By Darren Miller, Staff Writer | November 9, 2022
Photo courtesy of Instagram
In 2023’s The Little Mermaid, Ariel’s iconic look was altered to fit the new live action movie; it will hit the stage in the middle of next year. Although she did not originally care for the role entirely, Disney reached out to Halle Bailey to make the revamp suit the new actor. Yet, this move by Disney led to a lot of people asking the question, Is it the right call to change such a noticeable part of her character-her skin color?
One could make the argument that the original Ariel was not darker in the original, so producers should stick to the original concept, but a lot of POC (People of Color) disagree.
According to Carson High School junior, Israel Prado, "She is still the same Ariel just with a different skin tone.”
This acceptance shows an appreciation and consideration for other ethnicities and representation in newer films.
Many people believe that as long as the plot stays similar to the original concept, the idea of a character redesign is fine; this remake does not harm the reputation of the original Ariel in any way and some may say that it adds to the original concept by bringing in a modern twist.
It is the hope that exposure like this can lead to bigger media outlets portraying more people of color in their films.
“I wish Disney would make an original African American princess, but I’m glad we got this at all,” said Prado.
The little Mermaid being a different ethnicity does not alter the course of the film at all and should be embraced even if it is looked at in a different light than the original.
Keep an open mind towards change and embrace difference is the lesson that the new Little Mermaid can teach us all.
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