Disney’s Latest Project Fails To Impress – Intense Backlash Says It All
(TargetLiberty.org) – In 1989, Disney released “The Little Mermaid” animated movie, starring the youngest daughter of King Triton falling in love with a human, much to his dismay. As the company continued its journal of remaking animated films into live-action renditions, the time came for creators to cast humans to portray the iconic characters.
On September 9, Disney dropped a trailer for the new film, sparking strong reactions. Instead of casting an actor resembling the famed mermaid Ariel, the entertainment giant chose actor Halle Bailey for the role — a 22-year-old black woman. Although YouTube disabled the dislike button on its platform, sources say the video has earned over two million negative reactions so far.
The first trailer for ‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel. pic.twitter.com/0NvKDWmpFH
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 9, 2022
Children seemed to love the prospect of watching a real live mermaid grace the screen, delighted to put a real face to the beloved character. Others were not impressed. Many scoffed at the casting choice, offended that Disney chose a black person to play the role.
The Daily Mail reported much of the backlash was “tinged with racism.” Some said including diversity in films is fine, but the company should have made a new character and kept Ariel as a red-headed white-skinned mermaid. One Twitter user included the hashtag “NotMyAriel” in protest.
Bailey told PeopleMag she was excited about playing the strong-willed sea dweller. She said portraying Ariel changed her for the better.
Copyright 2022, TargetLiberty.org
