Christians against Little Mermaid remake

[cow451]

Everyone knows that the very real, and not totally made-up, species of half-woman/half-fish are Caucasian.

Pretty soon, they're going to try to steal away our history even further by remaking the Coneheads movie with non-whites.

Enough of my sarcasm, now to the meat of the subject...

There are certain roles and depictions in story telling where race/ethnicity is important for purposes of accuracy in the depiction. For instance, if you were telling a story of a runaway slave, the slave shouldn't be played by Brad Pitt, if you're telling what's supposed to be a historically accurate story of Abraham Lincoln, Idris Elba isn't the best casting choice.

The Little Mermaid isn't one of these scenarios as the race of the character is inconsequential to the story and irrelevant to the target audience.

What made the original story acceptable to Christians? It should not have been.

A Caucasian young woman looking to have a traditional submissive marriage with a manly single man reflects some evangelical narratives.

 

[cow451]

About hair. But the prince's eyes are described as large and black, not traits associated with white Europeans. Indian, as in someone from India would fit hpwever.

Dark eyed people have lower rates of skin cancer.

 

[cow451]

Why would it mean “a smaller audience”?

Children.

 

[cow451]

Well, you know, if someone at Disney said, "Hey, what the heck, let's make Ariel black," I just don't have the problem with it that you have that someone at Disney thought a black character is okay. This makes--what...two? Yeah, I know it outrages you, but it just doesn't bother me to see a black Disney character.

Zero black characters in Frozen. I don't recall any in Sleeping Beauty or Snow White (not even any of the dwarves). But, dang, they let one slip into a movie set in the Caribbean, and some people just can't deal with it.

Hey! A black Snow White! Or would we have to call it “Snow Black”? Like Blackula.

 

[Ceallaigh]

I'm against it because mermaids aren't in the Bible.

No, leviathans are not mermaids, don't even think of going there.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Diversity means a smaller audience sometimes especially when the characters made diverse were popular by the majority and are changed.

In the case of the little mermaid, if the popularity goes away among some people and people are upset because the character was switched from white to brown (but the same objection wouldn't have existed if some other superficial trait was altered), then it's pretty telling about the mindset of the people who are voicing the objection to the change.

I would be inclined to think people who are objecting to this (but didn't have any objections to the hair color and physique changes of certain superhero movie depictions) probably are of the mindset that they're on some sort of noble anti-woke crusade, when it fact it's coming across as being petty.

 

[RDKirk]

A Caucasian young woman looking to have a traditional submissive marriage with a manly single man reflects some evangelical narratives.

She broke the fifth commandment, which was the cause of all the conflict in the story. And the story was filled with paganism.

This entire issue should be beneath the interest of Christians.

And certainly, it's not an issue for Christians to take up as Christians. There is nothing in this issue related to salvation or righteousness or faith or belief.

 

[atpollard]

So is the problem not the actresses skin colour or culture (What is the culture of merpeople?) but perhaps the Euro-cententric culture of the prince and his people?

Does it really matter in the love story if the prince isn't a euro-centric prince with euro architecture castle????? I can't remember this being an important part of the story.

"The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue) is a Danish literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul. The tale was first published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children. The original story has been a subject of multiple analyses by scholars such as Jacob Bøggild and Pernille Heegaard as well as the folklorist Maria Tatar. These analyses cover various aspects of the story from interpreting the themes to discussing why Andersen chose to write a tragic story with a happy ending. It has been adapted to various media, including musical theatre, anime, ballet, opera, and film. There is also a statue portraying the mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the story was written and first published.
-Wikipedia​

Shall we also protest "cultural appropriation" or is it OK when it is European Culture that is mis-appropriated? Or was it your point that Hans Christian Anderson was really of Caribbean culture who just went to Denmark to write?

My claim is that a 19th Century European Author writes a fairy tale with innate Eurocentric cultural baggage. Ignoring the cultural context of literature seldom improves it.

 

[RDKirk]

"The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue) is a Danish literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul. The tale was first published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children. The original story has been a subject of multiple analyses by scholars such as Jacob Bøggild and Pernille Heegaard as well as the folklorist Maria Tatar. These analyses cover various aspects of the story from interpreting the themes to discussing why Andersen chose to write a tragic story with a happy ending. It has been adapted to various media, including musical theatre, anime, ballet, opera, and film. There is also a statue portraying the mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the story was written and first published.
-Wikipedia​

Shall we also protest "cultural appropriation" or is it OK when it is European Culture that is mis-appropriated? Or was it your point that Hans Christian Anderson was really of Caribbean culture who just went to Denmark to write?

My claim is that a 19th Century European Author writes a fairy tale with innate Eurocentric cultural baggage. Ignoring the cultural context of literature seldom improves it.

As I have said a couple of times, Disney moved the setting to the Caribbean, which opened the door to this kind of change.

Where was your outrage about that?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

I'm against it because mermaids aren't in the Bible.

No, leviathans are not mermaids, don't even think of going there.

I'm against everything not in the bible, the internet, cars, phones, McDonald's, the Space Force, and more.

 

[Yttrium]

As I have said a couple of times, Disney moved the setting to the Caribbean, which opened the door to this kind of change.

See, if they change the setting, I think all bets are off. Like, if they did a modern Sherlock with Idris Elba instead of Benedict Cumberbatch, I'd have no problem with it. If they used the original timeframe, Idris Elba would be inappropriate. But since Ariel is a mermaid, it doesn't really matter in her case.

 

[atpollard]

As I have said a couple of times, Disney moved the setting to the Caribbean, which opened the door to this kind of change.

Where was your outrage about that?

Post #39 ... although "outrage" is too strong an emotion to waste on another mediocre Disney Remake.

 

[Innsmuthbride]

A real mermaid would be a bleepin' monster! If you saw one you'd probably run in terror or try to kill it. Not sure why any race would want to be associated with that.

A killer mermaid!

 

[RDKirk]

See, if they change the setting, I think all bets are off. Like, if they did a modern Sherlock with Idris Elba instead of Benedict Cumberbatch, I'd have no problem with it. If they used the original timeframe, Idris Elba would be inappropriate. But since Ariel is a mermaid, it doesn't really matter in her case.

Like the retelling of Sherlock Holmes that moved the setting to New York City...and changed Watson to an Asian woman.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Like the retelling of Sherlock Holmes that moved the setting to New York City...and changed Watson to an Asian woman.

Impossible, what Asian family would name their daughter Watson?

 

[RDKirk]

Post #39 ... although "outrage" is too strong an emotion to waste on another mediocre Disney Remake.

Your opinion in that post was about the remake, not the original Disney animation, which is where the move to the Caribbean occurred.

 

[RDKirk]

Impossible, what Asian family would name their daughter Watson?

Of course, I know you're joking, but for those who don't...

...marriage.

 

[Sophrosyne]

In the case of the little mermaid, if the popularity goes away among some people and people are upset because the character was switched from white to brown (but the same objection wouldn't have existed if some other superficial trait was altered), then it's pretty telling about the mindset of the people who are voicing the objection to the change.

I would be inclined to think people who are objecting to this (but didn't have any objections to the hair color and physique changes of certain superhero movie depictions) probably are of the mindset that they're on some sort of noble anti-woke crusade, when it fact it's coming across as being petty.

Two words: Buzz Lightyear.

 

[durangodawood]

I'm against it because mermaids aren't in the Bible....

Seriously?

(I have to ask, being in a place here where you can never assume a funny thing isnt actually serious).

 

[keith99]

As I have said a couple of times, Disney moved the setting to the Caribbean, which opened the door to this kind of change.

Where was your outrage about that?

Many Christians seem to be very good at swallowing camels and choking on gnats.

IF the story otherwise follows the original I can see one major problem of changing the little mermaid to being black. If the princess who eventually marries the prince is white, or even brown, there is a contrast between them that could be interperted as making the choice of the prince at least being influenced by race. Depending on other factors that could be cause for outrage.