The boring spat over the Disney trailer makes idiots of us all – whether Ariel is black or white, it is clearly a film that should rightfully be ignored then forgotten forever
The worst thing about the state of the culture wars is that it requires us to formulate opinions about things that absolutely do not deserve them. Exhibit A is Disney’s forthcoming live action remake of The Little Mermaid. By all accounts, this isn’t really a film that deserves to take up a lot of anyone’s brain power. It’s an old story, retold using technology that will date much faster than traditional animation, and in any other age it would be in cinemas for four weeks, gently fizzle out and never be thought of ever again.
But this is 2022, which means we have to wade through all the racists before that can happen. For the latecomers: The Little Mermaid will star black actor and singer Halle Bailey as Ariel. And, with an inevitability that could crush your bones to dust, a segment of the internet has reacted poorly to this.
