The Little Mermaid live-action film has been relevant all over the media due to the
conflicting opinions from the general public in response to Halle Bailey, a black woman, being cast as “The Little Mermaid,” a traditionally white character.
Essentially, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and there will always be opposing
opinions regarding any topic. However, this live-action film, in particular, has the media very divided. People are debating whether Halle Bailey fits the role of “The Little Mermaid,” which has led to the live action being a lot of controversy.
Concerning the Little Mermaid live-action film’s storyline, it follows that of the fairytale
from 1837 written by Hans Christian Anderson called “The Little Mermaid.” This fairytale has already been adapted into various movies that have made their way into many peoples’ childhood. Considering that, it makes sense as to why this character has been a favorite of many and looked at with such fondness.
Asma Aouissi, a tenth grader here at BSGE, seemed to hold this movie close to her,
saying “I really liked it, it was so abstract and this whole story plot was very fascinating for Disney ….. it [The Little Mermaid movie] was my entire childhood on repeat.”
Some people, especially those who hold this Disney princess close to them, argue Halle
Bailey should not be cast in the role of “The Little Mermaid” for this is going against the original character. However, there are positive views that consist of viewing this as representation and a fresh new perspective, while others seem to ignore that entirely, standing their ground, declaring that a person of color shouldn’t be playing a traditionally white character.
Felicity Morel, another tenth grader at BSGE, was grateful for Disney’s choice to allow
for a black actress to portray Ariel the Little Mermaid, for “it gives young black girls a new view of it [The Little Mermaid] and even [for] the older black girls who kind of grew up with just the white, Caucasian Ariel can [now] have a new view and their little princess dreams can really come true.”
Some of Halle Bailey’s physical and facial features have been described as
“mermaid-like,” by several people. Jakayla Fontaine, tenth grader, agreed that Halle Bailey is a great fit for Ariel the Little Mermaid. “Yeah, her features [eyes] are so WOW, really alike.”
In terms of the other actresses that could have played Ariel the Little Mermaid, there are
plenty of fish in the sea (bad pun). Actress Chloe Grace Moretz was supposed to be the original actress to play Ariel the Little Mermaid, but other names have been mentioned such as Zendaya and Ariana Grande.
Felicity Morel is however still confident with the casting decision with this one simple
sentence, “No, I think it’s [the] perfect fit.”
However, there were other important features that people seemed to be more concerned
about, whether it be about the accuracy of the plot, effects, or how other characters were going to be portrayed.
Vivianna Cortiella, tenth grader, was someone who had other concerns regarding the
live-action film, “You know what I am worried about? I am worried about Sebastian. How are they going to make a live-action crab talk without making it look stupid?”
Yet, this is a new experience and many people are excited to see this new
live-action film. “I am so excited, if it’s in the theater, I’m going to go in a mermaid tail then,” said a very enthusiastic Asma Aouissi.