OPINION: The cinematic splash of “Little Mermaid” reveals critics’ underlying racial prejudices

Years after their initial release, Disney has a history of bringing back the magic of original films. Remakes of “Beauty and the Beast,” “Cinderella” and “Lady and the Tramp” all succeeded in bringing back their popularity, but after the recent announcement of the remake of “The Little Mermaid,” controversy has started to brew over the casting choices.

The live-action version of the beloved “The Little Mermaid” is set to be released on May 26, 2023. The main character, Ariel, will be played by Halle Bailey , a renowned African-American actress and singer. For some, this is extremely exciting news and they are overjoyed to see one of the world’s favorite princesses return to the big screen. For others, the film is not “historically accurate,” an invalid argument that seems to be just plain racist.

Some on Twitter are calling this “white erasure,” even going to the extent of comparing this to making a live-action of “The Princess and the Frog” with a white actress. These statements disregard the significance of Tiana’s skin color in comparison to Ariel’s. Ariel’s race has nothing to do with her storyline, while Tiana’s character revolves around her ethnicity and background. The New Orleans culture and the separation of races play a big part in the movie, showing the struggles and traditions of African Americans in the 1920s.

As for the point about the accuracy of the new film, there is absolutely nothing historically accurate about “The Little Mermaid.” The film is based around a mermaid who is best friends with a talking flounder, an incredibly unrealistic dynamic. Critics have used this excuse to cover up the underlying their racial prejudices about the casting choices.

If historical accuracy really is the issue here, wouldn’t people be complaining about the difference between the cartoon and the original? The original tale of Ariel included her cutting out her own tongue and killing Prince Eric, something not even remotely mentioned in Disney’s version.

Despite all of the backlash, thousands of black children around the world are ecstatic to  see someone like themselves represented on the screen. Reaction videos of young black girls watching the trailer are spreading all over TikTok, which seems to be more significant than the opinions of those who may not even watch the movie. Although the controversy is not seeming to fade, at the end of the day this film will reach new heights destroying racial barriers and spreading joy all over the globe.

Photo Credit; “Little Mermaid Mural” By HarshLight is licensed under (CC By 2.0)