When the cast of Disney’s live action version of “The Little Mermaid” was announced, members of the far-right political community voiced their outrage across social media over the decision to cast Black actress Halle Bailey as Ariel. They wished to see an actress with straight, silky red hair and white skin, as displayed in the classic animated movie from 1989, play the role of Ariel. These wishes, along with their belief that it is necessary for live-action remakes to be cast according to their animated counterparts, are flawed. Opponents are unable to see that a lack of diversity in movies, especially of the iconic Disney princesses, does much more damage to children than to the insignificant nostalgia of opposers who cling to outdated representations of characters.
Growing up Jewish-American, I was hurt by characters like Mother Gothel in “Tangled,” so obviously written to have stereotypical Jewish features and characteristics such as a hooked nose, dark curly hair, and greediness. I saw the Disney princesses that I aspired to be like, with their tiny button noses, long golden hair, and other Eurocentric features, and it broke my heart. Those characters were always portrayed as beautiful people with kind souls while characters that were more like me were portrayed as materialistic and disgusting. In second grade, I started a habit of pushing down on the bump on my nose to try to look more like the beautiful girls that I saw on TV. This is not at all an uncommon experience for children who aren’t represented in the media.
Yara Shahidi, who is also Black, was cast as Tinkerbell in the live action movie “Peter Pan & Wendy,” which was released in April 2023. Her role was also met with mixed responses from the same community. In an interview with “Good Morning America,” Shahidi expressed her excitement to be playing Tinkerbell. She opened up about her childhood and growing up dressing in Disney princess costumes, but always looking like the “Black version” of the character. She explains that it is confusing for children to only see characters in movies who are not like them and, in some cases, seeing characters that do look more like them pictured in a negative light. Casting actors of color in roles like these change the narrative for children growing up. With Disney’s decision to change the races of characters in recent films, new generations will have the opportunity to identify with their favorite characters on screen and grow up believing that they can “be a princess” too.
According to Temple Now, amidst the backlash from conservative fans from casting Bailey as Ariel, there was also a heartwarming and viral response across TikTok and Instagram displaying the delighted reaction of Black children watching the teaser for “The Little Mermaid” for the first time. Many reactions are emotional, showing these children crying because they rarely see representations of themselves in Disney princesses. In and of itself, these reactions make it evident that race-swapping characters can uplift children who rarely get the chance to see versions of themselves on screen. Clearly, representation has a positive impact on children’s perspectives of the world and of their place in it.
The film industry should continue to implement diversity into movies and live-actions with characters whose identities are not based on their appearance. Every child deserves to see someone who looks like them, celebrates like them, and has the same traditions. As a society, we should learn to acknowledge and value diversity, prioritizing the children of future generations over the views of the past.
