A beloved movie by kids, The Little Mermaid, reappeared in live-action on May 26th, 2023. When it was first announced to the public, parents were beyond thrilled about the news and to show the new generations what they once watched with amusement as kids. However, the excitement subsequently took a turn for the worse when more news about The Little Mermaid was shared with the world.
The anticipation of revealing the cast remaking adored characters for The Little Mermaid was roaring. The cast was revealed, and that’s where chaos began. Halle Bailey, who stars as Ariel, received judgments towards her race for not being the Ariel we’re all familiar with milky skin, red hair, and ocean-blue eyes.
The fuss over Bailey’s appearance has been extreme. There have been hashtags, comments, and reviews being harsh towards Halle Bailey. The hashtag “#notmyariel” blew up with comments like “We have a problem with Disney casting somebody who looks nothing like Ariel,” says @NOTMYARIEL8 on Twitter.
Reviews on IMDb stated, “Ariel looked very awkward and nonrealistic when swimming around with her weirdly orange-brown hair.” This review is controversial, considering that in Bailey’s culture, hair is important. This disrespects not only Halle Bailey but others with the same culture as her.
Not only that, but she has had locs since she was a child, and it’s something that makes her who she is. It was very fortunate she was allowed to keep her hair, so comments like these could evolve issues with fame in new Disney movies, influencing Disney to keep movies like the originals and keep new people from opportunities. Halle Bailey shares with the New York Times, “So I was really grateful that I was allowed to keep that essence of me.”
Even though The Little Mermaid caused some controversy, Halle Bailey didn’t let it affect her. She had an outstanding performance and is getting lots of love for her amazing singing voice. Being a new Disney actress is not easy, and as a new growing actress, she is adjusting well. Who knows, with time, she just might be the next big star!