Disney shuts up those who think Ariel can’t be black

Freeform, a cable channel owned by Disney, has clapped back on critics racists who think that Princess Ariel can’t be black.

This comes after Disney announces it has cast Halley Bailey as Princess Ariel in the upcoming remake of the animated film, Little Mermaid.

Following the break of the news, people were divided, with the hashtag #NotMyAriel quickly gaining traction. Some felt that the casting of a black actress in a live-action remake of a classic Disney film was long overdue, and arguments that Andersen’s ethnicity necessitates a white Ariel were seriously flawed.

On the other hand, plenty of racist people attempted to use bogus science to argue that Ariel couldn’t be black. Others attempted to use folklore as “proof” that the fictional character had to be white, something that was quickly debunked.

Reacting to the uncalled for, Freeform issued a statement on social media, which it captions: “An open letter to the Poor, Unfortunate Souls.”

Yes, the original author of ‘The Little Mermaid’ was Danish. Ariel… is a mermaid,” Freeform writes in the impassioned post regarding the argument that the fable’s original author, Hans Christian Andersen’s Danish ethnicity meant that Ariel couldn’t be black.

Danish mermaids can be black because Danish people can be black,” Freeform says in response to people who were using the perceived ethnicity of the fictional character as a reason against casting black actress Halle Bailey in the remake.

But spoiler alert – bring it back to the top – the character of Ariel is a work of fiction. So, after all this is said and done, and you still cannot get past the idea that choosing the incredible, sensational, highly-talented, gorgeous Halle Bailey is anything other than the inspired casting that it is because she  ‘doesn’t look like the cartoon one,’ oh boy, do I have some news for you… abut you,” the post concludes.

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