(Corey Nickols via Getty Images for IMDb)
I thought Black Twitter did a good job of explaining why it was about time Disney started showing more representation in its characters. But it seems the hate chatter won’t stop and I must speak out.
As a proud Black woman, I have to talk about Halle Bailey playing the role of Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.”
This film was announced back in 2016, but the controversy did not begin until July 3, 2019, when Bailey was cast to play the character. This news sent shockwaves through the internet among Disney adults. Many of them are screaming to have her recast due to “not looking the part.”
To those racist fans, I say, who are you to know what an actual mermaid looks like? Just like the controversy for Amazon’s “The Rings of Power,” it is futile since the characters we are talking about are mythical beings. Others cry out about historical accuracy when in reality mermaids and elves do not exist!
So many times, films with my people have either been traumatic or depressing puff pieces created by white people to say “look how good you have it now … stop complaining.” Thankfully now we have directors like Jordan Peele that know how to use that trauma in a non triggering way, and also people that can put Black people as the ethereal mystical creatures of folklore.
What I am getting at is that Bailey is the perfect choice for Ariel not only because of her singing, but also because of who she is. People keep complaining about the color of her skin, but aren’t the ones complaining also saying things like “the role should go to the best person,” and “race doesn’t matter?”
Hmm, it sure seems like it matters now to them doesn’t it?