I had the privilege of taking my daughter to see Lil’ Mermaid this past Memorial Weekend. We were counting down the days since it was announced that Hailey Bailey would be starring as Ariel. I loved the fact that this was always my daughter’s favorite Disney Princess and was constantly on rotation in our home growing up. So much so, she knew all of the parts that were not shown compared to the animation down to the last detail. It was a sign of the change of the times as we are embracing more characters from different walks of life with a focus on showing the diversity in which we truly live.
I have to admit I was ecstatic that an African American woman would be playing a Disney Princess who was known for her pale skin and red hair. The uproar about Hailey’s position in it was revealing to say the least. We pride ourselves on coming so far in regards to our stance on race and our acceptance of it, until roles are switched, as in this case, when Hailey challenges our norm. And what is our norm per se? I recently attended my graduate class in which we talk about policy in education. An icebreaker that our teacher implemented in the beginning of our zoom lesson placed us in groups and had “normal books” in which the average American student had obviously read. All of them from White writers that my teacher later commented as “normal reading” haphazardly before she quickly understood her error in stating such a subconscious statement in which the majority of us live by. Books such as Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, O Pioneers by Wila Cather, A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and The Odyssey by Homer were some of the suggested readings to share how we felt about the past academic school year. It was a reminder of how our educational experiences had been whitewashed ever since we could remember and continues to reinforce the mentality of what we consider “normal, acceptable, relevant and even the status quo”. I say this to say that I found myself, as conscious as I am about having representation and dismantling this way of thinking by any cost, still longing for the original representation of Ariel in the beginning of the movie. I felt ashamed that I could be comparing Hailey’s ability to perform up to par to the representation of what Ariel has been for me, even as a little girl. I understand that this is why I get so frustrated with our society’s idea of what is considered beautiful and our ideas of what is considered the epitome of acceptance in the way we dress, wear our hair and the like. Yet, I still find myself doing my best to break these ideologies that have been ingrained for me for so long. It is no wonder why it is so hard for everyone else to have the ability to do the same. Especially when you don’t even have the desire to do so. You continue your complacency in receiving whatever messages are being fed to you consciously or unconsciously in the ways in which you should think. That is a way of living that allows you to fall into a state of mindset that no longer challenges the messages you are receiving and meander through life as if this is the way it is supposed to be. So as I reflect back on how many people were upset with Hailey’s new debut as their favorite white mermaid princess, I get it. That was their norm. It interrupted a way of thinking that they were unconsciously living by as their way of life. Their livelihood seemed to be disturbed by a thought that it could be any other way and that becomes uncomfortable. Honestly, It was initially uncomfortable for me as well. The way I lived my life initially had me out of my comfort zone while seeing a black mermaid princess replace something that was considered my norm until I consciously decided to embrace what was in front of me and open up my view on a new perspective that was being presented. As soon as I accepted what was in front of me, I undoubtedly made a switch in my thinking that allowed me to challenge why I was uncomfortable in the first place. The filmography was AMAZING! I loved every second of it, the changes in the story line and even the choreography of the sea creatures! Always a favorite! The diversity in the characters and the presentation of sea life and land life was outstanding. All because I had a mindset to change what was comfortable at the time to embrace something different and new. Our society has been up against a lot of new and innovative ideas that may seem scary at first. However, I’m here to witness how that way of living can be stifling and debilitating when you stay stuck in a perspective that is limiting your growth. That doesn’t mean embracing everything without a critical eye as everything is not permissible and a healthy stance of living. However, it doesn’t hurt to try and shift in the ways in which you see and may even give you an opportunity to learn something different creating another way of healthy living that inspires growth and more love in your living journey. Find it on my LinkedIn Page
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AuthorStephanie is an author and educator of 13 years infused in the life of young adolescent girls and how they develop their identity. Understanding how culture plays a significant role in their development process. Desiring to understand how to foster a healthy life by making healthy life choices. Archives
February 2024
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