Disney's Little Mermaid Remake Should Honor the Tale's Gay Legacy
The Little Mermaid fairy tale was written by a queer man, Hans Christian Andersen, so protests about the new movie's diversity are pointless. If you're planning on watching The Little Mermaid at the cinema this weekend, you'll notice several changes from the original. Firstly it's a live-action remake, so combines real-life actors with computer-animated sea creatures.
Melissa McCarthy on The Little Mermaid
With a history as rich — and as queer — as The Little Mermaid ’s, it would only make sense for a director with a deep appreciation for the original animated movie to take the helm. With another Disney live-action remake of an animated classic coming up soon, many fans are buzzing around the new Little Mermaid. There are many aspects of the story that have been talked over, critiqued, and rethought over the 33 years since the iconic Disney animated film hit theaters.
Director Rob Marshall Talks 'The Little Mermaid's Gay Magic
The newest take on "The Little Mermaid" is a pretty faithful live-action adaptation; if you had any special connection to the original film, there's no reason to think you'll hate this. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. This tale told the story of a lovestruck mermaid named Ariel who feels like an outsider in her underwater society, causing her to dream of a life with humans in the world above. The True Story Behind ’The Little Mermaid’s Queer Origins
The most prominent figure for queer representation in The Little Mermaid movies has always been Ursula, who was visually designed and inspired by the fiery personality of the legendary drag queen Divine. Divine was known for being bigger than life, confident, talented, and vulgar. For the preponderance of the history of pop culture, there has been a dearth of queer stories. This has resulted in a queer read of many of our favourite characters, films, and shows — regardless of whether the proof was in the pudding.
How The New ‘The Little Mermaid’ Movie Is Different Than The
Disney's Relationship with The Little Mermaid's LGBT Legacy Disney's The Little Mermaid from is treated by many as a modern update of the story. While in the original dark fable, the Mermaid loses her prince to another woman and dies tragically, the Disney movie changes the story so that Ariel and Prince Eric live happily ever after. The story of "The Little Mermaid" is an old one. Hans Christian Anderson wrote the original fable — about a mermaid who wants an immortal soul, and must earn it by winning the love of a human as part of a deal with a sea witch — in
All the Ways in Which 'The Little Mermaid' Will Forever Be a
The story itself isn’t the only thing that has a queer resonance. Up until The Little Mermaid, Disney’s musicals were mostly jukebox style. Ashman introduced the American musical theatre style to The Little Mermaid, resulting in songs that not only reveal more about the characters but move the plot forward. .
The Little Mermaid
But diversity in 's Little Mermaid goes beyond her character - Ariel's six sisters are all played by actors from different ethnicities. . The Little Mermaid Has Always Been An LGBTQ Allegory
The most interesting queer reading of The Little Mermaid, though, is the one that can be done in-universe—and that actually comes through that much stronger in the original Disney animated movie. .