Ariel

The Little Mermaid - one of the classic Disney movies with one of the original heroines: Princess Ariel. Beloved and youngest daughter of King Triton. Headstrong, curious, enchanted by everything about humans, and graced with the most beautiful voice in the kingdom.

Ariel was one of two princesses with whom I deeply related. Ariel and Belle were my two favourite princesses. Both strong characters. One with a passion for reading, the other a bit of a rule-bender. Both were kind characters, both were brave and stubborn and felt out of place.
Ariel had a leg up as my favourite because, unlike most of the Disney films, Ariel's voice was actually a major portion of the storyline itself, not just a product of a musical Disney film. While most Disney princesses seem to be gifted musically, Ariel was a showstopper when it came to her voice. Even her humming could entrance humans and mer-people alike.

Casting in Hollywood has always been and will always be a point of contention for many people. With all of the live-action versions of these classic tales, people have become quite attached to the nostalgic original princesses.
Here's the thing:
When it comes to Ariel, it does not matter to me one bit who they cast, as long as the girl can sing! That is her striking quality. That is her gift, her talent, and the bargaining chip in striving for the life she wishes to lead. Out of all of the qualities that the original Ariel possessed, the ability to sing is the only one that truly matters to me. Red hair, blue eyes, pale skin, green tail, purple shells... these are all simple features. She was also 16 years old in the original film. There is also, of course, the matter of her being, you know, a figment of the imagination?

These arguments about race in casting should only be issues if race has real bearing on the character's backstory. Race has no storyline in this movie. Species does, but not race. So why are we bringing race into it? We hear so many complaints about all of the prejudices and racist moments in the history of so many animated films, but when there is a dedicated team attempting to rectify those issues within the live-action remakes, people are then upset that the original elements have been altered.

Ariel is a beloved character.
But she is just that - a character.
In my humble and unimportant opinion, as long as this girl can sing, I'll be more than happy with the portrayal of Ariel.
The question remains: how much will they change the original story?

Click here for my cover of Part of Your World.

Just like Ariel - I love My Musical Life!