See now I actually look forward to their live action movies because I can finally get my S.O to watch them since he refuses to watch cartoons. I also really enjoyed the live action Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent) so if they do this one as well, I will be happy.ObsidianJones said:The Magical Kind.warmachine said:I wanna know how a species that lives in the sea evolved to have melanin tinted skin.
As in these creatures are based on magic and to try to define them with actual science is pointless.
I hate Disney live action adaptions. It feels like a lazy cash in on our childhood. "Hey, you were a kid when this came out, now spend more money for yourself and your kids so we can possibly have at least 2 people in your family aboard this cash cow".
I see nothing wrong with casting Miss Bailey in the role. Atlantica is a made up place. You had no problem with Jamaican Crabs before?
Wakanda is a made up place. But we both know there would be rioting in the streets if a hypothetical future reboot cast a white actress as Lupita Nyongo's character.ObsidianJones said:Atlantica is a made up place. You had no problem with Jamaican Crabs before?
If the character can work equally well as any race, why keep it the same?Batou667 said:if the character can work equally well as any race, why change it?
I don't see that they chose her for the sake of " diversity" though, but rather for her talents. When you watch and listen to her, it becomes obvious why she was chosen for the role. They do not even have to be considering diversity at all to decide she was the best person for the role. How dark or light your tan is should not be a qualifier and really should not be "the determining factor" when she more than fits the criteria for the role. Chances are, as stated earlier, she likely sang better than the other's auditioning and they decided she was exactly what they were looking for. If you are the best person for the job, your tan should not be what prevents you from getting it.Batou667 said:I'm going to reserve judgement until if/when I ever watch the movie, but race or gender swaps in established works p*ss me off at the best of times. No, I don't hate diversity. No, I don't suffer a crippling existential panic when I see people of different skin colours depicted on screen. But - I think this is diversity done poorly. Yes, Western media has been historically white dominated (because... well, duh) but diversity should be additive in nature. Give us new characters, telling their own stories in their own settings. Pocahontas, Mulan, Moana, Tiana (Princess and the Frog) - that's doing it right. Taking an established and actually pretty popular character and changing some fundamental characteristic to please group X at the expense of group Y is the worst way to achieve diversity I can imagine - it's tokenistic (if the character can work equally well as any race, why change it?), it's sure to upset fans (go on, call them all angry racists, that'll help!), and it sets back the idea that diversity isn't a zero-sum game.
Wakanda is a made up place. But we both know there would be rioting in the streets if a hypothetical future reboot cast a white actress as Lupita Nyongo's character.ObsidianJones said:Atlantica is a made up place. You had no problem with Jamaican Crabs before?
Simple: fidelity to the source material. Keeping the fanbase happy. Maintaining brand recognition of an IP that took time and money to create. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.Silvanus said:If the character can work equally well as any race, why keep it the same?
Be still my rolling eyes. Are you saying a middle aged man could have snuck past security and ran onto stage, belted out the best Part of Your World the producers had ever heard, and they would have looked at each other and nodded in unison "Yep, we've found our Ariel. The rest of you girls, thanks for coming"?They might have simply chosen the person who had the best audition. Should they put that aside to ensure that it stays as a white person?
Batou667 said:Simple: fidelity to the source material. Keeping the fanbase happy. Maintaining brand recognition of an IP that took time and money to create. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Ridiculous comparison. Obviously there are certain characteristics which actually matter to the character. Ethnicity is not one of them.Batou667 said:Be still my rolling eyes. Are you saying a middle aged man could have snuck past security and ran onto stage, belted out the best Part of Your World the producers had ever heard, and they would have looked at each other and nodded in unison "Yep, we've found our Ariel. The rest of you girls, thanks for coming"?
A casting as important as a Disney lead is emphatically NOT down to chance.
A middle aged woman could not have gotten the role either, that does not suddenly mean that how dark your tan is should override all other factors. Teenage girl, singing level of siren, carries themselves and acts like a Disney princess, has the correct mannerisms for the role. Yes, she has it all more than covered.Batou667 said:Simple: fidelity to the source material. Keeping the fanbase happy. Maintaining brand recognition of an IP that took time and money to create. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.Silvanus said:If the character can work equally well as any race, why keep it the same?
Be still my rolling eyes. Are you saying a middle aged man could have snuck past security and ran onto stage, belted out the best Part of Your World the producers had ever heard, and they would have looked at each other and nodded in unison "Yep, we've found our Ariel. The rest of you girls, thanks for coming"?They might have simply chosen the person who had the best audition. Should they put that aside to ensure that it stays as a white person?
A casting as important as a Disney lead is emphatically NOT down to chance.
In what way has anything happened at group Y's expense?Batou667 said:Taking an established and actually pretty popular character and changing some fundamental characteristic to please group X at the expense of group Y is the worst way to achieve diversity I can imagine
This still is the same Hollywood that casts 30somethings as HS students regularly, right?Asita said:Not really sure they could have gotten away from that. The Little Mermaid is kinda like Romeo and Juliet in that the story is driven by the idealistic stupidity of youth. They're stories where the characters get so swept up in their infatuation that they throw everything away for a love they haven't even been on a proper date with. That becomes increasingly unlikely as the age of the characters increases, necessitating that the actors can pass for youths. It doesn't really surprise me that such an actor would be just starting to make a name for herself.Dreiko said:I'm more concerned with the fact that they seemingly gave the role to a 19 year old with no prior films in her resume. Who knows, maybe she'll be the next big star and is really talented. I'm apprehensive but keeping an open mind.
A made up place in Africa with the surrounding people being Africans.Batou667 said:Wakanda is a made up place. But we both know there would be rioting in the streets if a hypothetical future reboot cast a white actress as Lupita Nyongo's character.
Out of the massive respect and admiration I have for you, I'm refusing to comment on your S.O.'s 'choices'. I will constantly refer to your S.O. as "Oh... Him".Lil devils x said:See now I actually look forward to their live action movies because I can finally get my S.O to watch them since he refuses to watch cartoons. I also really enjoyed the live action Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent) so if they do this one as well, I will be happy.
Dirty Hipsters said:There are times where the ethnicity of a character matters, and times when it really doesn't.
Considering mermaids aren't real I think it's totally fine to make Ariel black.
If Disney suddenly decided to make Mulan, or Belle, or Esmeralda, black, I'd have a bigger problem with it.
Thing is, Ariel's skin colour isn't a "fundamental characteristic."Batou667 said:Give us new characters, telling their own stories in their own settings. Pocahontas, Mulan, Moana, Tiana (Princess and the Frog) - that's doing it right. Taking an established and actually pretty popular character and changing some fundamental characteristic to please group X at the expense of group Y is the worst way to achieve diversity I can imagine - it's tokenistic (if the character can work equally well as any race, why change it?), it's sure to upset fans (go on, call them all angry racists, that'll help!), and it sets back the idea that diversity isn't a zero-sum game.
Because there are people who, for some reason, can't comprehend the idea of being able to relate or understand or like a character that doesn't have the same skin color as them. The "expense" in this case is all the white people who can't possibly like the character because she's black. Or they feel that their "white" character is being stolen from them by this black actress or something. I dunno, these people make no fucking sense at the best of times. They just wander about the internet, being passionately aggrieved at the stupidest shit.Baffle2 said:In what way has anything happened at group Y's expense?Batou667 said:Taking an established and actually pretty popular character and changing some fundamental characteristic to please group X at the expense of group Y is the worst way to achieve diversity I can imagine
Look when I first saw the announcement I was confused too. Like damn Halle Berry still looking like a whole three course meal but still having her play a teenager is a bit much. There names are too damn similar.Baffle2 said:Neither had all the people who are congratulating Halle Berry, who is 52, on getting the role.Samtemdo8 said:I never heard of her so she is new to me.
You will note that there is a greatly disproportionate lack of black superheroes or Disney Princesses. If that wasn't the case, people would have much less problem with a black character being turned white.Batou667 said:Wakanda is a made up place. But we both know there would be rioting in the streets if a hypothetical future reboot cast a white actress as Lupita Nyongo's character.
It could also be that Disney wants to use this as a vehicle to propel this actress into stardom. I don't know if this Halle Bailey has much history with Disney, but she does look like one of the Disney Channel faces. But then I also don't know how famous she already is in America.altnameJag said:They probably just hired the person with the best audition.
It's not like her skin color matters to the story like it would with Tiana