Diversity in “the little mermaid”

A casting choice in the live-action remake adds new fuel to long debate.

story by lily nobel design by eliana knode

The decision to cast Halle Bailey, a Black actress, as Ariel in the live action remake of the Disney classic “The Little Mermaid” has become the newest debate in the much longer conversation surrounding the value of diverse representation in modern movies. With an initial teaser trailer released in September of 2022, another trailer was shown during the broadcast of the 95th Academy Awards (the Oscars) on March 12th, reigniting derision over the casting decision.

Film teacher Aaron Jones endorsed the decision to cast Bailey, believing the remake of the movie is an excellent time to transform the old story.

“I love it because I think any old story can be retold and reshaped,” said Jones. “In my class we do this thing called “best scene ever” where we take a scene [...] and we need to recreate it, but we’re not the actors. We don’t look like them. So we want to change any aspect we want. Then it furthers the story, maybe modernizes it.” the casting decision furthered the remake.

“When you’re remaking movies, you have to change certain stuff, otherwise there’s no point in remaking the movie. If you’re changing Ariel’s race, setting it in a different place where she goes on to land, [you’re] hopefully making it a newer movie and a better movie,” said McCarty. Adam Transue (12), who plans to study film in college, agreed that the decision to cast Halle Bailey as the Little Mermaid was beneficial, but wondered about the decision to remake the movie at all.

“If you’re going to be mad about them changing the race, that’s just the wrong angle to be mad about. There’s a million untold stories,” said McCarty. “The issue is Disney is making a movie that’s already been done and having a Black actress as the only major change.”

Disney’s live action remakes have been a matter of derision for fans and critics alike. Beginning with “The Jungle Book” in 2016, Disney has methodically recreated its hit animated movies, mostly from the early 2000s and late 1990s, with live actors (usually already superstars) and CGI magic. These films usually are well reviewed by moviegoers and decently reviewed by film critics, but a greater critique of the movie industry points to the remakes as a symptom of greed to reap old profits twice stifling innovation at large studios.

“The way we choose to promote diversity in this way is maybe a little bit inefficient,” said Transue. “It makes it seem people do not believe Black characters can stand on their own- as their own original characters-which I think is a little bit sad. I think it seems like the people who [make these films] don’t believe people would go see a movie with an original black character.”

“People should be ignoring [the casting decision],” said McCarty. “It should be about why is Disney making all of these live action remakes? What are they getting out of that besides money? When you’re doing it for money, you’re ignoring the whole point of diversity.”

However, James Fullagar (12), believed there is substantial benefit in Bailey’s casting.

Owen McCarty (10), who has taken film classes with Jones, agreed that

McCarty also questioned Disney’s remake decisions.

“It matters quite a bit because it’s Disney,” said Fullagar. “And Disney, especially Disney princesses, are always these iconic characters drawn for children to aspire to or see

Fullagar, Transue, Jones, and McCarty all agreed that this level of derision, especially the racist vitriol it has sparked from some online circles,

“I think anyone who says that any character, especially from a flipping [sic] Disney movie, has to have a

As winter comes to a close, the peaks around Boulder remain frosted in a blanket of snow. Snowshoers and hikers alike have access to these wondrous peaks, and Fairview students are located in a perfect locale for these activities. Here are 3 hiking routes, of varying difficulty, located within an hour or so of Fairview.

Wonderland Lake Loop

Rating: Easy

Distance: 1.8 miles

Begin at the Wonderland Lake Trailhead, located in North Boulder. Walk along the Wonderland Lake trail and reach a split in the path. If you go to the left, you’ll walk along the dam that creates Wonderland Lake. If you go to the right, you’ll walk along the northern shore of the lake. This is a beautiful riparian habitat, and is a lovely place to contemplate the mountains. No matter which way you decide to go, the path eventually loops around back to the trailhead.

Dream and Emerald Lakes

Rating: Moderate

Distance: 4.1 miles

Begin at the Bear Lake Trailhead (located in RMNP) and follow signs for Dream Lake. Snowshoe along the trail and pass by Nymph Lake, a small pool enroute to Dream and Emerald Lakes. The trail steeply gains elevation here, switchbacking up through the forest before popping out into a marvelous clearing. This is Dream Lake, and it’s typically safe to walk across during the winter season. Once past the lake, continue through the trees, snowshoeing steeply up a glacial moraine before arriving at Emerald Lake, which is surrounded by massive 1,000 foot cliffs.

Mt. Lady Washington

Rating: Difficult

Distance: 9.16 miles

Begin at the Longs Peak Trailhead (located in RMNP) and follow signs for Chasm Lake. Steeply snowshoe up through the trees on the wellpacked snow, gaining over 2,000 feet of elevation before popping out into the alpine tundra. Continue on the path, reaching Chasm Lake Junction after 3.5 miles of snowshoeing. From this point, you’ll be heading off-trail for the remainder of the route, generally following the east ridge of Mt. Lady Washington. Make sure to take off your snowshoes at the junction, as the steep, boulder filled terrain of the mountain makes navigation difficult. After 1.5ish miles of steep rock-hopping, you’ll eventually summit Mt. Lady Washington and find yourself on top of a 13,000 foot peak amidst jagged, spectacular terrain.

WARNING:

It is in your best interest to look at the Colorado Avalanche Center’s page for avalanche safety information. The Royal Banner is not responsible for any injuries that occur while hiking or mountaineering in the mountains. Your safety is your responsibility.