How The Little Mermaid Live Action is Showing Americans True Colors

The trailer for the official live action The Little Mermaid has been released, and people can't stop talking about it. The movie, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, has sparked a lot of controversy, especially since the main character Ariel is Black in the live action remake.

Since the trailer was posted, Youtube had to take down thousands of racist comments, and 1.5 millions dislikes on the video. Hashtags like #notmyariel can be seen all around social media bashing and protesting against the race change of Ariel. People have described seeing a “traditionally white” character suddenly turn into a person of color as a culture shock. They described it as feeling like a totally new movie, and it feeling completely different from the original everyone is used too. Many people have resorted to using science, history, and culture to try to explain why this sudden change in race is wrong. Claims like Mermaids live deep in the sea and therefore should not have dark skin, to, Mermaids are a part of Europe mythological stories, therefore Ariel should be white. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing. Racism.

Racism has always been a problem in America. For centuries people have had prejudice towards Black people and people of color. People have always had the thought that they are better than a certain group of people, or that they fix a group of people. Things like slavery, segregation, and discrimmination have all been big parts of U.S history.

At the end of the day, we have to face the facts. Ariel is a mythological creature, and in many ways, making her Black isn't a bad thing at all. It is important to show respect and give voices to those who beg to be heard. For example, there was a trend on the App Tik Tok of parents showing black children this new Ariel. Children squeal and jump with excitement seeing that there was representation for them. It's important for everyone to feel like they belong, and this movie might do just that.