Growing up, 'The Little Mermaid' was my absolute favorite movie. I had Polly-Pocket mermaids (with removable tails that I still find every time I clean my room), multiple copies of each movie in the trilogy (despite never being a fan of Ariel's daughter), and every single song committed to memory. Maybe I can't memorize the differences between the imperfect and preterit Spanish tenses because my brain won't let go of all the lyrics to "A Whole New World." Or maybe I'm just bad at Spanish.
Regardless, when I heard a live-action "The Little Mermaid" was coming up, I was so excited to see my old favorite movie interpreted in a new way. Then I opened Facebook (a mistake, always a mistake) and realized a lot of people weren't as excited. They were angry that Halle Bailey, the actress cast as Ariel, isn't fair-skinned or red-haired.
I love the original 'The Little Mermaid' more than most, but I still can't understand why the physique of the actress is being misconstrued as so integral to the story. It's about a teenage girl struggling to feel comfortable with herself, trying to balance family and boys, and searching for where she belongs in the world. Any young girl - regardless of whether her hair is red, her skin is white, or her dad lets her run around in a bikini top - can relate to this princess' story.
As a white kid, I never felt unrepresented in the movies I liked. I looked like Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White, and Rapunzel, and the Little Mermaid. And while there are princesses who are not white, there aren't many. And while their stories are enchanting and beautiful and important, they all fall back on race. Scrolling through Twitter (which would never disappoint me as Facebook always does), I found user @ohwhen27's take on the debate:
"comment about the disney princess thing: the fact that our only princesses of color are in stories in which their race is integral to their stories is a problem in and of itself. white people dont have white stories, they just have stories. poc deserve 'just stories' as well."
As a huge fan of "The Little Mermaid," of course, I'm skeptical of how the live-action version will turn out: Will the songs be as good? Will Prince Eric still be hot (Harry Styles)? Will the story be the same? However, the race of any of the cast is not among my many concerns. The story has nothing to do with race, and in stories about princesses doing simple princess things like falling in love and singing to animals, white shouldn't be the default.
Many stars have expressed their excitement over Halle Bailey's casting on social media. On Instagram, model Winnie Harlow thanked Disney "for allowing the youth to see we can ALL be princesses." Zendaya, Sophie Turner, and countless others have also voiced their support for Bailey. It is disgusting and unfortunate that some people will critique her not on her acting abilities but on her complexion, yet it seems that her supporters are growing louder each day.
When you're under the sea, it doesn't matter if you have red hair or fair skin. It matters that you're a role model for little girls. that you exhibit strength, confidence, and kindness. As long as Halle Bailey carries her Disney princess crown with these traits in mind, she will make the perfect Little Mermaid.
