So, I’m reading Entertainment Weekly while lazing on the couch with a 35 pound dog on my lap, and I get to an article about The Little Mermaid. Since Avatar‘s release there has been a plethora of coverage on past animated films and how far the field has grown and developed. According to EW, Mermaid was a big deal for Disney. It was released in 89, eventually grossed $211.3 million, won 2 Academy Awards, and launched the Disney Renaissance. After it, we got to enjoy Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. (Go 90s!!!)
Past: Fun
The point I’m trying to make is The Little Mermaid was the sh**! I read the article and thought, “How exciting!” It was a childhood favorite, and I watched it too many times to count. My friends and I sang the songs at recess and listened to the soundtrack on the bus. When my little cousin Jasmine was born, we watched it just about every day. She sang in her childish gibberish, and carried around the VHS case like a teddy bear. Overall, good times!
Present: Mind-F***
After finishing the magazine, I started thinking about how bad of an identity crisis I was going through back then (when Mermaid was big). I was attending a predominately white private school (Caravel Academy in Delaware) with a strict dress code, hard classes, and grades K-12. It was a positive experience for the most part. I got along with my classmates, made straight A’s the entire time, and was a part of the pre-cheerleader team. I did, however, get a few racist comments. I never heard the “n” word, and really didn’t know what it was until much later. But, someone would say something that didn’t really make sense, and I would ask mom who would literally flip her sh** and talk to my teacher. It would really just embarrass me in the end. Anyway, I do remember the most hurtful thing someone said. The only other black kid in my class was a boy named Phillip and he called me a black girl. Yup, completely destroyed my world. I came home totally upset and expected my mom to be equally if not more angry. But, she told me I was a black girl and that was a compliment. What?! We even had a sit down about how being black is the best thing in the world and I should be proud etc. Then, I had to read black history everyday and give oral book reports. What a mess…
It really is no wonder I loved The Little Mermaid. She didn’t like being a mermaid and spent all of her time exploring anything human related while longing to be human at the same time. Identity. Crisis. With a little magic, she was able to become human indefinitely and live happily ever after. That’s the happy ending. She deals with her identity crisis by becoming something she’s not. She doesn’t find an appreciation for what she is or have a heart to heart with her dad about how proud she should be to be a mermaid. Nope. Sebastian sang her a song about how the seaweed is always greener without the slightest change in her mind. She got to change who she was, and that’s really what I wanted. Granted her reason was love and mine was just to fit in, but the rest is the same.
Thinking back to those days really makes me kinda sad. I’ve really come a long, long way. I can still recite most of the words and really enjoy the songs, but I really don’t like watching the movie much. I actually find Ariel extremely annoying. I never really thought about why until now. My adulthood favorite Disney movie is actually Aladdin. Funny thing. The moral of that story is to be yourself (beeeee yourself!). I’m sure other people have interpreted the movies differently, and that’s fine. But, hopefully, you can at least sorta-kinda-in-a-way see where I’m coming from. If you think I’m being ridiculous analyzing a Disney movie, you can suck it. And that’s all I have to say about that.
On a random note…
- 3eb will be in Atlanta April 1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *sigh* the 90s!
- Janelle Monae has 2 shows: April 5th and 6th at Smith’s Olde Bar. Fun! See below if you’re lost.
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