Black Mermaids?

This post is in support of the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live adaptation of “The Little Mermaid”. With the recent drop of the trailer, the extremely loud so-called “silent majority”, have resurfaced to spew racist memes involving watermelons and other hateful nonsense. Recently, much to my horrified amusement, I’ve seen the argument that it’s “Not true to the original”.

The original? They mean the adorable little happy-ending movie that Disney produced in the 1980’s. News flash: that’s not the original. Bless their sweet summer child hearts, it’s not even close.

I promise this is the only photoshopped image in this post, you only have to stomach it once.

“Den Lille Havfrue” was published in 1837, the publication to English from the original Danish happened in 1845. The original story is actually quite dark and doesn’t have a happy ending.

There are similarities: a mermaid, a prince, a mermaid who saves a prince and also falls in love with him. A sea witch, a bargain that results in legs. And…that’s about where the similarities end.

Disney failed to mention that the bargain with the sea hag meant that when poor Ariel tried to walk, she felt like knives were stabbing her with each step. Despite insane amounts of severe pain, she was still unable to scream. She silently cried and had to be carried around by the prince’s servants.

Even in agnoizing pain, she was desperate for the prince to love her, so she danced for him, much more gracefully than any of his servants or slaves. Yes, I said slaves. Despite being beautiful and graceful, the prince never fell in love with her.

Instead fell in love with, and married another woman. No, the other woman wasn’t the sea witch in disguise, she was just another woman who the prince genuinely loved.

And let’s not forget the deal Ariel’s sisters made with the hag, trying to get her out of the contract. The deal? Just take the enchanted dagger and plunge it into the heart of the prince while he slept int he arms of his new wife. Not dark at all, right? So on brand for Disney.

Now, I won’t spoil the ending for you - but the prince and the mermaid do not get married, while mer-daddy looks on, creating a rainbow in the sky. It, like the rest of the story, is a hell of a lot darker.

(The unphotoshopped to look like the ocean version)

So, if you are just fine with all of these changes that were made to the original, but a black mermaid is a “bridge too far” and somehow “ruining your childhood”? You loved a character and bonded with her, but now her skin color is a different tone, and suddenly you hate her? I’m just curious, what’s that called? You’re telling on yourselves. Please, do better.

For all the non-racists out there, have a great Monday.