LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Disney is facing criticism for incorporating "wokery" into its live-action adaptation of 'The Little Mermaid', which is expected to generate $100M for the company, despite receiving mixed reviews over the Memorial Day weekend. Both critics and audiences have given average and unfavorable opinions about the reboot of the beloved 1989 animated classic, according to Metacritic.
Some have criticized the filmmakers' attempts to modernize the film in line with contemporary social norms. Critics have particularly focused on changes to the storyline and lyrics that address issues of sexuality, ethnicity and cultural values, which align with Disney's progressive political stance. Halle Bailey's portrayal of Ariel has received praise, but critics raised concerns about the decision to depict a mixed-race family of mermaids and mermen, questioning the changes made to the original story.
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'Wokery' in 'The Little Mermaid'
The character Scuttle, originally a male seagull, has been transformed into a female gannet in the live-action adaptation. Javier Bardem's portrayal of King Triton highlights his character's environmentalist views, expressing concerns about human pollution and its impact on the undersea kingdom of Atlantica. Melissa McCarthy's performance as Ursula, the sea witch, draws inspiration from drag queens, who have become a significant figure in America's cultural debates. It is worth noting that the original Ursula was influenced by the renowned drag artist Divine, known for their appearances in movies from the '60s to the '80s.
Changes made to the original lyrics are also generating controversy and drawing attention. The song 'Kiss the Girl,' originally performed by Sebastian the crab, has been modified in the remake to include a focus on affirmative consent, ensuring that Prince Eric obtains explicit permission before kissing Ariel. In the 1989 version, the crab sang, "Possible she want you too/There is one way to ask her/It don't take a word, not a single word/Go on and kiss the girl." The 2023 version, however, has been revamped to reflect the cultural shift brought about by the #MeToo movement. "Possible she want you, too/Use your words, boy, and ask her," the new lyrics say.
Fans too are divided, with some considering the changes necessary to align with evolving attitudes, while others find them unnecessary. Conservative viewers have criticized the final result as cringeworthy and unappealing. However, movie critic Christian Toto, known for his right-of-center perspective, stated that the film was not as heavily influenced by "woke" ideology as some had anticipated. "The run-up to the film's release suggested another Disney woke-a-thon, but the film doesn't live down to that description," Toto told The Washington Times, adding, "Halle Bailey's colorblind casting drew its fair share of critics, but she boasts a lovely voice and pleasant screen presence, shushing the doubters."
'I simply dont understand the woke need of changing hystory'
A fan posted a picture of the original 1989 movie on Twitter, writing, "This is the only Little Mermaid that I will ever see. Stop trying to erase people's childhood and bring it back in this woke world. Make something different." Another frustrated user wrote, "Disney can crash or burn for all i care. us redheads had ONE disney princess, ariel the little mermaid, who looked like us. ONE. and disney gave into the woke and made her black. so now who are the redheads supposed to look up to? why are redheads NEVER included livescreen?" A third said, "I don't care Ariel is a fictional character. The little mermaid is a Danish fairytale. The character was created by the author, who described her as it was first represented. In Arts, every detail matters. It is an insult to the creator of it to transgress her appearance. Woke BS." A confused user wrote, "I don't know if it's Woke or not. I am a bit resistant to what I hear is Woke coming from the Right these days because I found them misleading before. I'm not going to see it anyway, I just resent being lied to about it. I remember. A Gay couple does not necessarily mean Woke." "Why keep remaking existing content Woke, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, etc… never the other way… I notice the remake of The Color Purple isn’t White folks now Why not come up with all new content???? The new Little Mermaid looks creepy to me… AI?" wrote a fifth. A sixth commented, "Im not going to watch this I simply dont understand the woke need of changing hystory, historic characters, now even fairy tales... Cant they write their Own."
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