the little mermaid
Image via Disney

‘The whole affair points to how important representation is’: ‘The Little Mermaid’ critic defends their push for accurate representation

Apparently, they weren't part of this world.

When exploring online today, you will find people who are willing to intensely defend anything against even the most reasoned, mild-mannered, and pseudo-serious criticisms. This writer got to see it when he lightly mocked a lesser-known comedian last year, and, now, people are coming for a man who dared to critique the latest Disney live-action rehash of The Little Mermaid.

Recommended Videos

For those who have a life and do not pay attention to this stuff, shortly after the investor-pleasing and cash-generating project released in May, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Chairman Marcus Ryder issued a tweet praising the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel but picking apart the work’s rosy racial harmony. He published more in a blog post where he argues, while fantasy stories do not need to be completely faithful to history, children are not properly educated when something overlooks the past and, because this is something online, he pulled out some analogies from the Second World War to try and hammer home his point to people.

“Setting the fantastical story in this time and place is the equivalent of setting a love story between Jew and Gentile in 1940 Germany and ignoring the Jewish holocaust. Or more accurately setting it in a slave plantation in America’s antebellum south and pretending the enslaved Africans were happy. The 18th century Caribbean is a problematic time to set any children’s story.”

When the post got picked up by outlets like Deadline Hollywood, Ryder’s critics pointed out he keeps a British honor next to his username on the site, and, as critics like John Oliver have pointed out, the family which once had great power over the nation and is responsible for titles like Ryder’s has not exactly reckoned with their own history of involvement in the slave trade. Another says he has too much time on his hands and — despite the fact he is already married — needs a wife and, for a different critic, resorting to the kind of name-calling Steve Carell’s Brick Tamland uses in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was truly appropriate.

https://twitter.com/razorcrestqueen/status/1663976887532810246

Since his initial comments, Ryder has deleted the original tweet which made people so angry and issued the below thread which attempts to clarify his thoughts on the work not exactly made for artistic reasons. In his view, it would have been better to have placed it near Haiti. He does like the film, and when talking to Deadline Hollywood, he says this hits on how representation matters.

“The whole affair points to how important representation is. Though it was no fun to be the target of the Twitter onslaught, the positive I hope it demonstrates to film studios is that if you increase diversity, you can get a loyal audience that will defend your film vociferously from even the slightest criticism — that is the type of audience engagement money simply cannot buy. Even if in this case I think the criticism was misunderstood.”

The Little Mermaid currently has a 68 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and haters could not stop its success.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
related content
Read Article The ghost of a trilogy that butchered a winning franchise and stole its star’s lifeline is churning dollars on streaming
Argylle Apple TV Plus
Argylle Apple TV Plus
Argylle Apple TV Plus
Read Article ‘This might bite me in the butt’: Pixar boss ‘bothered’ by Disney’s main mantra, shoots down a future of even considering it
Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story
Read Article ‘It’s hilarious how sad this is’: Star Wars ‘The Acolyte’ finds its savior in a 2008 film as it shields the Disney creation from a burning fire
Amandla Stenberg as Mae in 'The Acolyte'
Amandla Stenberg as Mae in 'The Acolyte'
Amandla Stenberg as Mae in 'The Acolyte'
Read Article Is DCU’s new ‘Blue Beetle’ animated series a sequel to the film, or a spin-off?
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Read Article Review: ‘Inside Out 2’ is, like a teenager, noticeably awkward and very deserving of love
3.5 stars
Related Content
Read Article The ghost of a trilogy that butchered a winning franchise and stole its star’s lifeline is churning dollars on streaming
Argylle Apple TV Plus
Read Article ‘This might bite me in the butt’: Pixar boss ‘bothered’ by Disney’s main mantra, shoots down a future of even considering it
Toy Story
Read Article ‘It’s hilarious how sad this is’: Star Wars ‘The Acolyte’ finds its savior in a 2008 film as it shields the Disney creation from a burning fire
Amandla Stenberg as Mae in 'The Acolyte'
Read Article Is DCU’s new ‘Blue Beetle’ animated series a sequel to the film, or a spin-off?
Blue Beetle
Read Article Review: ‘Inside Out 2’ is, like a teenager, noticeably awkward and very deserving of love
3.5 stars
Author
Evan J. Pretzer
A freelance writer with We Got This Covered for more than a year, Evan has been writing professionally since 2017. His interests include television, film and gaming and previous articles have been filed at Screen Rant and Canada's National Post. Evan also has a master's degree from The American University in journalism and public affairs.