MovieChat Forums > The Little Mermaid (2023) Discussion > making Ariel black just makes it seem li...

making Ariel black just makes it seem like Disney doesn't even understand the whole point of The Little Mermaid

posted 2 years ago by RustyShacklefurd (2025)
36 replies | jump to latest

The whole point of The Little Mermaid is that it's okay to change your natural physical form. It's okay to be uncomfortable with your natural physical form. Is Disney trying to tell us that it's okay to want to change the lower half of your body from a fin to legs but not to want to change the color of the upper half of your body? That would be completely contradictory. Because of Ariel's attitude toward her fin, in the context of the movie her skin color isn't meaningful. What is Disney changing Ariel's skin color supposed to prove to audiences when that physical characteristic would, if she so desired, be completely disposable? It can't really mean anything for Ariel to be black when we know she certainly isn't proud of the fact that she's black since we know that in general she takes no pride in her physical body. If Prince Eric wanted her to be white she would definitely try to make herself white if she could because making herself desirable to him was the whole reason she switched her fin for legs in the first place.

[–] javie (2201) 2 years ago

What are you talking about?

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

I can't really answer your question unless you're more specific about what it is that you don't understand.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 2 years ago

Just a reminder that doing drugs is bad, because you end up writing posts like this.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

acidraindrop,

I don't even know if you're referring to javie or to me.

[–] Spiffy666 (398) 2 years ago

Basically "blah blah blah here's some BS I tried to come up with to pretend my hatred isn't rooted in bigotry blah blah"

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12255) 2 years ago

If you saw what kind of people are currently working at Disney, how low their IQ's are, and how creatively bankrupt they are, and how little they think of their PAYING CUSTOMER fans, it then isn't a mystery as to why they're leading the charge on virtue-signaling and wokeness.

[–] Ranb (7154) 2 years ago

How would people with low IQ's be able to turn out the professional looking products that you see on screen? I'm fairly certain that their IQ is measured and based on a standard that is not, "does AmeriGirl26 like this".

Disney is banking on a market for a black Ariel. I don't think they will miss your money and the hundred of others who are too offended by a black Ariel to watch.

[–] Sparky (2303) 2 years ago

Corporations whose entire reason for being is to make money won't be missing money that they will not get? Can you point to a post of yours worth reading?

[–] Ranb (7154) 2 years ago

What I'm saying is that the number of people who think like you are very small. Your absence at the theater will not make any measurable difference.

You are insignificant and of no consequence.

[–] Sparky (2303) 2 years ago

Coming from you that is a wonderful testimony. If I were anything of value in your eyes I would have failed in being a decent person. Thanks for the validation.

[–] chilidoggg (13006) 2 years ago

Are you saying that the story arc is that Ariel is black, Ariel doesn't want to be black, Ariel wants to be white, that's OK, and it's OK for her trade her voice for legs so she can live in a trailer park?

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

I'm saying that, hypothetically, if Eric wanted Ariel to be white and she had the ability to make herself white then she would do so. That's something we know about her character given that she's willing to completely change the lower half of her body. My point is that the message Disney is trying to send by making her black is completely contradicted by the larger message of the movie.

[–] SpikeMike (470) 2 years ago

Your point is stupid and flawed, and in no way makes any sense. You are merely trying to find some footing to justify your dislike that a black actress was cast for a role that you feel should be played by a white actress.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

Please explain to me how my point is stupid and flawed. Because I sincerely can't see it. The mere fact that the actress who will play Ariel in the upcoming Little Mermaid movie is black doesn't actually bother me on its own. I say that in the context that I almost certainly wouldn't go see the movie even if she were white. I actually haven't seen a single Disney live-action remake of one of their animated films since 101 Dalmatians in 1996. I don't need to make up fake reasons not to see this movie.

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

SO...YOU ARE NOT A FAN OR EVEN A WATCHER...YET YOU HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC OPINION BASED ON RACE THAT YOU HAVE TO SHARE?

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

I was a fan of the original animated version of The Little Mermaid. I don't have to be a fan of the upcoming version or even have any intention of watching it in order to have a legitimate opinion about the wisdom of Disney's casting choice in the context of the film's central message. My opinion isn't hurting anyone. It's a generally accepted practice in society that people will publicly discuss their opinions of films, even films that they have no intention of watching. The more important question is why you have to shout at me.

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

NO...THAT IS ALL COVERUP BULLSHIT...YOU ARE A DICK...PILING ON THE OOOH BAD BLACK MERMAID THREAD TREND...AND AT 19 POSTS IN...YOU EITHER FIGURE OUT WHY I AM USING CAPS OR SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IT,FRESH MEAT.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

Why are you acting like a troll? I managed to disagree with you without insulting you. Why can't you do the same? And why are you so angry over the opinion of someone you don't know and have never met over a movie casting choice? Why are you so certain your anger is warranted? Why can't you just take my explanation for my opinions at face value? Why do you have to assume that I'm lying about it?

You claim that I'm joining a trend but fail to have noticed that I've criticized the casting choice for a completely different reason than everyone else here. I only object to the casting choice in the context that it conflicts with the primary message of the movie.

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

LMAO...YOUR OBJECTION DOES NOT MAKE SENSE...AT ALL...NO NAMES...NO INSULTS...YOUR WHOLE CONCEPT IS SENSELESS.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

How can you be so certain that my objection doesn't make sense when you can't even explain how it doesn't make sense? You merely assert without proof. Why should I take your claim seriously when I still have no idea why I'm actually wrong?

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

FUCK OFF WITH THE WHISPER IN MY EAR ACT...STOP COMING BACK...YOU GET WORSE EVERY RESPAWN.

[–] SpikeMike (470) 2 years ago

The message is that you have to be yourself. You are creating a straw man argument with racial implications for no reason other than to cause controversy. Find a real hobby to occupy your time.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

But I am being myself. The claim that I've made a straw man argument doesn't even make any sense. My argument has nothing to do with anyone else's argument. I'm not trying to cause controversy. That controversy already exists. If you're not even going to try to challenge the actual substance of my argument then you shouldn't respond to it at all.

[–] SpikeMike (470) 2 years ago

You created the "controversy" with a nonsensical argument. The point of the story that love goes beyond one's physical appearance. Your argument is trying to make being black some kind of physical impediment that needs to be changed rather than just a genetic variation which is what skin color is. The fact you see it as something that needs to be altered as if there's something wrong about it shows you for the racist that you clearly are.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

You have no reason to call me a racist. As I already explained to you, I almost certainly wouldn't go see the new Little Mermaid movie even if Ariel were white. I don't actually *care* that she's black. I've simply noticed that the purpose behind the racial change is inconsistent with the actual message of the movie. It's the intellectual laziness that bothers me. I don't think that the race of the actress needs to be altered in the context that I don't believe that a live action remake of The Little Mermaid should be made in the first place.

When I say that I didn't cause the controversy what I mean is that the race of the actress playing Ariel was already a big controversy before I said anything about it. There were already numerous threads here devoted to discussion of it. I'm simply giving my perspective on the issue.

The point of the Little Mermaid story is that it's okay to change your physical form in order to get something that you want. If you were right about the point of the story then Ariel wouldn't need to get legs in the first place and she wouldn't need to get her legs back a second time in order to maintain her relationship with Eric. If you were right then Eric would be able to have a relationship with Ariel without her changing from a mermaid. But that doesn't happen in the movie.

[–] CarterBlunt (1030) 2 years ago

Just change fin to dick and I suspect you'll get the "message".

[–] Sparky (2303) 2 years ago

Well played

[–] B1cKsurN (14710) 2 years ago

Keep an eye out for the Chinese poster....will Hailie Berry even be on it?

I doubt it!

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

LMAO...MAKE SENSE MUCH?

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

If you think that my argument doesn't make any sense then please explain to me why that is.

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

YOUR ARGUMENT IS GARBAGE BUT I WAS REFERRING TO YOUR POST IN GENERAL...DID YOU READ THAT PARAGRAPH BACK TO YOURSELF?...IT RAMBLES IN A CONFUSING CIRCLE.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

Calling my argument garbage is not an explanation. My post starting the thread may have been somewhat redundant in how it was structured but I don't see anything wrong with the argument itself. Can you actually explain to me what's wrong with the argument itself?

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

NO...I WILL NOT...I DON'T LIKE THIS ACCOUNT'S VERSION OF YOU ANYMORE THAN THE LAST ONE.

[–] RustyShacklefurd (2025) 2 years ago

I don't even know what you mean when you refer to "this account's version of you". Who the heck is this "you" that you're referring to?

[–] Kowalski (57493) 2 years ago

MMM HMM...YOU ARE NOT AS SMART AS YOU THINK YOU ARE AND I MOSTLY DISLIKE TALKING TO YOU...STOP IT.

[–] Information-Police (4034) 2 years ago

You are paying far too much attention to her skin color