Yes, it's all still swirling around. Such a controversy.
The videos of thrilled children and even children who want to see it and don't care about her color aren't influencing adult opinions.
But the reality is it shouldn't matter. The Little Mermaid is problematic not because of the actor (who won the part because of her talent, not her color), but because of the story itself. A woman gives up her voice and suffers the agony of the sensation of walking on nails (in the original) just to have the opportunity to win the love of a man. And she fails. He likes her, thinks of her as a friend, but pities her because she cannot speak. The very voice she gave up is why they cannot communicate and so she can never "win his love". Because he cannot see past her disability.
The Prince chooses another, but invites his new friend to the wedding. She's devastated when she realizes she has lost him and leaps overboard. He sees her and rushes to the side, looking over only to see foam on the top of the water. The mermaid, after giving up her voice and suffering agony, has now given up her life for a love she could never have.
People don't understand that the story is why the Litle Mermaid is an issue. Teaching little girls that it's worth it to give up their value to win the love and attention of a boy or a man is wrong. No one should care about the color of her skin; the lesson to our children is the problem.
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