In May 2023, a new live-action version of the Disney classic, “The Little Mermaid”, will hit the theaters since the original cartoon was released in 1989. While many have rejoiced over the film’s modern revival, others have shared their harsher opinions on the movie, specifically because the actress who is playing Ariel, Halle Bailey, is a woman of color.
When the first look of the film was released on September 9, 2022, the popular app, TikTok, had become full of videos of young Black girls and their faces lighting up as soon as they saw Halle Bailey singing on the screen in front of them. NBC News explains that many parents posting the videos of their children used the hashtag #representationmatters to emphasize the significance of young people of color having someone they can look up to in the industry.
Though the film has been seen as a positive outlet for these young girls, it has been blatantly clear that many people are opposed to a person of color playing the role originally fulfilled by a white cartoon. According to news footage from The Daily Show, the trailer has surpassed 1.5 million dislikes. Comedian Trevor Noah shames the additional commentary in the footage saying Bailey looks “nothing like” the original cartoon, “Nothing like? They both have the tail, they both have the red [hair]”.
Trevor also points out that the internet is the biggest source to spread hate and racism on the matter, and this is not the first time it’s happening; “Once again, a bunch of Internet racists are upset that a fictional character is being played by a Black person”.
Though the internet has been a place to spread positivity and excitement about the film, it has also been a place to direct loathe and criticism towards Bailey. The New York Posts details one of the most hateful actions seen so far, an artificial intelligence scientist replacing Bailey with a white fake actress in the film’s trailer.
Despite all the negative comments and remarks being sent Bailey’s way, she acknowledges all the optimistic feedback coming her way in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and reassures fans that she is aware that what she is doing is already making a significant impact in the best way possible, “The fact that I get to represent all of these little young Black and brown boys and girls who are to come is really special to me because I know that if I had that when I was younger, it would have changed my whole perspective on life”
Though we have only seen a few seconds of this film, “The Little Mermaid” has already sparked a wide variety of opinions and arguments, so the kind of feedback the movie receives when the whole film is out in the open for the world to judge can only be imagined.
