Trevor Noah slams racist critics of Disney's upcoming The Little Mermaid remake. Adapted from the 1989 animated musical of the same name, The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, a mermaid with a passionate interest in the human world. The film has garnered a lot of positive attention following the release of its first trailer at the D23 Expo 2022. Halle Bailey herself has responded to positive reactions of her portrayal of Ariel, happy to see smiles from young Black girls who felt represented by her casting.
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Unfortunately, online racism has also followed the film's announcement. Bailey has dealt with backlash for her casting since 2019, much of the negativity influenced by Ariel having been white in the original film. The trailer for The Little Mermaid reflects these cynical criticisms, having garnered over 1.5 million dislikes on YouTube since its release, compared to 941,000 likes. How many dislikes reflect racism toward Bailey's casting is unknown, but racist reactions to the film since its announcement indicate at least some of those dislikes reflect the same sentiments.
Responding to critics is comedian Trevor Noah, who addressed the racially-charged backlash against The Little Mermaid in a segment on The Daily Show. Noah slammed racist reactions to the film, citing the "ridiculous" response from online denizens who were upset to see Ariel portrayed by Black actress. He continued by addressing the fact that, even though The Little Mermaid is getting remade, it doesn't mean the original ceases to exist:
Once again, a bunch of Internet racists are upset that a fictional character is being played by a Black person. This is so ridiculous.
If we had more time we could talk about how Disney already created a Black mermaid 30 years ago, and nobody cared. Or how there’s still plenty of white princesses for little girls whose dream it is to be in a monarchy. And let’s not forget, you can still watch the original Little Mermaid!
Noah's response is not the first addressed to racist critics of fantasy properties in recent weeks. Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has also faced racist backlash for its inclusion of Black actors, including its portrayal of Harfoots as people of color. The reaction sparked figures like Neil Gaiman and Whoopi Goldberg to come to the show's defense, with Gaiman citing Tolkien's own notes on Harfoots to defend the show's source accuracy. The Little Mermaid is, sadly, just the latest fantasy franchise that has faced condemnation by racists for diverse casting choices.
Despite the critics, responses like Noah's help to elevate shows and movies with Black actors that are targeted by racists simply because of the cast. Though the sad reality is that Noah's comments are unlikely to change racist responses to the film. Even so, it's uplifting to know that positive reactions to The Little Mermaid are strong despite negativity and bigotry. Regardless of what online racists say or do, The Little Mermaid has garnered support that's sure to remain strong with the film swims into theaters on May 26, 2023.