![]() ![]() Whenever an actor of color plays a character widely viewed as white, some fans go totally berserk. We’ve also seen such responses with Star Wars, Harry Potter, and countless Marvel films. Others denounced the casting decision as “ woke pandering ” from Disney. Racist illustrations depicting Bailey with fried chickens circulated - one Twitter user even edited the film’s trailer footage to make Bailey appear white. ![]() Right-wing commentators, including Matt Walsh, tried to “scientifically ” explain why a mermaid, a fictional sea creature, couldn’t be Black. The announcement kicked off a predictable parade of racist furor. “Ariel’s innocence is very important because so often Black girls are seen as sneaky or sassy or criminal-or someone to be disregarded.”īut not everyone shared my sentiments. Plus, as a Black woman, I was thrilled that young Black girls will have one more Disney princess to dream about. As one half of the four-time Grammy-nominated duo, Chloe x Halle, she seemed the perfect choice to play a character whose voice is paramount to the story. With her angelic voice and magnetic onscreen presence, even I, as a vocal Disney live-action hater, had to admit that Bailey as Ariel was a match made in heaven. When Disney announced that the singer and actress Halle Bailey was chosen to play Ariel in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, I was uncharacteristically ecstatic. ![]() ![]() Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. ![]()
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