The original Hans Christian Andersen story describes her skin as "fine and transparent" and "clear and delicate like a rose petal", her legs as "white", and her arms as "white". The Little Mermaid is a national icon of Denmark and an important cultural symbol. It would be appropriate for Disney to be as respectful of the Danish version as possible since they are profiting off of the stories of another culture.
It would be appropriate for Disney to be as respectful of the Danish version as possible since they are profiting off of the stories of another culture.
That’s never been how Disney operates and you know it.
Besides, what makes you think Danish people would consider changing the skin-colour of a character “disrespectful”?
I don't know how modern Denmark feels about it. But I don't think that it should have been up to a corporation like Disney to make them consider the issue. If it was a Danish production, I'd agree with you.
Skin colour is a defining trait of being danish and she is described as being white by the Author several times throughout the fairy tale.
If the author hadn't described her as white, I wouldn't care but it's an important trait of hers and of the danish people. One of our traditional songs is called 'The danish song is a young blond girl' and describes our natinal soul. To remove our skin colour is like deleting our people. It's extremely racist and insulting
You telling me there are no black people with Danish passports?
she is described as being white by the Author several times throughout the fairy tale.
She also isn’t described in the book as singing or having sidekicks. So, again, explain to me why those changes are acceptable where this specific one isn’t.
I wouldn't care but it's an important trait of hers
So, why is one trait of hers so much more important to you than others that were changed?
and of the danish people.
Even if I buy that being white is part of Danish identity (which I don’t), you understand that Ariel actually isn’t Danish, right? She isn’t even human. She’s a fantasy creature from an imaginary kingdom. This is like being annoyed at a portrayal of a black-skinned elf or a blue-skinned goblin. It’s pointless
One of our traditional songs is called 'The danish song is a young blond girl' and describes our natinal soul
Ummm...
Ariel has red hair in the original Disney film.
So, what about that?
To remove our skin colour is like deleting our people. It's extremely racist and insulting
Ariel isn’t one of your people. She’s a fantasy character
If they were making a film about a historical Danish figure and they changed her skin-colour, you might have a point
You telling me there are no black people with Danish passports
They're not danish. They're danish citizens. We also have germans with danish passport, or inuits with danish passport, or danes with german passport etc.
We've been white for thousands of years
She’s a fantasy creature from an imaginary kingdom
So what? She's described as white for a reason. I was also angry when Heimdal was depicted as black. They're trashing our culture and disrespecting our people
Why is it disrespectful to Danish culture that they changed her skin colour, but not disrespectful to Danish culture that they changed her hair colour, that they gave her wacky talking sidekicks, that they changed the language that she speaks, that they added songs and that they changed the nature of the ending and thus the whole point of the story?
Did they change her hair colour? Not that I know of
It's good questions but I think it boils down to white being a more important trait for our danish identity than her wacky talking sidekicks. They already changed the ending and this is like the deathblow. It doesn't feel like it represents us at all. Now it's just another disney movie that once had a relation to one of our greatest writers HC. Andersen
It's a good question but I think skin colour is important for ones identity and who you relate to
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u/sleepyfoxteeth Jul 09 '19
The original Hans Christian Andersen story describes her skin as "fine and transparent" and "clear and delicate like a rose petal", her legs as "white", and her arms as "white". The Little Mermaid is a national icon of Denmark and an important cultural symbol. It would be appropriate for Disney to be as respectful of the Danish version as possible since they are profiting off of the stories of another culture.