Viral Tiktok slams Little Mermaid racist backlash
A TikTok has gone viral of a user crushing the racist backlash over the upcoming live-action remake of the Disney film The Little Mermaid.
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A TikTok has gone viral of a user crushing the backlash over the live-action remake of the film The Little Mermaid.
Over the weekend, Disney dropped a teaser trailer for the upcoming flick starring Halle Bailey as Ariel.
The casting has already caused a stir online, with fans criticising the black star’s lack of physical likeness to the 1989, red-headed white cartoon version of the character.
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Tiktoker Jaden Bricker posted a video with the caption, “compiling all we’ve discussed into a one-stop-shop. Halle Bailey slays.”
In the clip, he ranted why people are racist and defended Bailey’s casting.
The content creator noted that a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish.
They appeared in folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia and Africa.
“Because a lot of you keep trying to bring up the source material,” he said.
“Here is where the source material of mermaids comes from, the Mediterranean Sea.
“As you can see, we have Asia, Europe, and Africa, which means that mermaids could be literally any skin colour.
“Atlantica is in Denmark. Fun fact moron, Denmark has black people. Did you know that?
“Also HC Anderson [author of The Little Mermaid]’s original text which the original movie is based off of didn’t actually clarify anywhere that Ariel was white.
“He just said that her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose leaf.
Jaden went on to point out that Ariel’s skin colour has nothing to do with the plot of The Little Mermaid.
“Ariel’s race contributes f**king nothing. The story isn’t changing,” he said.
The original cartoon isn’t going to cease to exist once this movie comes out, he added.
“You have your Arial, it’s nostalgic for you. Stop being racist and let young black girls grow up with that same nostalgia.
“Why don’t they just make an original character then maybe they don’t f**king want to.
“I don’t really condone all these remakes but whether you watch it or not, is up to you.”
The post has attracted 240,000 likes with 4,500 comments.
“I have spent so much of my week in Facebook comment sections, defending the casting of a mythical creature, thanks for your video!!!” one person wrote.
“Let them grow up with that same nostalgia” YES,” another commented.
“This is the best video on tik tok right now everyone listen up,” a third wrote.
Last month, Bailey spoke about how she dealt with the racist hate she endured over her casting.
Speaking to Variety, the 22-year-old said her grandparents helped her get through the backlash.
“It was an inspiring and beautiful thing to hear their words of encouragement, telling me, ‘You don’t understand what this is doing for us, for our community, for all the little Black and brown girls who are going to see themselves in you,’” she told the outlet.
Bailey reflected on how her younger self would have been inspired if Ariel was black.
“What that would have done for me, how that would have changed my confidence, my belief in myself, everything,” she said.
“Things that seem so small to everyone else, it’s so big to us.”
Disney’s The Little Mermaid is expected to hit theatres May 26, 2023.
Originally published as Viral Tiktok slams Little Mermaid racist backlash
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