A New Ariel: Not an Act of Antidiscrimination

By 구민서

Walt Disney Studios has released its first trailer for the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. Due to this news, controversy is brewing. It started by casting a black woman as Ariel, the Little Mermaid. The role of Ariel, which many anticipated, has been chosen as a singer named Halle Bailey. Ariel, portrayed in Disney’s previous film as white with red hair and blue eyes, now has red locks and is Black. As it was an unexpected choice, many different reactions exist.

The reactions could be organized mainly into two positions. Most people show positive reactions to the new Ariel. The reactions of overjoyed little black girls are one of them. But some netizens had thousands of hashtags such as "Bailey doesn't fit the role of Ariel" and "#Not my Ariel." They claim Ariel should be white since the original story is Danish, and that she has been recognized as white for many years.

As controversy mounts over the role of the Little Mermaid, Disney offers its opinion. Disney's channel Freeform responded to the controversy through its official Twitter account reform emphasizing that "Ariel is a fictional character," and that "The Little Mermaid is a Danish fairy tale." Because Ariel is a mermaid, she can swim anywhere in the sea world. They also pointed out that Danish may be black, so Danish mermaids may be black.

To add to my opinion, setting Ariel as a black woman seems to be mould-breaking but understandable. According to the director Rob Marshell, the starring actress, Halle Bailey, was cast for her youth, singing skills, and talent, most suitable for playing the role. Why Bailey was cast to be the Little Mermaid was not a movement to stop racial discrimination. It was just because she was more talented than other candidates, and because there should be no limit to any skin color.

https://www.boredpanda.com/people-reactions-disneys-black-ariel/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/arts/little-mermaid-trailer-halle-bailey.html