Internet

All the internet’s more interesting critiques of ‘The Little Mermaid’

September 17, 2022
teknojava editor

As anyone who spends even the semblance of time on the internet knows, the racists were, uh, racist again.

With the recent release of a teaser trailer for Disney’s live-action remake of The little mermaid With Halle Bailey in the lead, people who had probably never been interested in Disney movies in their lives were suddenly intrigued by the fact that Ariel was being played by a black actress. Outrage erupted on Twitter, Reddit, and other social platforms, and the official trailer was reportedly received over 1 million dislikes on YouTube shortly after publication. Some haters even went so far as to use them AI is supposed to paint over Bailey’s face in the trailerand replaced it with a white woman with red hair.

In response to the online dishes, movie enthusiasts and Disney devotees alike scoffed at the idea that the titular mermaid had to be played by a white actress to maintain “accuracy.” As many people pointed out, the film is about a mermaid – a fantasy character for whom racial identity is irrelevant. And if you’re still unaware of the importance of representation in entertainment, please read the beautiful cascade of videos with little black girls reacting to seeing themselves in their favorite Disney princesses.

Amid the fight against the backlash, many fans brought up other issues The little mermaid history and filmmaking, which they hoped would be addressed instead of the irrelevant casting drama. So actually in the spirit of the discussion Interesting Elements of storytelling, here are some of the online reviews and explorations of The little mermaid it doesn’t really matter.

1. Can we bring a little liveliness into this?

Since the teaser trailer is so short, there aren’t many visual possibilities for fans to think about. However, one aspect immediately caught the eye of the aesthetically interested viewer: the color scheme.

As several people have pointed out, the underwater scene shown in the teaser is a bit somber and somber overall. The lighting is very cool and bluish, and doesn’t match the brightness that nostalgic fans typically associate with Disney animated films. This led to both support and further lively discussions. Defender of the color scheme to quarrel that the scene is obviously taking place underwater and the live-action adaptation of an oceanic scene is what it might actually look like. others too Point on the color theory and tone of “Part of Your World” – the song Bailey sings during the scene – of being sad and longing for a world above water, making the aesthetic tone perfectly suited to the story of that moment.

But while all of this may be true, non-fans also bring up the lack of liveliness in Disney’s live-action remakes previously criticized The Lion King, with Disney’s pursuit of hyperrealism ultimately taking away the magic of the story. While realism is a reasonable pursuit in a live-action fairy tale, Ariel’s fans are hoping it won’t overtake the whims of the mermaid saga.

2. Remember how Ursula was inspired by a drag queen?

Ursula is arguably the most important character in the film after the main mermaid herself, and has garnered a loyal following for her campy, over-the-top wickedness. When The little mermaid was announced, fans of the sea witch introduced themselves a number of actors for them, including Ginger Minj, Lizzo, Eureka O’Hara and Lady Gaga. But Disney ended up going with … Melissa McCarthy.

Well, McCarthy may very well give a wonderful performance in the role. But for Disney heads tuned into Ursula’s animated creation, many were hoping for a nod to the drag community in modern casting. As is well documented, cartoon Ursula’s appearance was based on legendary drag queen and actress Divine. Unfortunately, Divine died before he ever had a chance to speak Ursula animatedly, however Divine documentary filmmaker agree that they would have appreciated this opportunity.

As a result, fans hoped that a modern-day drag queen would take on Ursula’s real-life counterpart. While most don’t think being played by a cisgender actress will be a complete distraction from Ursula, leaning on the original inspiration would have meant a lot more to the LGBTQ community. However, Internet investigator noticed that too McCarthy himself has appeared in drag previously going by the alias Miss Y. With her involvement in nightlife and the drag community in the 1990s, fans are a little more confident that the actress will pay homage to the character’s roots in the adaptation.

SEE ALSO:

Disney is releasing a teaser for the long-awaited live-action The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey

3. The whole thing could be an allegory for gay longing

The fairy tale historians have a truth bomb for the “accuracy” seekers out there: The little mermaid maybe it’s not about a little mermaid at all!

As Proud reported, the original fairy tale on which both the animated film and live-action remake are based was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837 as “a love letter for a man named Edvard Collin.” Historians widely believe that Andersen was bisexual and wrote the story to illustrate his sense of being different and his desire for a world that would accept him. In his story, Ariel suffers so much heartbreak from not being able to be with her prince that she dissolves in sea foam, an ending that seems to mirror Andersen’s own romantic aspirations.

While Disney’s version clearly stripped Ariel’s love story of any weirdness, fans online link to the source material to demonstrate that adaptations are allowed to be altered. If you’re not upset that a story about gay desire isn’t included in the remake in the name of accuracy, then there might not exactly be room to argue with the fact that Ariel is Black.

4. Is it more important to have a fabulous singer or an experienced actor?

Among the main compliments from the teaser trailer were praises for Bailey’s angelic singing voice. Although the trailer only has lyrics from “Part of Your World,” a contestant of the D23 was leaked a longer clip shown at the fair, where you can hear an extended cut of the song. In it, Bailey pulls off some truly incredible vocal acrobatics and embraces the quintessential Ariel tune.

Though many reactions to the clip are supportive of Bailey, saying her singing talents clearly show she’s perfectly suited for the role, others wonder if singing skills can make up for what some say is a lack of an acting resume. Although Bailey has been at it for a long time Adult, She doesn’t have many film credits and is best known for her musical talent as one half of Chloe x Halle. Internet fans continue to debate whether having a singing voice in a musical film is more important than being an actor, with many resorting to a reverse comparison Emma Watson as Belle in the live action Beauty and the Beast. Although no one doubts Bailey’s vocal prowess, the film will give her an opportunity to showcase her acting skills and could help settle the debate over the importance of singer and actress in musical films.