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Fans Overflow The Internet With Fan Art After Disney Announces The New Ariel
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There are loads of things we can all disagree on, especially when it comes to something as precious as a childhood memory. That being said, It makes sense that Disney's latest casting choice sparked quite a controversy by choosing Halle Bailey to play Ariel in "The Little Mermaid" live-action movie remake. Some were convinced something's really fishy and took the scientific approach to explain why the casting is wrong to portray this Disney character, others were really excited about the first black mermaid. So were these people, who took the Internet by storm and flooded it with fan art dedicated to the famous character, supporting the new cast. Scroll down to check these cool drawings and get hyped for the new Disney movie remake.
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This is my favorite so far. There is so much light and sweetness in this illustration.
Hey Just Curious, see that pink coral in the background on the left? It has a special message, just for you.
Note: this post originally had 96 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I understand the want to integrate all races into the fairy tales. However, most fairy tales (think The brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Lewis Carroll, etc.) were all European - thus the characters tend to be white. I have no actual issues with an African Ariel, or heck, even a mixed-race one. It's not what I grew up with, but that's just my two-cents. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Grimm, Hans, and many more collected works from all over the world actually. Many of the tales they collected are actually very old Chinese stories. Cinderella I believe was originally from Asia. We have to remember that just because a European collected the stories and translated them does not make them theirs. Each of those tales have origins from all over the world.
True. The Cinderella that English speakers know and love can be traced to the French story Cendrillon, first published in 1697 by Charles Perrault, though Chinese and Greek versions of this classic tale go back to the 9th century CE and 6th century BCE, respectively. But most of us know the original Disney versions, which were mostly taken from the Brothers Grimm (without the gory endings.)
There are blacks in Europe who are born and raised in Europe... those authors grew up in a different time than today. Had they grew up in the 2019 version of Europe writing about fictional characters, maybe she’ll look different. The original Ariel wasn’t even a red head in the books.
Yes, why aren't there any old stories of various African origin? US based studios keep copying from European cultures, why won't they try something else...
Very true. However people tend to write what they know about and Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who thought he was related to the "nobility" wrote from that point of view (according to the literature I've read). And there wasn't "color" in books back then... so we don't know her true hair color. I can't recall Anderson ever mentioning it. Wikipedia has some of the original pictures... I couldn't get them to load on BP today. Sorry. But here's the link if anyone's interested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Mermaid
I'm confused. You say you have no problem with it, but you seem to have a problem with it. So what if the characters were originally European? There are lots of stories with originally non-white characters taken from non-white cultures where we've cast white actors. If you have no problem with that, then you should have no problem with this.
@Parmeisan, You seem to have misunderstood. I never said I liked that they cast Caucasians in other ethnic traditional roles. As an Asian, growing up in a predominantly white culture (Mulan didn't come out till I was 31), I never HAD an Asian role model or Disney princess that I could identify with -thus that is what I knew of "princesses". HOWEVER, if that is what Disney wants to do, I DO NOT see the issue with Halle playing the lead. I was just pointing out the probable reason why some of the characters that are now being portrayed by different races, have people upset. It isn't what they grew up on, thus it isn't what they imagine.
Thank you for the explanation, K. LNU. Looks like I did misunderstand.
Adriana Moreira - "The other way around" is not the same because history has been whitewashed. READ history. It is SPECIFICALLY about racism and your post is soaking in it. Shame on you. It's a FICTIONAL CHARACTER with a talking Jamaican lobster for a friend.
I don't have a problem with it but I wouldn't like it if they made a live action of Princes and the frog with a white Tiana. I mean, would you like it? Probably because it's the other way around people would complain cause it's the other way around right? Im not racist, we're all humans, we're all equal but there's something called character loyalty. And for me this girl is not ariel, just like arya in the Eragon movie (I read all the books) wasn't. Get it? It's not about racism, it's about finding the actress who will fit the role in every way. Ariel is a white red head, why not stick to it?
European does not equal white, not now and not in history
Why are these 3 comments being downvoted?? Kaisu, mamma g and something. Aren't making offensive points
They are just tales. It's not written in stone how the characters should look. Get over it and move on.
I like your two-cents! Funny how so many people are trying to argue that your wrong XD
Lol what? When? Where? I don't think so, but maybe..?
I remember you, aren’t you the idiot who complained that the art was “too plastic”?
Mermaids aren't real and her skin color has zero to do with the story.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Mermaids are not humans. Why would they specifically resemble human races?
So are we getting a white Tiana and Chinese Pocahontas next?
Seeing as though we only have ONE black princess and ONE Asian one, and both of their ethnicities are integral to the story...NO.
or what about a Mexican Cinderella or a Pakistani Merida (Brave)?
There can’t be a Chinese Pocahontas because the real Pocahontas was Native American.
No, because that's whitewashing
This comment has been deleted.
A better question is why are you so bothered by this?
Bothered? I just asked a question.
why are you so bothered you'd ask that loaded question?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Read some history and justify a Jamaican lobster. Then we can talk.
Don't care, it's an unneeded live action remake of good animation and thus not worth my money whatever the cast is.
I understand the want to integrate all races into the fairy tales. However, most fairy tales (think The brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Lewis Carroll, etc.) were all European - thus the characters tend to be white. I have no actual issues with an African Ariel, or heck, even a mixed-race one. It's not what I grew up with, but that's just my two-cents. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Grimm, Hans, and many more collected works from all over the world actually. Many of the tales they collected are actually very old Chinese stories. Cinderella I believe was originally from Asia. We have to remember that just because a European collected the stories and translated them does not make them theirs. Each of those tales have origins from all over the world.
True. The Cinderella that English speakers know and love can be traced to the French story Cendrillon, first published in 1697 by Charles Perrault, though Chinese and Greek versions of this classic tale go back to the 9th century CE and 6th century BCE, respectively. But most of us know the original Disney versions, which were mostly taken from the Brothers Grimm (without the gory endings.)
There are blacks in Europe who are born and raised in Europe... those authors grew up in a different time than today. Had they grew up in the 2019 version of Europe writing about fictional characters, maybe she’ll look different. The original Ariel wasn’t even a red head in the books.
Yes, why aren't there any old stories of various African origin? US based studios keep copying from European cultures, why won't they try something else...
Very true. However people tend to write what they know about and Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who thought he was related to the "nobility" wrote from that point of view (according to the literature I've read). And there wasn't "color" in books back then... so we don't know her true hair color. I can't recall Anderson ever mentioning it. Wikipedia has some of the original pictures... I couldn't get them to load on BP today. Sorry. But here's the link if anyone's interested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Mermaid
I'm confused. You say you have no problem with it, but you seem to have a problem with it. So what if the characters were originally European? There are lots of stories with originally non-white characters taken from non-white cultures where we've cast white actors. If you have no problem with that, then you should have no problem with this.
@Parmeisan, You seem to have misunderstood. I never said I liked that they cast Caucasians in other ethnic traditional roles. As an Asian, growing up in a predominantly white culture (Mulan didn't come out till I was 31), I never HAD an Asian role model or Disney princess that I could identify with -thus that is what I knew of "princesses". HOWEVER, if that is what Disney wants to do, I DO NOT see the issue with Halle playing the lead. I was just pointing out the probable reason why some of the characters that are now being portrayed by different races, have people upset. It isn't what they grew up on, thus it isn't what they imagine.
Thank you for the explanation, K. LNU. Looks like I did misunderstand.
Adriana Moreira - "The other way around" is not the same because history has been whitewashed. READ history. It is SPECIFICALLY about racism and your post is soaking in it. Shame on you. It's a FICTIONAL CHARACTER with a talking Jamaican lobster for a friend.
I don't have a problem with it but I wouldn't like it if they made a live action of Princes and the frog with a white Tiana. I mean, would you like it? Probably because it's the other way around people would complain cause it's the other way around right? Im not racist, we're all humans, we're all equal but there's something called character loyalty. And for me this girl is not ariel, just like arya in the Eragon movie (I read all the books) wasn't. Get it? It's not about racism, it's about finding the actress who will fit the role in every way. Ariel is a white red head, why not stick to it?
European does not equal white, not now and not in history
Why are these 3 comments being downvoted?? Kaisu, mamma g and something. Aren't making offensive points
They are just tales. It's not written in stone how the characters should look. Get over it and move on.
I like your two-cents! Funny how so many people are trying to argue that your wrong XD
Lol what? When? Where? I don't think so, but maybe..?
I remember you, aren’t you the idiot who complained that the art was “too plastic”?
Mermaids aren't real and her skin color has zero to do with the story.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Mermaids are not humans. Why would they specifically resemble human races?
So are we getting a white Tiana and Chinese Pocahontas next?
Seeing as though we only have ONE black princess and ONE Asian one, and both of their ethnicities are integral to the story...NO.
or what about a Mexican Cinderella or a Pakistani Merida (Brave)?
There can’t be a Chinese Pocahontas because the real Pocahontas was Native American.
No, because that's whitewashing
This comment has been deleted.
A better question is why are you so bothered by this?
Bothered? I just asked a question.
why are you so bothered you'd ask that loaded question?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Read some history and justify a Jamaican lobster. Then we can talk.
Don't care, it's an unneeded live action remake of good animation and thus not worth my money whatever the cast is.