Under A Sea of Racial Fuss: When Can We All Be Part of The World?
The subject that I will discuss is something that I wanted to take my time to think deeply about because of its effects on not only the idea of beauty for the entertainment industry. But the image of representation for children everywhere, especially in American culture. Of course, fantasy and reality are different, but for children, their minds still grasp onto the idea of magic and wonder that the animation world provides for them. But there are those in the media who genuinely disgust me with their behavior in the last few weeks with the promotion of Disney’s 2023 live-action film The Little Mermaid.
Between boycotts, death threats, and more, Halle Baliey, the extraordinary young woman she is, continues to persevere with excitement about this milestone in the entertainment world. It is because, like Baliey, her cast mates, and the production team standing behind her see that this film is not another slot for views but to represent the little black girls that want to see themselves in all worlds, even fantasy!
But what strikes me the most about this entire situation is that the media is trying to base “scientific or historical insight” on why a fictional character should be White. First, Princess Ariel represents the mythical creature based on Danish writer Hans Christian Anderson’s perspective from his most famous novel of 1837. It is a much darker tale than the one that Disney Studios created and would cause more outrage in the media if they knew the original format.
Also, the mermaid’s origin is from Greece and Roman mythology dating back to 1000 BC, and they were not the human-loving and sing-along characters we see in fiction. Even today, the legend of mermaids is alive and well within European, African, and even Asian cultures. But I notice that all these cultures have a common outlook on the mermaid and its purpose. To many, they are mistaken for sirens, who trick humans (primarily men) into causing harm and chaos as they travel across the ocean, but that is not the case. According to the Royal Museums Greenwich web section, “What is a mermaid and what do they symbolize,” they deep dive into the history and myths of the mermaid mythology origin and their representation within society. “While mermaids are morally ambiguous creatures, sirens were said to be always malicious and dangerous, attracting sailors with their captivating voices towards the hazardous rocky coast of their island.” Now let us fast-forward to Princess Ariel, a mermaid with a beautiful voice who is in love with a human male and gracefully sings to him on the seashore after saving his life, resulting in him only remembering her voice and facial beauty. The classical image of the mermaid we have today is anything but ambiguous. The line between the mermaid and siren is clear-cut in the Disney adaptation, but it makes this debate even more complex.
Today’s mythology of the mermaid makes them beautiful and mystical in fantasy. In contrast, scientific evolution makes them human ancestors who once lived on land and adapted to breathing underwater due to the rising sea level on Earth. But if we wanted to be scientific about what a mermaid should look like, I can attest that it would not be a beautiful creature with several humanoid features. They must have large gills and scale-like skin to survive in the aquatic environment for lengthy periods. They also wouldn’t have human hands but fins to help them swim at a certain speed to run from predators (if they have any). Also, if humans did interact with mermaids, we can only imagine what could occur during that encounter. Well, I can tell you that they will not be singing “Part of Your World,” and there won’t be a Jamaican crab for comedic effect. I believe mermaids would look terrifying, being scientifically and historically correct. Yet, today, the media is upset that Princess Ariel is being portrayed as a black woman.
The media had no issue with Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra or Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl. Even (no harm intended) the casting of the 2019 Live Action adaptation of Aladin, where although several of the cast were of Indian descent, Princess Jasmine and many other characters were a darker shade in the animation. But why does it matter? Disney tried to keep up with the characters’ ethnicity, so there is no harm done, right? Wrong!! There is harm in the lack of proper representation in the media. Because of its substantial value in the growth and ideology of a child. For those in the media throwing that fact that Princess Tiana is a Black woman, so we need to leave the other princesses alone. How about we tell the media to stop whitewashing cultures and stay in their own space? Oh, and let me remind everyone that Princess Tiana was not even a human for most of the movie (which is often done to many black animation characters, but that is a subject for another time). So, no people of color, especially African Americans, do not have enough representation in the media, and Miss. Halle Baliey is giving us justice!
So, for those in the media, who are afraid of their children seeing Princess Ariel as a Black woman, I want to ask something. What is the harm done to children who are exposed to diversity? Do you hate that your “childhood memory” is changing or that there is a black character on your screen for a change? But more importantly, my messages for all those little black girls out there, you are wonderful, you are strong, you are beautiful, and you are PART OF THIS WORLD! So, scream out and be proud because we are on the big screen now, baby girl!
Written By: Jasmine Boskent
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Works Cited
“What is a mermaid and what do they symbolize.” Royal Museums Greenwich. Royal Museums Greenwich Publishing. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-mermaid. (Accessed 29 Sep 2022).
