Protect Ariel’s Home: Representation

Representation

Ever since Disney’s beloved stories were first released in 1937, it has been a bumpy road toward diverse and inclusive representation. Many of Disney’s early films feature an all-White cast with little to no BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Color) representation, and even those few instances of diversity were culturally insensitive. A couple of unfortunate examples include:

• In Peter Pan (1953) the word ‘redskins’ is used in reference to Native Americans and the film includes dancing scenes that make a joke out of Native peoples’ culture and imagery;
• The Lady and the Tramp (1955) and The Aristocats (1970) contain negative stereotypes of Asian people,
• There are negative depictions and stereotypes against Roma people in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) which depict them as aimless nomads and untrustworthy thieves.
• You can see more of these examples here.

There have been some positive developments in Disney’s efforts towards representation. For example, on the streaming service Disney+, subscribers will see the following message when they click on specific films: “This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.” This is a step in the direction towards acknowledging past harms.

However, fans continue to critique certain elements, specifically in the representation of Black characters. In The Princess and the Frog (2009), Princess Tiana isn’t presented in the same manner as the other White protagonists. Tiana’s storyline is the only one driven by financial hardship as she works two jobs cleaning houses, while other princesses are born into wealthy families. This forces Tiana into the stereotype of the Black servant that colonizer perspectives of history have associated with Black womanhood. Even so, the film is set in the 1920s Jim Crow South, but doesn’t acknowledge the experience of being a Black woman during that time.

One major critique of Disney’s portrayal of Black characters is that there is a recurring pattern of them becoming non-human during their stories. For example, Tiana and her love interest, Prince Naveen, are transformed into frogs and spend the majority of the film in that state. The only Black main character that stays human is the villain, Dr. Facilier. Another example is in Disney and Pixar’s Soul (2020). The protagonist, Joe Gardner, has his body inhabited by the spirit of a character, 22, who is played by white actress Tina Fey.

Disney has improved their efforts towards better representation in the past few years, with films like Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), Encanto (2021), Coco (2017), and Moana (2016), all of which had increased BIPOC representation behind the scenes. While there is still work to be done in providing authentic, culturally-supportive stories and giving more opportunities to BIPOC writers, animators, and other creative workers, these accomplishments should be celebrated as we see the positive impacts it has on young audiences.

Representation & The Little Mermaid

In July 2019, 22-year-old singer Halle Bailey was cast as the iconic red-haired mermaid, Ariel, for Disney’s live action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. With the release of the first official teaser on September 9th, 2022, mixed reactions emerged and caused discourse on social media. Some people reacted by posting videos with “#NotMyAriel” attached to protest the princess’s change in the depicted race by criticizing political correctness and canon accuracy, while others rejoiced in the prospect of a Black woman playing the iconic, red-headed mermaid with many young Black girls seeing themselves represented.

What you might not know is that the original The Little Mermaid (1989) film had a few instances of representation of marginalized communities too. The beloved octopus antagonist, Ursula, was inspired by the drag queen Divine. Animator Rob Minkoff took inspiration from elements such as Divine’s eye makeup and jewelry. There’s also the well-known singing crab, Sebastian, who was originally written to be English but was suggested to be from the Caribbean, specifically Jamaica, and played by Black actor Samuel E. Wright. Moments of representation have been present, even in small ways. And despite the critical response to Halle Bailey’s casting from a vocal minority, the casting has brought joy to many Black people, specifically Black women and girls who can now see themselves represented in a light-hearted, inspiring character such as Ariel.

When Black and Brown people are not represented in the media, it reflects the invisibility these communities face on a societal level. These communities are fighting against systemic racism, an institutional practice that negatively impacts quality of life in every way. When BIPOC characters don’t get a chance to be seen or heard, not only do these conversations never see the light of day, but Black and Brown viewers don’t get the same chance to see themselves in their favorite heroes like White viewers always do. While this campaign is about bringing attention to the environmental needs of communities, it is also about celebrating the visibility of BIPOC characters and the joy that diverse stories bring to these communities.