The Princess and the Frog

[meganbmoore]

Ok, O Mighty F-List Who Knows All, the following is what I know about this upcoming Disney movie:

1.  It's an adaptation of The Frog Prince.
2.  It's Disney doing 2D animation
3.  It has a black heroine
4.  It's set in New Orleans, presumably at some point in the past.

Anyway, apparently there is some sort of huge controversy over it?  Can anyone fill me in?

Also, does anyone know when it's coming out?

Comments

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

Christmas, supposedly?

Here's an interesting article:
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/the-princess-and-the-frog-controversy-or-innocence.php

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

It's interesting that it being set in New Orleans is one of the complaints, as it was a big factor in my interest.

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

I only read the wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_and_the_Frog), but it explains a little.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The kiss doesn't break the curse, but turns her into a frog as well? That...is the kind of twist I like in fairy tale retellings?

[neuclear.livejournal.com]

I think it's rather odd that no one was offended by the multitude of other ethnic princess, but because of where this princess is from people are getting up in arms--which is sad because a lot of my friends who are African American are happy with this movie, they're happy to finally have someone whom their little sisters can idealize now...

People just need to stop trying to find excuses to sue Disney--if they're so desperate for that, they should start with the lobotomy feeling I get from watching Hannah Montana...

[ostia.livejournal.com]

Seconding this.

Plus it's fun to see Disney doing 2-d animation again. And those stills linked above look like it's going to be a very pretty movie.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I remember comments about Pocahontas regarding history, and have seen some complaints about how Mulan represents Chinese society (both being valid complaints) but I've never really seen anyone complain about Pocahontas, Mulan, Esmeralda or Jasmine (and I feel Nala should be included here, too) in terms of being suitable heroines for young girls, and I get the impression that that's part of the concern here.

I've built up a resistance to Hannah Montana. I blame the scene I accidentally watched where Lilly sees a gossip rag with a photoshopped Miley as a boy and says she makes a hot boy, and miley says she'd date Lilly if she were a boy. Like Suite Life of Zack and Cody, it makes me go "But Disney! Are you deliberately implying half your heroines are closet lesbians? I must watch more and find out!"

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

I think it's rather odd that no one was offended by the multitude of other ethnic princess,

*laughing* Noooo... maybe you didn't hear about it, but there were plenty of people criticizing Pocahontas, Mulan and Jasmine. (Well, not Jasmine so much as the movie's treatment of Arabic culture, but there *was* criticism.) Google "Disney Pocahontas controversy" or "Disney Aladdin stereotypes," etc.

they're happy to finally have someone whom their little sisters can idealize now...

Which is great, but it doesn't change the fact that Disney decided to make the hero light-skinned and the evil voodoo-using villain darker-skinned. And in the first draft of the movie, she wasn't even a princess, she was a servant.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

I think it's rather odd that no one was offended by the multitude of other ethnic princess

Actually, quite a few folks that I know of were extremely critical (http://www.bluecorncomics.com/pocahont.htm) of the stereotypes and historical inaccuracies in Disney's Pocahontas, including the actual Powhatan Renape Nation (http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2008/05/powhatan-statement-on-pocahontas.html). Aladdin came in for a lot of criticism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin_(film)#Controversies) too, to the point where the lyrics of the opening song were changed for the soundtrack and video releases. Mulan (http://tsoidug.org/Papers/Disney_Mulan.pdf) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/DISNEY+CONTENT+CONTROVERSY+HEATS+UP-a083950228) also took their share of heat.

[melonfusion.livejournal.com]

The issue I've heard the most about is that originally she wasn't even going to be a princess, but a maid. Along with the voodoo practicing villain.

Disney has yet to do a cartoon centered around a character of color that wasn't pretty sketchy in its racial implications.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I think the maid thing is sliding by me because, it being a Disney fairy tale, I'm automatically assuming it'll be set in the past. (And it may also be significant that my two favorite Disney heroines-Mulan and Meg-weren't princesses.)

[radiotrash.livejournal.com]

Glancing at their tv shows they have American Dragon: Jake Long, The Proud Family, Lilo and Stitch, and The Emperor's New School? Granted I don't watch those shows so I don't know if they're sketchy in their racial implications or not.

[re-weird.livejournal.com]

I heard some complaints over her hair being in line with European beauty standards though I couldn't find a link to such right now.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I did notice that she seems to be in the typical European Disney Princess getup in the pictures I've seen. (Specifically, it reminds me of Conderella.)

[livvylove.livejournal.com]

I believe they changed that because I saw all the promo artwork and she has natural hair. That was one think I was really happy they changed.

[kakkobean.livejournal.com]

I know that it's been in the planning process for...two-so years.

[radiotrash.livejournal.com]

The most recent complaints I've heard that is while she's black her Prince isn't.

I tend to try to stay away from racial debates/wanks online so I don't know much more beyond that.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

The prince was initially named "Harry" and European, but among the many changes to date he's now "Naveen" from the fictional country of Maldonia, and looks like this (http://thisblksistaspage.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/disneys-first-black-princess-has-a-whawhite-latino-prince/).

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

It's a big deal! I grew up with Disney films and pretty much every other thing I watched and read ignoring my existence. I'm not even going to watch it until I've heard that it won't be egregiously offensive.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I just hadn't heard much at all about it, so I was wondering. And while I get excited about POC characters as leads (esp. POC heroines) I know I'm also excited from the perspective of white privilege and that it's a different kind of response than someone who actually has to deal with racism every day. I get offended when I hear racist comments, but I know it's a completely different kind of being offended than actually being on the receiving end of it.

[cavechan.livejournal.com]

DISNEY DOING 2D ANIMATION AGAIN.

I AM HAPPY.

Am I the only person who cares more about that than the characters themselves?

Though is she a princess?? I hope so because I love Disney princesses!!! ^----^

[advance.livejournal.com]

I didn't read all the comments so someone else probably said this before me, the only controversy I knew about, I know there's more but I stopped paying attention to this when people started to get all testy... well anyway, it was over the names..

They originally had more 'white names' supposedly, basically the names children would have had in the time period they were setting it in. People bitched about it not sounding 'African enough' or something and the names got changed to what they are now.

I was just happy to have it be 2-D I didn't care what ethnic it was, of course I never even knew about racism till I moved up North and got called names because all my friends were Black back in Florida.

[livvylove.livejournal.com]

With all the changes being made I am extremely happy and hopeful for this movie. They actually LISTENED to fans concerns and took the extra time to make the proper changes.

I know my friend is so happy she has Natural hair instead of unnatural straight hair. It shows little black girls they can be beautiful princesses and embrace their own hair without fighting it to fit the Euro standard of beauty.

When I first heard the story line I was a little skeptical but now I am 100% for this movie and am so happy that Disney didn't stick their heels in the mud and refuse to change.

I hope she becomes a regular in the Disney Princess line too.

Now we need a Latina so I can get some representation ;)

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

I'm reassured about all the changes. A nice switch from the Avatar assholes.

[themachinehead.livejournal.com]

Keith David in a musical? SOLD!