The Little Mermaid - Live-Action Hot Take

[Salodin]

It's all up to interpretation, hence everyone having an opinion.

Yes, and sometimes those interpretations are racist. That's what everyone is saying lol.

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[Alkar]

So live action Disney should be a 1 to 1 translation of the Disney cartoon, including Ariel's skin color, even though said Disney cartoon did not have a 1 to 1 translation of the original story, including Ariel's skin color?

And that's because people grew up with the cartoon and expect it to be the same, even though that also applied to people who grew up with a different story of Ariel that the cartoon changed?

So much wrong here that I have to respond again lol.
1) I've already touched on the skin thing but I'll reiterate: Ariel's design is extremely faithful to how Andersen described his little mermaid, Disney only changed her hair color because they felt it looked better when animated.
2) People can't have grown up with a different story of Ariel because Ariel is the Disney character. The little mermaid and the other characters in the original tale have no names.

Disney took their liberties where they could but it was ok because it was an adaptation of that story not a remake with characters that people have known and loved for 30 years. They did the same with Princess and the Frog by changing the setting and writing Tiana as a black character and that's the right way to do this, that was totally fine because it's their take on that.
But here they want to bank on everyone's nostalgia by using the same names and soundtrack while also making changes like Ariel's design and Scuttle's gender that will add absolutely nothing to the story. Wanna bet that Scuttle will now be a motherly figure to Ariel? Because her grandmother in the original tale wasn't good enough I guess?
Again: if this was a new adptation it'd be completely fine. But the moment you call her Ariel it no longer is.

[Dotsudoku]

the cognitive dissonance in this thread is astounding

[Tomiko]

It's my opinion™ that you racists in this thread already have your "perfect" version of The Little Mermaid and won't be happy with any changes to "your" version. Quit being butthurt about the casting and let others have something nice for a change. If you don't like it, don't support it and watch your version instead. No one is forcing you to watch this version. Not everything has to be targeted to you.

It's a fucking movie and you're going to forget about it anyways once the next thing triggers your white pride.

[Salodin]

They're mad cause their daughters are gonna grow up with colored role models instead of all the pastey white ones they're used to

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[Alkar]

Using the racist card simply means that you have no arguments here, you're just as bad as any Trump supporter that you hate so much.
I mean, feel free to keep doing it as much as you like but you're just wrong.
And don't worry, I'm gay so I won't have any daughters to begin with lol. But I have three beautiful mixed nieces that will grow up with a bunch of diverse examples like Moana, Tiana and even the white ones y'all hate so much (they identify as Elsa and Anna, go fucking figure huh?).
The real racists are in your mirrors, the sooner you realize that the better.
Maybe we'll be able to have a proper conversation when America finally grows up and away from this dark age of harassement and namecalling from all sides.

[Salodin]

Using the racist card simply means that you have no arguments here

Yup cause calling out racist opinions just means they're actually not racist

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[Guitarman]

Holy cripes there's a lot of stupid in here.

It's unfortunate they are changing up Ariel. One of the neat things about the Disney princesses was they all were different enough that little girls typically had someone they could identify with. Ariel was the only redhead (iirc, i'm no Disney expert). Disney has been making solid efforts to expand their diversity with recent releases and that's exactly the tact they should take. Build more stories around new characters, don't change up old ones.

I get it, there's a loud contingency of racists that hate the change for the racial aspect, but there are plenty that don't like that a character's look is not what they remember or were looking forward to, and it's ok to not be happy they're changing the way Ariel was presented without it being a race issue as well. To use a totally benign and off-the-wall example, I'd be pissed as hell if the old 90's cartoon TMNT were changed to orange instead of green skin when they made "live action" movies too because i was looking forward to seeing the characters as i remember them.

At the end of the day, Disney is causing this drama on purpose. They're banking on all the free marketing the bitching is giving them and laughing all the way to the bank. The mouse is not stupid. Outrage is the new viral marketing.

[Alkar]

Yup cause calling out racist opinions just means they're actually not racist

You're not calling out racist opinions, you're just being dumb and missing the point entirely. The fact that you didn't go past that sentence speaks volumes already, you're unwilling to have a conversation with anyone who may disagree politely and would rather call them names to make you feel superior and better (and by you I mean any kid throwing out accusations here not you specifically).

[Zealot]

For what it's worth, I also don't think Captain America (Steve Rogers) should ever be recast as being black because it is downright unrealistic to think the US government would pick and invest in a black guy to be their million dollar super soldier project to end the war.

This is a good opportunity to bring up Isaiah Bradley: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isai...ey?wprov=sfla1

Story of Captain America told through the eyes of a black soldier where the experiment echoes that of Tuskegee.

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[Alkar]

Holy cripes there's a lot of stupid in here.

It's unfortunate they are changing up Ariel. One of the neat things about the Disney princesses was they all were different enough that little girls typically had someone they could identify with. Ariel was the only redhead (iirc, i'm no Disney expert). Disney has been making solid efforts to expand their diversity with recent releases and that's exactly the tact they should take. Build more stories around new characters, don't change up old ones.

I get it, there's a loud contingency of racists that hate the change for the racial aspect, but there are plenty that don't like that a character's look is not what they remember or were looking forward to, and it's ok to not be happy they're changing the way Ariel was presented without it being a race issue as well. To use a totally benign and off-the-wall example, I'd be pissed as hell if the old 90's cartoon TMNT were changed to orange instead of green skin when they made "live action" movies too because i was looking forward to seeing the characters as i remember them.

At the end of the day, Disney is causing this drama on purpose. They're banking on all the free marketing the bitching is giving them and laughing all the way to the bank. Outrage is the new viral marketing.

Thank you, some common sense finally.
Yeah what really pisses me off is that Disney is doing this only to get free marketing for the movie, they're throwing this young girl under the bus for money and people are praising them.

[DrClout]

That's pretty interesting to say the least

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[Zealot]

The real racists are in your mirrors, the sooner you realize that the better.

HAHAHAHHA

Jesus Christ, what an asshole.


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[Zealot]

If a character is recast to be a different race, it's a marketing stunt

If you agree with the change, you're a racist

Real galaxy brain stuff going on here.

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[Ksandra]

Racism is an opinion. Shouting, “It’s my opinion,” doesn’t make it not racist.


I mean I’ve given so many examples, yet Draylo can’t address them.

Biggest being, this does not negate “your” Ariel. I am 100% positive they’ll still have your white goddess version walking around Disney signing autographs. This is a reimagining of that story. And it isn’t being made for people like you. Buy the Blu-ray and watch the cartoon all day every day, no one is gonna give a fuck. The old one isn’t dying.

The rest of us will get to enjoy something new and refreshing.

[Deejay]

BUT WE THE RACISTS THO LOL

[Salodin]

Holy cripes there's a lot of stupid in here.

It's unfortunate they are changing up Ariel. One of the neat things about the Disney princesses was they all were different enough that little girls typically had someone they could identify with. Ariel was the only redhead (iirc, i'm no Disney expert). Disney has been making solid efforts to expand their diversity with recent releases and that's exactly the tact they should take. Build more stories around new characters, don't change up old ones.

Uh, you do realize black people can have red hair, right? The only actual difference so far is this girls skin color is not as white as the cartoon character. That is literally the only difference.


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[Zealot]

From Disney:

Yes. The original author of ‘The Little Mermaid’ was Danish. Ariel…is a mermaid. She lives in an underwater kingdom in international waters and can legit swim wherever she wants (even though that often upsets King Triton, absolute zaddy). But for the sake of argument, let’s say that Ariel, too, is Danish. Danish mermaids can be black because Danish *people* can be black. Ariel can sneak up to the surface at any time with her pals Scuttle and the *ahem* Jamaican crab Sebastian (sorry, Flounder!) and keep that bronze base tight. Black Danish people, and thus mer-folk, can also *genetically* (!!!) have red hair. But spoiler alert – bring it back to the top – the character of Ariel is a work of fiction. So after all this is said and done, and you still cannot get past the idea that choosing the incredible, sensational, highly-talented, gorgeous Halle Bailey is anything other than the INSPIRED casting that it is because she “doesn’t look like the cartoon one”, oh boy, do I have some news for you…about you. 

Also your rose petal translation conflicts with another that says rose leaf, but in both the only comment is upon the quality of her skin, not the color.

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[6souls]

One of the neat things about the Disney princesses was they all were different enough that little girls typically had someone they could identify with. Ariel was the only redhead.

[Salodin]

Look at all these people being given proof that ariel doesnt have to be white, and still struggling hard to find a reason to justify it sigh...

But hey it's not racist!

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