The drama film, The Little Mermaid, continues to face an abysmal backlash as it seems to have led to a racist backlash in China and South Korea.
The decision to cast a Black Ariel caused a strong reaction and numerous unverified critiques inundated social media platforms in China and South Korea, mirroring the hate campaign that took place in the United States (where the infamous #notmyariel hashtag emerged).
Overall, Halle Bailey did not expect such a shocking reaction as a Black person and she told herself that it wasn’t really surprising.
Why, though, was there so much fury about Ariel Black, a beloved cartoon character, being recast as a disagreeable character? Yes, anti-Blackness is a common feature of American public life, but why was the fallout from this specific film so predictable?
In predominantly white narratives, the heroes are predominantly white. (And when the heroes are not white, they reside in separate narratives, where their impact is primarily limited to characters who share their appearance.) Disney classics are favored because they effectively uphold the national storyline of the United States: that audiences have a sense of ownership over cultural assets.
Imbedded in that national storyline, the firmly established rankings that have been disturbed by featuring a Black woman as the main character in that legend are a component of American self-mythologizing. These timeless tales, beyond being mere material for reminiscence, contribute to American self-mythologizing.
The image of the princess mermaid in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales has always been deeply ingrained in the hearts of audiences, both Chinese and American. However, these films are unique in the Disney world, as they do not matter where they are set. They are not only products of their own cultural discourse, but also reflect the extent of anti-Blackness in the US and the global fallout it has reached, including South Korea and China.
And because God forbid, Bailey’s parents, who are white American, are committed to avoiding the work of anti-racism by simply opting to erase all references to Blackness from their lives, they might lead to questions about her locs or why she looks “different” than them.
The film’s importance and the intense reaction it has received are both crucial to understanding why it has garnered so much hate and pushback from right-wing supremacists who are opposed to the woke stance against war.
It is necessary for the subversion of these iconic characters that casting be colorblind and society should reinforce their ideals by looking around at what is easy. Society is clinging onto these cultural staples because they are dear for life. This is precisely why I’m glad that Ariel is Black on screen. It is ironic, though, that some people can only imagine a Black girl playing Ariel as a nefarious plot to force children to see more Black people on screen.
It is important for children to admire and respect cultural icons that challenge society’s colonization and the dominance of whiteness. It is also necessary to separate these icons from the traditional canon and prioritize representation. If we do not explore and appreciate diverse cultural icons, we will gain nothing else.
Ariel Black Casting is not intentionally a political move, although it has clearly been missing the point all along. It is a continuation of a tradition and audiences who don’t get it don’t understand that. The success and release of The Little Mermaid have single-handedly helped save Disney from collapse, and it has always been a subversive commentary on topics like patriarchal society and gender fluidity, offering fresh perspective. It is a piece of American film history.