Part of that World?

On September 9th, the world saw a quick glimpse at the highly anticipated live-action film, The Little Mermaid, starring singer and actress Halle Bailey. The trailer features a snippet of Bailey singing the iconic tune “Part of Your World.” The mini trailer was released after the full movie version of the song was showcased at Disney’s “Disney D23 Expo.” The video has received up to eighteen million views with almost 1 million likes on YouTube. Unfortunately, all the buzz around the film has not been positive.
Many people are not pleased with what Disney has showcased so far for the remake of the classic film. Some complain that the CGI does not mimic enough of an ocean or underwater feeling, or others complain that Halle’s hair is not fiery red enough. But let’s be honest for a second. The real issue most of these people have isn’t CGI or hair dye: it’s skin… that is the color of Halle’s skin, to be exact. The problem is that white people are not okay with their beloved characters being portrayed by a person of color. They can use these nitpicky and phony narratives all they want, yet ultimately, the true issue at hand is their racism.
The prejudice against Bailey has become so apparent that multiple petitions asking for the movie not to be released have formed online. Just check Facebook to see the groups of people who have come together in this fight against the “inaccurate” portrayal of Princess Ariel. How can a mythical creature have an inaccurate portrayal? Some have used the fact that the movie is based underwater and, scientifically speaking, Ariel isn’t likely to have a darker skin tone. Do these people hear themselves? Imagine posting these ridiculous thought pieces trying to disguise your racism. Where was this outrage when Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Winton played characters of known Asian descent?
The critics, no matter how hard they try, can’t stop the joy this movie will bring. Little black girls will see the first Disney live-action princess that looks like them. Just from this trailer alone, young girls are ecstatic that one of the many princesses they look up to is being brought to life by a black actress. As for Halle’s performance, she has a hauntingly beautiful voice that is perfect for the various ballads heard throughout the film. She is going to put her foot, or better yet, tail into this movie. Come May 2023, the box office will see the importance of representation, and that is all that matters.