Activist criticizes ‘The Little Mermaid’ for not representing slavery

A week after the premiere, The Little Mermaidremains the target of criticism. The most recent came from a British activist, who accused the work of not recognizing the horrors of slavery in the Caribbean.

Who made the statement was Marcus Ryderpresident of Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and human rights activist. On her blog, Ryder stated that the feature with Halle Bailey missed the opportunity to educate children about the subject of slavery.

According to him, the problem would be the cutout chosen for the work, which apparently takes place in the 18th century, when the Caribbean was still suffering from the flow of slavery from the Atlantic. In that regard, The Little Mermaid would be wrong to portray a society free of the atrocities caused at the time.

“I don’t think we’re doing our children any favors by pretending slavery didn’t exist.”

In the article, translated as Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Slavery in the Caribbean and Telling the Truth with Children, Ryder recognizes the importance of choosing Halle Bailey for the role of the protagonist, as well as the fact that a fantasy work does not necessarily have to follow a historical agenda. According to him, however:

“Setting the fantastical story in this space and time is the literal equivalent of setting a Jew-Gentile romance in 1940s Germany, ignoring the Jewish Holocaust.”

The author also accuses the film of whitewashing, when a perspective of erasing racism is applied to a given work (via deadline).

After sharing the article on his social networks, Ryder ended up being heavily criticized by followers and fans of the film, deleting the tweet afterwards, claiming to have been “deeply misunderstood”. He further stated that he liked the film, which he watched with his six-year-old son, and reinforced the praise for the racially inclusive depiction of the mermaid Ariel, played by Bailey.

The Little Mermaid: Racist Attacks

Singer and actress Halle Bailey has spoken out about the racist attacks she received after being cast as the lead in Disney’s live-action film, The Little Mermaid (1989). In the original animation, King Triton’s daughter (Javier Barden) is originally white.

Halle Bailey, interpreter of Ariel, is the second black protagonist of a movie from walt disney pictures. Anika Noni Rose voiced the character Tiana in The princess and the Frog (2009).

Bailey told in an interview with Variety how essential the support of the family was after the racist comments questioning the principal’s decision Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns) about the lead role.

“I want the little girl in me and the little girls like me who are watching to know that they are special and that they should be princesses in every way. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be. That reassurance was something I needed.”