The remake of one of Disney’s well-known movies, The Little Mermaid managed to earn an incredible amount of praise both for Bailey’s outstanding performance as Ariel well as the film’s step towards inclusivity by casting a Black actress as its protagonist, a role which was a white domain up until this point.
Amidst the praise from the audience and critics alike, the film suffered some criticisms for its storyline. And one of the figures who has been vocal in expressing their disapproval is the English singer, Paloma Faith:
Commenting on the film in her Instagram story on Monday, the 41-year-old singer (in addition to acknowledging Bailey’s performance) showed concern for the story’s ending and deemed it inappropriate in the contemporary era where women no longer live for male validation and boldly exercise their freedom to think and act for themselves.
Faith believes that Ariel sacrificing her voice to become a human and be with the ‘love of her life’ contains a deep misogynistic tone: Ariel giving up her voice equals a woman losing her identity for a man disguised as love.
Furthermore, the singer expressed her discomfort with introducing the film to her daughters who, according to her, shouldn’t get the wrong message about giving up one’s identity for a man. However, not everyone’s opinion aligned with Faith’s. One of them being, Halle Bailey herself who earlier this year told Edition that Ariel’s decision reflects her individuality and freedom which diverts from the 1989 version of the film where female subservience to their male counterparts was the key issue.
Faith’s take shows the varying responses to the plot, and we are free to harbor and apply multiple perspectives to the story.
