Disney just released the trailer for the live-action adaptation of The little Mermaid. The film stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer King as Prince Eric, Mallissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Brandem as King Triton. The teaser released at D23 Expo received a good response, and the Halle Bailey even received a standing ovation after the teaser was revealed. However, not everyone was impressed with the actress in the teaser.
Fans were excited after Disney announced a live-action remake of the classic Little Mermaid. However, that excitement quickly faded for many fans after Halle Bailey was cast in the film for the role of Ariel.
It’s become a hot topic about how wrong Disney is to cast an actress of color for the role of a princess who’s supposed to be white, even though no such spec on the character is mentioned anywhere.
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Why is everyone obsessed with the idea that Ariel is white?
According to the original animated film and Hans Christian Anderson sources, Ariel is a mermaid princess, the youngest daughter of King Triton. The story follows her as she longs to learn more about the world beyond the sea. She falls in love with Prince Eric while visiting the surface and makes a deal with the wicked sea witch, Ursula .
However, there is no mention of Ariel being white or of a specific race. But many who have seen the animation The little Mermaidare not satisfied with Halle Bailey Little Mermaid. They came out calling her version inappropriate just because she’s black.
This isn’t the first time people have objected to the skin color of actors playing a certain character, which they say is supposed to be white. Earlier the same thing happened with the Dragon House actor, Steve Toussaint, who plays Corlys Velaryon in the series.
People started calling out the creators of the show for casting a black actor for the role and even started comparing a work of fiction with historical fact.
Even though they don’t have any valid reason behind it, they still argue that Ariel can’t be black. These people failed to see Halle Bailey as Ariel even after her, being fit for the character, from her looks to her voice and singing abilities. The only thing they focused on was the color of her skin.
Internet users come to support Halle Bailey in the role of the Little Mermaid
Not everyone is offended by Halle Bailey’s portrayal of The little Mermaid. People congratulated her after the release of her teaser and gave her their support. Netizens even liked Disney for not having the same idea of having a white-only princess. They started sharing tweets under #myariel supporting Bailey.
Here are some tweets shared by fans on Twitter.
Halle Bailey as Ariel. She will eat this role. Just wow. #The little Mermaid pic.twitter.com/oCAf3DJFZY
– alias (@itsjustanx) September 9, 2022
HALLE BAILEY IS MY ARIEL 🥹🥹💕💕 pic.twitter.com/EEa4VKc14y
— 𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚌𝚊. (@MJFINESSELOVER) September 9, 2022
A whole generation of kids will forever know Halle Bailey as their Ariel and I love it! https://t.co/B2ZSn8I5Xl
— DOM😘 (@MzDiva_16) September 10, 2022
Halle on stage, she got a standing ovation #myariel #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/BsXn1w9aur
— Halle Bailey Legion 🧜🏽♀️ #MyAriel (@HalleLegion) September 9, 2022
the impact this movie is going to have on kids, especially young black girls… I’m so excited #myariel #halleismyariel pic.twitter.com/FH4oOhvOPL
— Passionate about TLM ❄️ (@be95_xx) September 10, 2022
Read more: ‘Cried The Other Day’: Halle Bailey says playing Ariel in Little Mermaid was ‘overwhelming’, praises fans who support her amid racist backlash
Disney casts Yara Shahidi as Tiker Bell
Halle Bailey isn’t the only black actress to break the stereotype of a Disney princess. Disney cast Yara Shahidi for the role of Tinker Bell in the live adaptation of Tinker Bell. Like Halle Bailey, Shahidi has also been a talking point for racist trolls.
These trolls only seem to get in trouble when an actor of color is cast in a role that’s usually supposed to be white. But what about when it’s contrasted? In 2019 AladdinNaomi Scott guest-starred as Jasmine, an Arabian princess who appears to have dark skin in the animation.
No one objected to an English actress playing the role of Jasmine, especially not because her skin color was too white compared to Jasmine’s. So why does the problem arise when the situation is reversed?
Netizens even claimed that the original author of The little Mermaid was Danish. Taking this into account, they concluded that Danish mermaids would also be black. But even after all that, Ariel is a fictional character, and if people still can’t get over the idea of Halle Bailey playing her, they’re just being racist.
The little Mermaid will be released in theaters on May 26, 2023.
Source: Twitter