Anonymous wrote:I'm black. I'm conflicted. I liked Hamilton because of the juxtaposition of historical figures who were clearly white being represented by minorities through the medium of rap, which originated from black culture. I loved that Black Panther was a movie that provided representation in just about every aspect.
What I don't like is this feeling of shoehorning in diversity. The Little Mermaid isn't real, but Ariel is an intellectual property of Disney who is instantly recognized as a white character with red hair. I could understand if The Little Mermaid was a dead property that no one really remembered, but that's not the case. Unless they're going to go the route of The Wiz and make everyone black, I don't see the point. Make something new.
Wait! It’s a story about a mermaid and a cephalopodish sea witch, but Ariel’s skin and hair color are what prevent you from suspending disbelief?
The Caribbean has been a multiracial society ever since Columbus left some of his crew there. They can set it in the 18th c like POTC and have black, white, indigenous, mixed, and Asian characters without a historian batting an eyelash.
I’m AA and a historian of New World slave societies. If the lobster can have an Afro-Caribbean accent in the original, Ariel can be a mermaid of African descent in this one.