The Little Mermaid Controversy: What it Shows Us About Race in the USA
When I was six, I picked Cinderella for my Halloween costume. My mother went all out to prepare me for the day. She used hot curlers, hair spray, and makeup. I felt like I was getting ready for a real ball.
When she was done, I slipped on the costume and walked over to my mirror with great anticipation. Looking at the finished product, I felt I had truly transformed into Cinderella. I was not the Latina version of Cinderella. I was her. There was no thought about our racial differences.
When little girls of color dress up as their favorite Disney princesses, they see themselves in character- not as a take on the character. They do not see the Asian, Black, or Middle Eastern versions of Snow White, Ariel, or Belle.
And yet, so many people cannot get past race when it comes to non-whites, particularly Black people.
This last week, Disney released a live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. Singer and actor Halle Bailey was cast as our beloved Ariel. However, this casting decision has caused controversy and backlash, revealing the state of race in America and the world. But there’s something more the backlash shows us about race relations than meets the eye. The sheer anger displayed over Black actors portraying white characters (and historical figures) is deeply troubling and telling.
In this post, I will discuss what the backlash to the readaptation of The Little Mermaid shows us about race in the United States, the film industry’s role in all of this, and how it is slowly fixing it.
What the Backlash Shows Us:
White Americans do not understand that non-whites are American, too.
The backlash against Halle Bailey playing Ariel suggests a lack of understanding that people of color are just as American as anyone else. Native-born racial minorities grow up with dual cultural identities, immersed in both the cultures of their immigrant ancestors and the white mainstream culture. This happens organically and is not a choice.
More often than not, our first children’s stories are European folklore. In school, we are taught European history from a Eurocentric perspective before most of us learn about our own histories. We watch the exact same media and listen to the same music. Our teachers, coworkers, and employers are usually white. The mainstream culture should not be almost exclusively white in this day and age.
White Americans are not so colorblind after all.
Despite the cultural belief in colorblindness, American society continues racializing people of color. Racialization is attributing certain characteristics to a particular race or ethnic group. While white people are also racialized, the characteristics attributed to them render them simply “normal.” As a result, white people view themselves as normal and all others as abnormal.
Thus, white people are just “people,” while Black people are Black, Asians are Asian, Latinxs are brown, and so on.
The Whiteness of the Film Industry
According to a 2020 study by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the film industry is overwhelmingly white, with 91% of film directors across the top 1,300 white films.
A study by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that in 2020-2021, among the 11 major film studios, 91% of studio heads or chairs and 82% of senior executives were White.
The same study revealed that out of the 109 individuals serving as directors or executive chairs across ten media companies in 2020-2021, 92% were White. This lack of diversity is limited to directors and affects writers, producers, and actors.
White actors have the privilege of not needing to play white characters to get work. However, this is not true for all other groups. Actors of color often face barriers in landing roles. They are often limited to playing specific roles. This perpetuates the problem of underrepresentation and marginalization of communities of color in media.
White Privilege in the Film Industry
The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer involves a fictional Native American tribe belonging to the Quileute Tribe. This distinct group is known for its shape-shifting wolves, representing an integral part of the storyline. Because of this, Native Americans were cast to play the tribe members.
Actor Taylor Lautner played Jacob, Bella’s best friend from the reservation. Taylor becomes an overnight sensation. Throughout the filming and movie releases, Taylor was all over our screens and even landed the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. He even dated Taylor Swift. Taylor was a sensation for those short, sweet years of Twilight Mania.
Despite being difficult to work with and challenging on the Twilight set, Robert Pattison went on to become Batman. He and Kristen Stewart became A-list actors with no shortage of work since. They and other Twilight alumni, such as Dakota Fanning, frequent red-carpet events and magazine covers.
Some will likely argue that Taylor couldn’t distance himself from Twilight or that the few movies and sitcoms he did land were flops. But the sad reality is that unless more directors and producers were looking to cast Native Americans or just brown people to play brown people, we can’t say with any certainty that Taylor couldn’t cut it after Twilight.
What We Mean When We Talk About Representation
People mistakenly think that representation means actors must play characters of the same race. Because of this thinking, many white people feel the rules are being switched around because of some double standard. This line of thinking results from having a very narrow perspective on the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities.
Historically, white actors played POC on film and TV instead of hiring them. And when they did play non-white characters, the characters were portrayed in highly negative ways that perpetuated stereotypes and racist ideas. And let’s not forget Blackface.
After public outcry, POC finally started getting cast. But they were being cast to play POC. And since white people are less likely to have true diversity within their families and social circles, they are even less likely to include non-whites in their stories and movies. Racial and ethnic minorities do not become part of the picture until they appear. But the reverse isn’t true.
One might read this and think, what else would a POC play if not a POC? That very thinking is the problem. Racial and ethnic minorities continue to be Asian, Black, foreign, etc. before they are ordinary people. Chances are, James Cameron didn’t describe Rose and Jack as “Rose, a white woman, and Jack, a white man who saves her.” They were simply the main characters, Jack and Rose, a man and a woman.
Representation is not about excluding anyone but about including more diverse voices and experiences in the media. When actors of color play roles traditionally reserved for white actors, it is not about replacing white actors but giving underrepresented groups a chance. It is about expanding the range of stories, not limiting them.
Improving Our Perspectives Improves Who We Are
But many do not understand that the more we see racial and ethnic minorities on screen, the more normalized they become. This isn’t just for the sake of white people and how they see POC but for POC and how we see ourselves.
Representation allows people of color to see themselves on screen and in media in a positive and accurate light. It also helps to break down stereotypes and promote understanding and empathy for different cultures and backgrounds.
When films and media include diverse representation, it can also positively impact society as a whole, reducing discrimination and promoting inclusivity, which can improve the lives of marginalized communities.
The response I get regarding representation in the media and film industry is usually something like; [racial and ethnic minorities] should start making their own movies and shows if they feel it’s important. This sentiment shows how far we are from realizing, as a society, that POC are not just racial beings. We are far from being just authors, models, actors, doctors, and lawyers. For now, we are the Black author, the Asian doctor, the Indian actor, and so on.
Every year, more and more POC are breaking through barriers and creating change. We have more representation than ever before. These improvements are thanks to the continued resistance, advocacy, and perseverance of racial and ethnic minorities.
The Damage is Done
Our media has played the largest role in perpetuating White Supremacy and racism.
For decades, films, television shows, music, and news coverage from the United States has been circulated globally. The US has been influencing cultural perceptions and shaping narratives about it’s own population. How our media has portrayed African Americans has reinforced racial biases and contributed to their marginalization and stigmatization.
The media and film industry has begun making leaps and bounds toward diversity and inclusion. We see this positive change in commercials, how stories are being told, and how Disney casts for its roles. With that being said, we still have a way to go.
With how white the industry truly is, it won’t be soon that the body of people operating it better reflects our population. And it will take a concerted effort on behalf of those already in the industry to educate themselves and implement change.
What We Can Do From Here
As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, it is important to remember that representation matters.
If the media and film industry wishes to undo its legacy of whiteness and be a key player in making the US and the world a more inclusive place for all, it must prioritize diversity and inclusion by casting actors of color in traditionally white roles and creating opportunities for actors of color to play diverse characters. It also means investing in diverse writers, directors, and producers to ensure diverse perspectives are represented in media and film. There can’t be any compromises. There is no other way.
The controversy surrounding Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel reflects the larger issue of systemic racism and the underrepresentation of communities of color in media. It is up to all of us to push for more inclusivity and diversity in media and film. By supporting diverse voices and perspectives, we can create a more accurate and positive portrayal of our society and promote greater understanding and empathy for all people.
Really enjoyed this post! Seeing representation in media is so important for everyone. As a human collective, when we see someone in the media who looks like us and is thriving, we can get a sense that their success could be our success on day. Creating a social narrative which believes “white” is the only way to be “right”, we’ve excluded so many other stories, voices, and representation. We put ourselves into a lack mentality by narrowing our scope and blocking out the beauty of diversity. Your comment about one day seeing POC as author, writer, director, doctor without Asian, Black, foreign, etc. beforehand is the vision; to see people for more than the color of their skin.
Really enjoyed this post! Seeing representation in media is so important for everyone. As a human collective, when we see someone in the media who looks like us and is thriving, we can get a sense that their success could be our success one day. Creating a social narrative which believes “white” is the only way to be “right”, we’ve excluded so many other stories, voices, and representation. We put ourselves into a lack mentality by narrowing our scope and blocking out the beauty of diversity. Your comment about one day seeing POC as author, writer, director, doctor without Asian, Black, foreign, etc. beforehand is the vision; to see people for more than the color of their skin.