Why Disney shouldn’t make a black Ariel
“The Little Mermaid” live action movie poster courtesy of Disney.
Disney announced they’d be making a live action “Little Mermaid,” featuring Halle Bailey as the star. I believe making Ariel black is unnecessary, it’s as simple as that.
I’m not against black Ariel because she’s black, I’m against it because of what it shows and the meaning behind it. A black Ariel would be okay if it wasn’t being made in a place of guilt. If Disney were making it just to add more racially diverse characters that’d be fine. It’s happening because they need more black characters, and they feel the need to push and announce their diversity.
I grew up watching Disney, I saw white girls wearing crowns and winning the prince. I never cared much about it, and I always found Rapunzel to be my favorite princess.
As a black girl, I did sometimes wonder why there weren’t any girls ‘like me’ on TV. Then I watched “The Princess and the Frog.” Finally, a black girl wearing a crown. While I appreciated the movie, I didn’t like It. I still don’t like the movie.
Disney has made a few non-white princesses in the past, including Mulan, Pocahontas and Moana. Disney has expressed multiple times that they are ‘inclusive’ of all. Making a black Ariel is pushing It. To have a black Ariel knowing Ariel has been white in three movies, isn’t okay.
Disney came back at some of the hate saying this isn’t their first ‘diverse’ character and hopefully won’t be their last. Diversity comes in many forms. Racial diversity isn’t the only ‘diverse’ thing we need on TV. If Disney really wants to push their diversity, make a gay character. Not one that’s secretly gay like those easter eggs placed in movies but an out and proud gay character.
Not everyone believes Disney is diverse and that’s okay because the majority of people believe they are. I don’t mind Disney making black characters; that’s good. Turning an already known character black is both weird and rude to those who grew up watching it a certain way. A black mermaid? Sure. Call it something else, and give it a meaningful story and connections. Black character, new movie. Not an off-brand remake.
If Disney really wanted to show more diversity, make an LGBTQ+ character. That’d show more diversity. Racially diverse characters is old news now, we need and want to see more LGBTQ+ people on TV. That’s diversity. That’ll show more inclusivity.
Rebecca • Oct 21, 2023 at 11:55 am
If Ariel was white … the problem would then be cultural appreciation or a story of colonisation somewhere because a white woman on a Caribbean island, around all this this tropical music, Caribbean seas, having a trinadian crab as a friend would be problematic … if you took Ariel made her white and set her in Dutch waters, change the songs, wash out the colours and put her in miserable grey water with grey fish and grey songs, change the whole film entirely. Ariel being black didn’t NOT make sense, infact it was very fitting
Anon • Jan 15, 2024 at 3:09 pm
Ummm Ariel was white in the original so nothing you can do now……she’s fine as any race. People need to stop this hate.
Gina • Jun 21, 2023 at 9:55 pm
I kinda wish to see it look more like the original just cause that’s what I grew up with and I’m a red head and there aren’t many red head princesses. But just to throw an idea out there, why can’t we encourage Disney (for the ones that don’t have the set race in their storyline), why can’t we encourage them to make both for every princess? Like have one white Cinderella and one black Cinderella? I would’ve killed to see the red headed little mermaid with the live action but having both might be a good idea. I feel like the red head inspiration that looks like me is slowly being taken away from me.
Belinda • May 31, 2023 at 3:31 pm
Well put..
Claire Macker • May 26, 2023 at 8:27 pm
I strongly agree with this. If you want a new black character then make a new one, don’t change a classically white princess to black. I have grown up with the white princess and I hate to see them be changed to something that they are not just to “show diversity”. If you want diversity, then make a trans, gay, or nonbinary character. I understand that Disney is trying to included everyone in the magic, but just do it in other ways.
Mikayla • May 9, 2023 at 6:35 pm
I feel like people are looking at it like she was casted for “representation” when she could’ve just met and perfected the requirements they needed: an Ariel-like voice and great acting skills. it just so happened that Halle Bailey was black but why should her skin color hold her ability to play such an iconic and perfect fitting role for her? Now, let’s remind ourselves that Ariel is a fictional character and that the Little Mermaid does not have any culture behind it. If it were to have any culture tied to the main character and the story as a whole (for example: Mulan), they would’ve corresponded the characters looks because if it were to be changed, the plot wouldn’t make any sense. This does not apply to the Little Mermaid. Changing her skin color will not change the plot of the story whatsoever and neither will it offend or spread misinformation about a specific culture.
Frank Dart • May 19, 2023 at 8:33 pm
So you’re okay with Tiana being played by a white actress or would you be mad as hell?
Sophie Gatgens • Jun 16, 2023 at 4:32 pm
that’s what I’m sayin bc it’s all fine changing characters to be more “inclusive” but the second tiana, Moana, phocahantos, or Mulan is changed to white then all hell brakes loose
Mir Maid • Jun 5, 2023 at 10:43 am
She didn’t meet the requirements, though. She’s black.
Alex • Jun 18, 2023 at 8:55 am
Yeah right! she is fictional but with culture behind it. Specifically described by her Danish author. She had cartoon look that established for 30 years. And this all diversity agenda for black kids only as actress said herself. Any mermaid could be where ever they want. But this one had specific features that matters to a lot of generations. If she had Ariel voice she could be voice of character but portray character knowing that you do not match cause it is different not good at all.
Rebecca • Oct 21, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Well they should have kept her white and in turn changed the entire story and setting ,.. put her in Dutch waters, change the songs, take away the tropics & the Caribbean island, music & the turned the Trinidadian crab/lobster into a big grey fish, make it all grey. That’s accurate …
Nicole • Apr 28, 2023 at 7:32 am
I appreciate this article in so many ways! As a poor, 9 yr old, red head, insecure girl, The Little Mermaid was the first Disney film I’d ever seen(1989), because the family I was babysitting for owned the VHS.
Any redhead child in the 80’s knows how rough it was being compared to only Molly Ringwald… I immediately feel in love with Ariel, and she’s my 3rd favorite princess (#1 Moana #2 Tiana) to this day. Taking my daughter to Disneyland (2014 age 5), she attended the “Bibbity Bobbity Boutique”. This is where you pay to have a fairy godmother take your child to choose the dress, shoes, and accessories of their fave princess, doll them up with hair and light makeup before a photo shoot in front of a carriage. So adorable!! Unless you’re a pale child, regardless of being half Hispanic, your fave princess is Tiana, and your fairy godmother is black….. Racism works ALL ways… As much as skin color shouldn’t make a difference, it does anyway. I don’t necessarily like that Ariel was casted for a dark skinned girl, really, but I think I’m going to love the movie and hopefully appreciate it even more! I guess the concern I really have is for Disney and ALL races to ask themselves, “How would I react if Tiana, Pocahontas, Mulan, Jasmine, or Moana were cast as white women?”
Clementine • Feb 12, 2023 at 6:09 pm
I found your article because I believe black Ariel is necessary as well. What bothers me the most is that the prince is still white. I don’t know about you, but growing up as a POC in America, I feel like I was brainwashed as a child to believe white men were the superior choice instead of finding a parter with my own ethnic background. It wasn’t until I began exploring my own ethnic background and values that I realized this and was disgusted by the amount of people in my ethnic community who have married white men to seemingly improve their social status. Don’t get me wrong, there are couples out there in love and fully incorporating both cultures, but I’ve seen too many disregard their heritage to embrace the one they marry into. I look forward to seeing more princes of color.
Nicole • Apr 28, 2023 at 7:42 am
Why does how light our dark your skin is determine your “prince” status?! Why is it darkest vs lightest all the time??? So there’s no brown, red, or yellow princes in your eyes? Only dark and WHITE?? Move forward and quit pointing racism at only white people. This world isn’t black and white old timer…
Jaziira • Oct 25, 2022 at 8:19 pm
The fact that you said “racially diversity is old news now” is absurd like movements concerning people of color aren’t just now happening in this century. Especially after poc are still being oppressed today instead of hating on it why don’t you advocate for both sides you don’t have to just choose one side. It makes no sense for you to say they’re making it out of a place of guilty like there’s not other poc characters. You said you wouldn’t mind seeing other poc characters and for Disney to add more but just for them to not do it out of guilt. regardless of how they do it their going to have to be guilty because Disney was mostly always white characters, Disney’s founder Walt Disney has been accused of multiple allegations of him being racists with facts to back it up so obviously there’s something to be guilty about at least their trying to take the initiative now to do it right. It’s sad to see you as a black person would disregard seeing black people have a win for once regardless of it being unoriginal or old news. You’re right about Disney needing more diversity not just people of color and not just LGBTQ+ where’s the cultural diversity religious diversity etc. but this isn’t about other types od diversity your talking about why Ariel shouldn’t be blacks so your just talking about racial diversity your adding irrelevant topics to your writing if your gonna add other types of diversity and you need more of it to be seen add every single one if you can’t then just stick to the one your talking about and make a better argument instead of just saying it’s old news.
Lynae Faughn • Nov 5, 2022 at 4:14 pm
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I appreciate you opening my eyes to a different perspective. I’ll take it into consideration on my next article. Thank you, Jaziira.
Nicole • Apr 28, 2023 at 7:49 am
So what if Disney was racist?! That’s his choice, his name, his company. When was the last time Spike Lee or Tyler Perry cast a white person as anything but a mailman, idiot, or bad cop?
Racism will always be around until EVERYBODY knocks it off!!