Disney is set to release an animated feature with its first black
heroine, called The Frog Princess,
sometime near Christmas of 2009, and there
are apparent snags holding up production. Not everyone is happy with the
storyline, because it’s set in New Orleans and Disney’s first black heroine is—wait
for it---a
maid, who practices voodoo.
Holy Crap.
I can see why people are upset, but I think some are setting
their expectations too high. Already there have been criticism that the feature
panders to stereotypes and doesn’t the magical qualities of Disney tales of
yore. Before we get all mushy, let’s keep in mind that many of those Disney
Tales of yore were a more than a little racially insensitive, and I don’t know
why would we expect Princess to be
any different.
Disney films, from Song of the South
to Jungle Book to Aladdin
and many more in between are not known for their accurate portrayal of colored
folks. Seems the way to circumvent that would be for a black animation company
to simply produce their own Disney-like cartoons, so that there could be a more
culturally balanced approach. Unfortunately, while there are a few
ethno-centric ‘toons, no black animation companies with Disney power come to
mind, so we’re stuck. The truth to tell, if you want something done right, you
have to do it yourself. I have a daughter, so it is important to me for her to
see images that reflect her beauty. But I’m careful to reinforce the idea that
she should be comfortable in her skin— I don’t see that as Disney’s job. Their
job is to make movies and make money. Even with the best of intentions, you
can’t reasonably expect them to get the black experience right on the first
try….can you?
