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This rant about the Little Mermaid racism row doesn’t go where you think it’s going
Next year, Disney will release the live-action remake of its classic cartoon The Little Mermaid, with the title character, Ariel, played by an American actress and singer of colour, Halle Bailey.
Out of the sea, wish I could be… part of that world.
Disney's The Little Mermaid is coming to theaters May 26, 2023. pic.twitter.com/lUw5BmYRK5
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) September 9, 2022
This collection of reactions to the trailer shows just what that representation means – and it gets you right in the feels.
‘She’s like me!’ — These reactions to the recently released ‘The Little Mermaid’ teaser featuring Halle Bailey will absolutely melt your heart ♥️ pic.twitter.com/sizjfzNjPv
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 13, 2022
As you could probably have predicted, some people don’t feel so positive. They left comments like this –
And this –
The backlash got its own backlash.
People are mad that The Little Mermaid is Black? The lady who is also a fish? Who lives under the sea? Whose best friend is a talking crab?
— Lynda Carter (@RealLyndaCarter) September 13, 2022
"Well the original little mermai-"
The original The Little Mermaid is a queer man's self-insertion character, longing to be able to be in a relationship with another man, and at the end the mermaid dies.
You don't care about the original, mate.
— Nome (@NomeDaBarbarian) September 12, 2022
The problem is that canonically Ariel’s bottom half is cod, whereas in this new trailer she appears to be half mahi-mahi—yet another example of the Left’s “woke” anti-whitefish agenda.
— Frank Lesser (@sadmonsters) September 13, 2022
TikToker jay.kue weighed in on the controversy. Watch to the end.
@jay.kue Its honestly disgusting and cultural theft of the highest order. #arielisblack #littlemermaidtrailer #disneyprincesses #blindreactionchallenge #hallebailey #blackrepresentation #littlemermaid #whitejesus #brownjesus #jesusisntwhite ♬ Under the Sea (Instrumental) [From "The Little Mermaid"] – London Music Works
We see what he did there – and so did these people.
jay.kue shared this hope.
That would be –
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Source jay.kue Image Screengrab, Screengrab