The Little Mermaid and the Big Bull…

The Little Mermaid is written by Hans Christian Andersen, a gay man who self-reported to have no sexual relations. He was trapped in a society where he couldn’t love who he wanted to. So in actuality Ariel (the little mermaid herself) is a gay man’s secret identity.

Think about that for a second.

Continue thinking. Absorb. Take it in.

So if I wanted to be true to the author’s intention, I would depict Ariel as a cross-dressing male or a transgender female and cast appropriately.

WTF is wrong with Ariel being Black? She’s not Irish either which is what she looks like in Disney’s original film. She looks Irish but the setting is very “Greek Mythology”. So the film is not consistent with itself. (I don’t have a problem with it either. Read on to understand why.)

First off, Mermaids don’t actually exist in the real world. They are FANTASY characters. Fantasy means anything goes. The character can be green with purple polka dots. The father can be blue and the daughter orange. Ursula can be magenta and the crab can be green. FANTASY people. But regardless, even if it wasn’t fantasy, it still doesn’t matter.

People are complaining it is not true to the original. That’s such a laugh. First off, go back and read the opening paragraph. Second, read how Ariel is describe in Anderson’s story.

The description of Ariel in the original tale: “her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea.” So other than designating her eye color, it’s kind of vague. What does clear mean? Transparent? Without pimples?

There is nothing about skin color people. And, even if there was, things are changed by Hollywood all the time so why not that?

Many books are altered to have new endings in their film counterpart. In fact, THE FINAL ACT OF THE LITTLE MERMAID IS ALTERED. That’s right people, they don’t follow the story anyway. The original tale does NOT have a happy ending; it has what Anderson felt was a realistic, authentic one. Ariel doesn’t get the prince and becomes sea foam, an immortal spirit in purgatory. Oh, change the ending and the key point the artist was trying to make in the work (which was the reality that Mr. Andersen could not have what he wanted most in life), that’s peachy, all good, but change the skin color that was never clearly defined. OMG! How can you do that? (I might vomit.)

What the heck is wrong with people? Is society just dumb and incapable of thinking and being open-minded?

It is important to show diversity on screen where you can, where appropriate, where you can remain authentic to the character. I hate when films just look like shampoo commercials (one white, one Asian, one Black, one Latino, one person in a wheelchair) and feel like they have checked the box. Not because I don’t think those actors can portray those roles, it just feels forced and ridiculous. Yes, sometimes, diversifying fails because it’s not well thought out and just made to happen. Plug and play!

BUT The Little Mermaid is not that. Halle Berry is perfect for the role. She is cast appropriately for her talents. Period. End of story.

Ariel is an innocent who does not understand the world of humans and falls in love with a prince. (We can talk about the poor messaging of girls needing a prince to give themselves a happy ending another day….however, that is the tale being depicted so let’s go with it.) So making the character Black, Asian, white, Latino…doesn’t affect the authenticity of the character. What affects the authenticity is the way the director and the actor bring the character to life together. Just from that one little clip of Halle Berry in the trailer, you can see all of that innocence, curiosity and fearlessness. She swims upward to the unknown with a look of expectation and anticipation of what lies beyond sea.

And, more importantly:

Do you remember how wonderful it felt when you looked up on a screen as a child and saw yourself? Maybe you thought, “I can be that!” or “That’s me up there.” or “They get me.” or “I‘m not alone.” Wouldn’t that be nice moment for everyone to have, not just the white people? That’s what equality is all about.

We need more films where all children see themselves or see someone they believe they can become. Films, television series, theatre…they shape young minds. They build confidence. They offer role models.

YAY for the Little Mermaid! It’s a step forward. Ariel is really getting her legs this time.