<
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/6/8/chinas-backlash-against-little-mermaid-exposes-hollywood-dilemma>
"Taipei, Taiwan – Hollywood has a China problem.
The world’s second-largest economy has become one of the biggest markets for
big-budget Hollywood films, but a racially-charged backlash against Disney’s
The Little Mermaid is just the latest example of the price film studios can
pay if they offend Chinese sensibilities.
Chinese state media and netizens have condemned the casting of Halle Bailey,
who is Black, as Princess Ariel – echoing some people in the United States who
have expressed anger that the Atlanta-born actress does not resemble the
light-skinned character of the 1989 animated film or the 1837 fairy tale by
Hans Christian Andersen.
In an op-ed last month,
The Global Times, an English-language Chinese tabloid
known for its nationalistic coverage, accused Disney of turning “classic tales
into ‘sacrificial lambs’ for political correctness” by casting non-white actors
in classic tales.
“When the beautiful stories that have accompanied countless children’s
childhoods become arenas for racial conflict, they lose their meaning and
become devoid of romance and fantasy, replaced by arguments about skin colour,”
said the tabloid, insisting that such casting controversies were not driven by
racism but “lazy and irresponsible storytelling”.
The blowback – much of it overtly racist – has also played out among ordinary
Chinese film-goers online."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
