
So, again, this may not matter to you because you don’t have to experience it, but it does matter. I invite you to educate yourself on the matter more, if you’re interested. I’ve said mostly what I wanted to say, and because I want to be respectful of the rules, I will stop here. I sincerely hope that your daughters enjoy the movie when it releases.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
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?
1420Elexismc
New Member
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.
Wendy Pleakley
Well-Known Member
This spinning of a historical lack of representation for people of colour or other minorities as being okay, by saying we're all part of the same, larger human community, misses the point completely.
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.
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.
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”
I cannot comment on The Little Mermaid as I have not seen it…but Ariel being a woman of color is not anything I am worried about…I actually hope it is a new vision and not a complete remake… People complain if it is a shot by shot remake, but also complain if anything is changed…it is a work of fiction…I’ll prefer the wait to see if it’s good and if it is not good… I will move on and continue to enjoy the original
CaptainAmerica
Well-Known Member
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.
Jedijax719
Well-Known Member
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?
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BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
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.
Wendy Pleakley
Well-Known Member
Are people not supposed to talk about why this is meaningful for them?
In the future when diversity in entertainment is the established norm it may not be talked about much, but at the moment it's still often noteworthy when something that hasn't been inclusive (the Disney princess films) makes a change.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
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.
Wendy Pleakley
Well-Known Member
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".
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
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.
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.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
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.
The concept that something shouldn't be remade unless it looks exactly like something you saw when you were six years old is totally and completely ridiculous.
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
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.
ANYWAY - to me, what makes this new "Mermaid" film interesting is the Jamaican flavor it apparently will have. I think that rocks. The Jamaican-themed music as written by the brilliant Howard Ashman is what made the original's soundtrack so successful. As for the casting - I think making the Mermaid any color pertaining to humans is a bit absurd. Is a mermaid half human, half fish? Or is it a completely separate being? Maybe a mermaid should be green or blue. Anyway, the actress playing Ariel at least is not bald, which, frankly, is good enough for me.
Wendy Pleakley
Well-Known Member
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 "woke", 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.
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Wendy Pleakley
Well-Known Member
Did you mean "woke" ?
Dang autocorrect
Autocorrect is anti-woke.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
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?
1420Elexismc
New Member
Very good point!