Midway Staff

Reporter Skye Freeman argues that younger generations should be able to turn on the TV and see characters that resonate with parts of their identity, without having to question whether they are worthy enough to be a Disney princess.

When Walt Disney Animation Studios released its live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” in May, the well-known media company received backlash for casting an African American woman to play the lead, with protesters claiming the deviation from the original appearance “ruined” the original magic.

Yet, a dark history of Disney and other artists whitewashing the diverse past of the Middle Ages may hint at an attempt from Disney to re-introduce culture into their films and appeal to a wider audience of new generations.

The majority of Disney’s films are based in a medieval setting and focus on the European version of the Middle Ages (500 C.E. to 1500 C.E.), a fantasized aesthetic. Only 11 main characters out of the 54 produced Disney films are nonwhite, so it’s time to acknowledge that the Middle Ages occurred globally, and were not homogeneously white. 

Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” is… a mermaid. Why does a fictional being’s race matter? Why is the new live action remake of “Snow White” sparking criticism for Disney choosing to replace the original seven dwarves with a new set of diverse characters of varying races and sizes, even though it is a healthy attempt to avoid reinforcing harmful stereotypes from the 1937 film? 

From Buddhist art found in Viking burials to Muslim North Africans occupying the European Iberian Peninsula from 711 C.E. to 1492 C.E., medieval prejudice did exist, resulting in the exclusion of mentions of race in European writing to feed into modern mainstream perception. There are many new movies and stories Disney can produce from all walks of life at this time period or in another, and stop repeating the same stories in different forms of film.

While the old Disney aesthetic will forever be unmatched, it’s time for a new set of diverse characters, remakes or not, and parents can decide what to show their kids. Younger generations should be able to turn on the TV and see characters that resonate with parts of their identity, without having to question whether they are worthy enough to be a Disney princess.

In all, these Disney characters are just fictional. While some people may be upset by the deviation from the original appearances, why does a mermaid or a fairy or an ice princess have to be a specific race? Disney should focus on producing new films instead of remakes, with more historically accurate backgrounds for future generations to appreciate their identities in every form.