Source: Disney
Of all the recent live-action remakes of classic animated Disney films, the upcoming Halle Bailey-starring version of
The Little Mermaid has easily garnered the most headlines outside of
Beyoncé’s superstar impact on 2019’s The Lion King.
While we know the decision to switch Ariel into a Black girl caused major controversy (and still does!) amongst Disney purists and downright racists, the latest talking point actually gave us a bit of a chuckle.
It all centers back to the recent character reveal of Ariel’s six sisters — each a different ethnicity, leading many to assume that King Triton had a different baby momma for all Seven Seas.
RELATED: Op-Ed – Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Is Only Controversial Due To 150 Years Of Whitewashing
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It’s quite plausible to believe that Triton could have been
that busy with that many “merwomen” — “mermaidens”? — especially when a man like Nick Cannon gives us such a glowing example in real life. Joining Halle Bailey, a Georgia-born African American woman, the sisterly lineup includes Asian Princess Mala, Caucasian Princess Karina, Middle Eastern Princess Indira, Spanish Princess Perla, African Princess Tamika and Caucasian Princesses Caspia and Karina. Veteran actor Javier Bardem, who plays King Triton, hails from Spain.
This wouldn’t be the first time Disney decided to ignore racial boundaries and operate strictly on fictional terms. The 1997 pioneering live-action remake of
Cinderella featured a Black lead star in the form of R&B icon Brandy paired with Filipino prince Paolo Montalban, who himself had a Black mom with Whoopi Goldberg and white dad with Victor Garber. Even Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters were of mixed races, with late actress Natalie Desselle playing a biological daughter of Bernadette Peters.
Overall, there’s a lot you can do in the world of imagination when the topic of discussion is a film about a mermaid who can talk to fish, birds and crabs. We’re sure the haters will learn to deal with her “assorted” set of siblings.
Be sure to watch Disney’s The Little Mermaid in full live-action when it splashes into theaters on May 26, 2023. Take a look below to see the jokes many had for King Triton’s penchant to flounder — oops, we mean philander:
