Racism in the film The Little Mermaid: Assessing its impact on social media

Elvira Eka  Jayanti; Nova Indriani; Vera Febrianti; An’nisa Purnama; M Afifulloh

doi:10.61276/loqula.v2i1.29

Authors

Elvira Eka Jayanti English Literature Department, Universitas Bangka Belitung
Nova Indriani English Literature Department, Universitas Bangka Belitung
Vera Febrianti English Literature Department, Universitas Bangka Belitung
An’nisa Purnama English Literature Department, Universitas Bangka Belitung
M Afifulloh English Literature Department, Universitas Bangka Belitung

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61276/loqula.v2i1.29

Abstract

The controversy surrounding the casting of Halle Bailey, a black actress, as Ariel in the live-action adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" has sparked discussions about racism and representation in the media. Some people have rejected the idea of a black actress playing the role of a character who was initially depicted as white. The controversy highlights the ongoing struggle for representation and diversity in the entertainment industry. This research aims to see how people respond to the film The Little Mermaid in real life with a black main character. The Little Mermaid, a Disney classic, has been controversial due to the casting of a Black actress, Halle Bailey, as Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake. Some people have refused to accept a Black actress like Ariel, which illustrates how a white-centric perspective requires a more profound understanding. The backlash against the movie has led to abysmal box office numbers in China and South Korea, showing the global reach of anti-Blackness. However, the importance of representation in media has been highlighted, and casting a Black actress as Ariel is seen as a positive step towards diversity and acceptance. The negative attention on The Little Mermaid has fueled a groundswell of support from other fans who view such anger as founded in racism.

Keywords:

racism , representation , The Little Mermaid , social media

References

Afifulloh, M. (2019). A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN MARSIRAJI THAHIR’S KABAR BUNGA. Lire Journal (Journal of Linguistics and Literature), 3(2), 147-164. https://doi.org/10.33019/lire.v3i2.54.

Banaji, M. R., Fiske, S. T., & Massey, D. S. (2021). Systemic racism: individuals and interactions, institutions and society. In Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications (Vol. 6, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-021-00349-3

BebbyRhizaPriyon. (2014). RepresentasiRasismeKaumKulitPutihTerhadapKulitHitam dalam film 42 3)RUWK 7ZR¥. LmuKomunikasiFakultasIlmuSosial Dan IlmuPolitik.

Bhakti, A. P., &Setijowati, A. (2023). "The Little Mermaid” Dalam 2 Sajian Teks Yang Berbeda: StrukturNaratif A.J. Greimas. Prosodi, 17(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.21107/prosodi.v17i1.16817

Calya Puri Navisha. (2018, June 2). Apa yang dimaksuddenganTeori Reader Response Criticism? https://www.dictio.id/t/apa-yang-dimaksud-dengan-teori-reader-response-criticism/115734/2

Chetty, N., &Alathur, S. (2019). Racism and social media: a study in Indian context. In Int. J. Web Based Communities (Vol. 15, Issue 1).

Febriani, J. J., &Arianto, T. (2020). Racism towards African American Women in “Hidden Figures.” Linguists : Journal Of Linguistics and Language Teaching, 6(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.29300/ling.v6i1.2857

GaluhRatnatika. (2022, September 18). KomentarRasis pada Film Disney “The Little Mermaid”, IniTanggapan Trevor Noah. SinPo.Id. https://sinpo.id/detail/37332/komentar-rasis-pada-film-disney-the-little-mermaid-ini-tanggapan-trevor-noah

Irfan Fandi. (2023, May 30). Review “The Little Mermaid”: IsuRasisme dan BerhasilMemuncaki Box Office Dunia. Kompasiana. https://www.kompasiana.com/amp/irfanfandi5010/6475ee5508a8b55f5869e722/review-the-little-mermaid-isu-rasisme-dan-berhasil-memuncaki-box-office-dunia

IslahMadjid. (2022, July 14). The Little Mermaid: KontroversiDibalikKeberagaman Disney. The Columnist. https://thecolumnist.id/artikel/the-little-mermaid-kontroversi-dibalik-keberagaman-disney-2469

Jones CP. (2000). Levels of racism: a theoretic framework and a gardener’s tale. Am J Public Health, 90(8).

Jones CP. (2023). Confronting institutionalized racism. Phylon, 1(2), 7–22.

JusmaliaOktaviani. (2022). FENOMENA “COLORISM” SEBAGAI BENTUK STRATIFIKASI SOSIAL DI KAWASAN ASIA TENGGARA. DinamikaGlobal :JurnalIlmuHubunganInternasional, 7(1).

Martina Adrian, D., Wantu, F. M., & Hamid Tome, A. (2022). DISKRIMINASI RASIAL DAN ETNIS DALAM PERSPEKTIF HUKUM INTERNASIONAL “RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.” https://matamatapolitik.com/membicarakan-

Matamoros-Fernández, A., & Farkas, J. (2021). Racism, Hate Speech, and Social Media: A Systematic Review and Critique. Television and New Media, 22(2), 205–224. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476420982230

Miller, A. L., Stern, C., & Neville, H. A. (2019). Introduction to the Special Issue on Race and Racism. Journal of Social Issues, 75(4), 992–1001. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12359

Oktaviani, J. (2022). FENOMENA “COLORISM” SEBAGAI BENTUK STRATIFIKASI SOSIAL DI KAWASAN ASIA TENGGARA. JurnalDinamika Global, 7(01), 54–83. https://doi.org/10.36859/jdg.v7i01.1037

Shiao, J., & Woody, A. (2021). The Meaning of “Racism.” Sociological Perspectives, 64(4), 495–517. https://doi.org/10.1177/0731121420964239

SisiliaRizky Azalea. (2022, September 23). Halle Bailey ResponsRasisme Yang DiterimanyaImbas Peran Ariel Di “Little Mermaid.” Wowkeren.Com. https://www.wowkeren.com/berita/tampil/00451781.html

Sophia, S., &Kulaszewicz, K. E. (2015). Racism and the Media: A Textual Analysis. https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/477

Tim Ensiklopedia Dunia. (2017). Wolfgang Köhler. UNIVERSITAS STEKOM. https://p2k.stekom.ac.id/ensiklopedia/Wolfgang_K%C3%B6hler

York, N. (2018). Dimensions of Racism Proceedings of a Workshop to commemorate the end of the United Nations Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.