I have a perfect sense of timing, it seems.
Over at one of my favorite movie blogs there is a piece about the upcoming Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog.
Now, for a long time groups of all stripes have derided Disney for not having any black princesses. Ariel (who is a fish), Jasmine (who is Arab), Sleeping Beauty (who is a white narcoleptic), and Snow White (who is a chipmunk... or sounds like one). None of these women have been black.
Well they finally got one, and apparently everyone is squirming because, well... she's black. And so are most of her castmates. So every piece of comedy and plot wrung from her is obviously (all together now) racist!
A firefly is proud of his butt, the music is jazzy, funny characters are black... bastards! How dare they!
Ok, it's a comedy. A COMEDY. Did white people or fish or Arabs or chipmunks get offended when people of their races were used for humor in a Disney movie? Was Disney supposed to make this movie any less cartoony and stupid than all their others?
Is the film racist? Who knows, probably not. As I said above, Disney makes all kind of characters of whatever race stupid for their movies because little kids eat that shit up. Goofy characters are Disney's bread and butter. Just look at... well, Goofy. But just because they are black this time everyone is going crazy. Well you know what, I am pissed off that it's come to the point where you can't even have a character of a race be hilarious without it being seen as racist.
We're all too sensative. Way too sensative.
It's all especially odd, considering there is a point where one of the characters says, to a frog "Only thing's important is what's under the skin."
So here's a movie that was basically created because people were begging for diversity, which is being derided for using black people as comedy relief in a comedy movie centered around black people, and yet the film tells people that looks aren't important and everyone is equally judged by who they are on the inside.
Jesus I need an aspirin.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I couldn't agree more. I can't stand the fact that people are actually getting what they wanted, and yet are bitching and whining about it.
ReplyDeleteBlack princess? Check
Black characters? Check
Black music? Check
Happy with it? errrrrrrrrrrrr
I truly wonder how the demographics will turn out for this film. Should be VERY interesting to see if it does well or if the likely media storm surrounding its release date will cause the first hand drawn Disney film in years to stumble and fall.
Personally, I'll be lining up on day one, and I'm 22 years old.
Actually there were complaints about Aladin, specifically the opening sequence with the bazaar. In later editions that first song is edited to the point where I couldn't sing along like I can with every other disney movie EVER, seeing as I was once a child and Aladin came out during my young years.
ReplyDeleteDisney has alway's been criticized for being racisit. I think even the Lion King caught flack and there weren't even people in that movie. Snow White isn't even PC because of the 7 Dawrves, not little people. You can't miss the French chef in the Little Mermaid. But Cinderelle gets away scot free, mostly because no one can figure out where it is supposed to be set, other than Europe. Surprise no controversy. I wonder how PETA feels about Pinocchio.
PS "sensitive"
ReplyDeletexoxo
*applause*
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the fact that Disney finally has a black princess. I love that the setting is in New Orleans, a place most people have forgotten existed with its rich and colorful history.
All these racist comments don't make sense. It's being presented just like the other classic Princes movies and she's being added to the lineup and retail market. Disney is going to make killer this and next year Halloween for little girls wanting to be Tiana. Hell, I want to be her for Halloween and I'm 24.
I work at a movie theater and there is a large poster for it as soon as you walk up to the box office. 99% of little girls that come up with their parents are going crazy about a new princess and bug me to death for its release date. And they are white, black, arab, latino and asian. Only a few have asked why is she black, and I kindly explained to them that no matter what you look like you can be a princess.
I am for one excited about the movie, and will sign up to preview as we do all film to make sure it plays correctly just so I can see it!!