Disney has a long history of being on both sides of the diversity coin, with the incredibly problematic depictions of Native Americans in “Peter Pan” to the slowly increasing number of main characters of color in its movies.
I still remember the joy I felt when I watched “The Princess and the Frog” for the first time, finally seeing someone who looked like me on the big screen getting her “happily ever after.”
That is a feeling I will never forget, and still cherish 17 years later.
But recently, there has been a trend of remaking old animated films as live action, and some of the casting choices have raised the question of whether Disney is subscribing to the “woke agenda.”
This topic gained mainstream attention with the casting choice of Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”
People on the internet were up in arms about the choice to have a black woman play the mermaid, with some social media comments arguing that Ariel was a northern European character and should be portrayed as such, and others outright attacking Bailey for her skin color.
These same arguments were rekindled when Disney announced that Rachel Zegler, a Colombian-American actress, would play Snow White in the live-action remake of the film.
This whole discussion raises the question of when a character’s race can — or should — be changed.
I believe that if a character’s arc does not revolve around culture or them dealing with the prejudices that come from being a certain race, they can be portrayed by whatever actor or actress can best play the role.
Ariel’s story doesn’t depend on her being white for it to be the same or to make sense — she was still able to meet her prince, give up her voice for human legs and eventually live happily ever after, regardless of whether she was Black, Asian or any other race.
On the other hand, characters’ racial identities in “Turning Red,” “Mulan” or “The Princess and the Frog” are imperative to their story and growth.
The growth of the characters and the cultural impact these films had wouldn’t be the same if the characters’ ethnicities were changed, and I think that people who use this claim to back up their racially charged arguments about Bailey or Zelger’s performances are literally grasping at straws.
Get out of the Facebook comments and off the Reddit threads, and let a new generation of young children of color experience the joy and happiness of seeing someone who looks like them on the big screen. I can almost guarantee you’ve experienced it more than we have.
