Other than Fat Albert, can you name any other Black cartoon character? When you think of cartoon animation, Disney Productions is thought of as the world's best in overall quality. When my kids were little I'd rent Disney DVD's as a form of good, somewhat educational entertainment. But Disney has never had a Black leading character until now.
I call this another positive example of the Obama effect, waking corporations up to the need for diversity in their product appeal and finally coming to terms with the fact that most of the world is comprised of people of color. But when you fail to have Black people and other minorities involved in the creative process, sometimes this attempt at cross over appeal can back fire, especially when those bias tendencies and preferences remain in place.
Disney in a fix for mixing it up in black princess tale
Disney probably thought it would be applauded for starring its first black princess in its latest fairy tale.
But its choice of supporting hero has created quite a stir on the internet - her dashing man is white.
Prince Naveen of Maldonia, voiced by Brazilian actor Bruno Campos, is meant to be of Middle Eastern heritage but bloggers say he simply looks white.
Disney has missed a chance to give a black couple the happily ever after treatment in upcoming film The Princess And The Frog, said others.
'It's saying that black love isn't good enough and that black men could never be princes,' said one woman. 'Disney had the perfect chance to make its first black prince but instead it decided to go the controversial route.'
Some complained the evil voodoo villain - who turns the prince into a frog - is black and voiced by a black actor.
Disney defended its choice, saying it wanted a multi-cultural cast featuring a 'prince from a far-away land'. It added: 'Many high-profile leaders from the African American community have applauded our efforts on this film.'
The film also became embroiled in a race row in July after it emerged Disney had wanted the heroine to be a chambermaid working for a spoilt white débutante in 1920s New Orleans.
It sparked a backlash from critics who felt it reinforced prejudice and demeaned black people.
The Princess and the Frog is due out in cinemas in February next year.
Watch the teaser trailer below:
Is Disney insensitive by not pairing a Black Cinderella with a Black Prince or is this another example of Black people over reacting? How do you think people would react if it had been a white Cinderella with a black prince? What do you think?
This is no different than what Brandy did in the Cinderella story produced for TV by Whitney Houston -- which had a Hispanic Prince .. so...
Posted by: d ross | March 23, 2009 at 10:34 PM
Ross, thanks for your response but I disagree. Since most light skin Hispanics see themselves as white and the media has no problem in portraying them as such, there is a difference.
A recent example is Desperate House Wives
where Eva Longoria and Richard Antonio who
are hispanic have had business, personal and
intimate relationships with all of the other
characters on the show.
When the producers tried to introduce a
Black character, acclaimed actress Alfred
Woodard into the show and another Black male
character, they portrayed them as mysterious,
devious outsiders. Both were quickly dropped
from the show after a few episodes, when the
show's producers felt uncomfortable
weaving their characters into the usual
weekly plots. By the way, in real life,
Alfred Woodards husband is white.
Posted by: Charles | March 26, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Why should the princess need a black prince? Maybe the point disney is making is that love knows no colour?
Posted by: Stacey | April 06, 2009 at 05:13 AM
Complaining because there are observedly no black leading characters is combatting racism. Complaining because a particular character isn't black or the other half of a couple isn't black is reinforcing racism.
Posted by: Dan | May 07, 2009 at 12:16 PM
I find it appalling that people are asking for a black prince to accompany the black princess! The story takes place in New Orleans, a city that is well know for its segregation in class and race, to just issue a black prince would seem close-minded to me. To say that there should be or must be "black love" is more ignorant than breaking down borders and issuing an interracial couple. I don't see the problem with her original design as a chambermaid either, the focus of the story is her getting her prince, not the job she has! Furthermore, Cinderella and Snow White were both maids and did not stir up any controversy (as far as I'm concerned). To clump all the Disney princesses and say they married their respective race, is just stupid. You can't simply say that the princesses were white (excluding Mulan, Pocahontas, and Jasmine) and that they married just White princes. Ariel married Eric, which didn't seem the typical "white" prince to me, The beast married the French Belle, the Greek hero Hercules married Megaera (Meg), etc. For those people that want to stop racism and prejudice, stop clumping all these ethnicities under "White" or appearances as "White". As far as the excluded three go, it's applied to context. History supports Pocahontas going with John Smith/John Ralph, and the chance of diversity among China in the Tang Dynasty of Mulan and the backstreets of Agrabah are zilch. New Orleans has a very large number of blacks, creoles, Cajuns, and other mulattos, so that is why a white, middle eastern, brazillian....whatever, can flourish. I'd be angry and offended if they did have an African prince! I think as an interracial child, interracial children and those who are not interracial, can benefit from the couple as it stands-it basically says that love or at least chivalry and a happy ending, transcends race. As far as people having problems with the antagonist Voo Doo priest because he is black/Creole, are there any Cajun voo doo practitioners? That's curiosity not condescension. I applaud Disney and say, it's about time! I've been wanting a black princess (my other options were Jasmine and Pocahontas) for a long time to complete the classics! I'm so glad they're going to the original 2D model to fit the late 80's/all of 90's cult classics. If anyone saw the trailer, did the frog's voice sound like John Cleese's Jean-Bob from "The Swan Princess?" perhaps it was all the excitement of another princess joining the infamous ranks. To the person that said that people are more likely to date from their own racial background, interracial children are higher in population than non-mixed children. -Kendra <3
Posted by: kendra | June 28, 2009 at 01:43 PM