# The Little Mermaid is GASP! Black **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651 "2019-07-07T01:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/41 "2019-07-07T19:58:30Z")
_gropes around for rotten fish to throw at **Duckster** _ ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/42 "2019-07-07T20:07:23Z")
The Little Mermaid is a Caribbean-themed musical. Ariel’s kingdom is in a tropical coral reef. She has a Jamaican-accented crab friend. Unless that specific part of the Caribbean is made up of a community of expats, or is set on a Sandals resort, that all of the characters were white in the first place seems like the anomaly being corrected here. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/43 "2019-07-07T20:10:07Z")
> [@split\_p\_j](#): > > I’m not even really sure how they figure more money will be made. The last I looked we are only about 14% of the US population. That is clearly not enough to offset all those that won’t see the film because of this change. I just don’t get it. How many people would even be talking about this movie if isn’t wasn’t because of a black Ariel? That alone will help box office attendance. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2019, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/44 "2019-07-07T20:12:37Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [The trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yq1SA3l-yI), to me, looks kind of like a trainwreck. Did they just toss the whole “Has to pretend she’s a man to enlist in the Imperial army” thing? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/45 "2019-07-08T03:54:27Z")
I’m a _little_ disappointed I won’t get to see my favorite Disney princess live as envisioned. However, it appears young miss Bailey has the looks, persona, and voice to play a good Ariel. It’d be hard for _anyone_ to live up to Jodi Benson and Glen Keane. I wish Halle Bailey and the entire production luck. So far every live action Disney remake has been lacking. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/46 "2019-07-08T04:12:23Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > How many people would even be talking about this movie if isn’t wasn’t because of a black Ariel? That alone will help box office attendance. You keep stealing my points :). This thread is one long advertisement for their new movie, which otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about. Except that’s not true, because if we weren’t talking about it for this reason, we’d be talking about it for another reason that Disney’s marketing geniuses had cooked up. Anyone who thinks they know how to market children’s movies better than fucking **Disney** is deluding themselves. They know exactly what they’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/47 "2019-07-08T04:22:35Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I’m a _little_ disappointed I won’t get to see my favorite Disney princess live as envisioned. Well, you were never going to get any live-action Ariel whose bust measurement was more than twice her waist measurement, or whose huge arched eyes were more than twice as big as her nose, or who was actually a half-fish who could breathe and talk and sing underwater. There’s no live actress who would genuinely resemble cartoon-Ariel in most of her physical characteristics. The fact that skin tone seems so much more salient to many white Americans than almost any other physical characteristic when it comes to people “looking different” is mostly down to cultural conditioning. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/48 "2019-07-08T04:44:39Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Well, you were never going to get any live-action Ariel whose bust measurement was more than twice her waist measurement, or whose huge arched eyes were more than twice as big as her nose, or who was actually a half-fish who could breathe and talk and sing underwater. There’s no live actress who would genuinely resemble cartoon-Ariel in most of her physical characteristics. You must never have seen any pictures of people who practice tightlacing daily. The “world record” is a 15 inch waist (38cm). From that point, a doubled bust measurement isn’t terribly difficult (nor is dyeing your hair red). Not to say that it’s recommended nor healthy nor will land you any guys who aren’t really creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/49 "2019-07-08T04:52:29Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > You must never have seen any pictures of people who practice tightlacing daily. Indeed I have, but AFAIK none of them are actress/singers who have any even faintly realistic chance of playing Ariel in a live-action Disney movie. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/50 "2019-07-08T05:13:53Z")
Actually, the [original mermaid](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,h_1009,w_1798,x_0,y_148/f_auto,q_auto,w_1100/v1553703552/shape/mentalfloss/61457-istock-472191579.jpg)was kind of gray. Or maybe it was [black.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/6c/5b/916c5b7df3b442a71da2868f74e9985b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/51 "2019-07-08T07:23:53Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Or the opposite: apparently there’s a movement on the internet “Give Elsa a Girlfriend”. (Or at least, there was) well according to the singing voice of Elsa who tweeted something to the effect "im so excited that they listened and she get her princess " ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/52 "2019-07-08T08:43:02Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > So she’s changed from Ariel to **Ariel Black**. > > She’s still the same type. Only you would be so bold… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/53 "2019-07-08T10:58:04Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Because people keeps going to watch them. > > Not really. If anything this will cost them the so profitable China market. A more well-established actress of any race would have been the way to go if that’s all they wanted with the casting. > > Yeah. Show Business is still a business. You’re missing my point: people are saying the casting is a cynical cash grab when the entire movie is a cash grab. A white actress in the role would not suddenly make it otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/54 "2019-07-08T11:25:30Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > You keep stealing my points :). > > This thread is one long advertisement for their new movie, which otherwise we wouldn’t be talking about. It’s as if they hit on the fact that race is a major thing in this country. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/55 "2019-07-08T11:51:03Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > So she’s changed from Ariel to **Ariel Black**. > > She’s still the same type. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Only you would be so bold… You guys are a regular font of bad jokes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/56 "2019-07-08T11:56:24Z")
Word. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/57 "2019-07-08T12:02:33Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > You guys are a regular font of bad jokes. 😃 So they’re comics sans humor? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/58 "2019-07-08T13:13:41Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > well according to the singing voice of Elsa That would be Adele Dazeem. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/59 "2019-07-08T13:50:24Z")
This is a cynical cash grab, not just the movie, but this controversy too. They only care about PC of it changes their profits, they only care about diversity of it makes them money, and they only care about complaints on the internet if they will cost them income. I’m sure they anticipated a handful of people on the internet complaining, and were quite happy to add it to their marketing campaign. As for the black washing, I’m with the red heads. Why not turn one of the non red heads black? There a love interest, right? Turn him black. It’s more progressive anyway. If anyone doesn’t need more representation, it’s hot girls. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651/60 "2019-07-08T13:55:39Z")
[Freeform goes for the jugular.](https://twitter.com/FreeformTV/status/1147647797732106240/photo/1) The disney remakes are boring because they’re mostly just papering over ‘plotholes’ and not doing anything particularly new or exciting with the material. If we’re going to be mad about anything, let’s be mad about that. And I absolutely believe that the controversy was backdoor manufactured by Disney. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-little-mermaid-is-gasp-black/836651.md?page=4)