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Disney to Feature Its First Black Princess
Melie
post Mar 18 2009, 10:04 AM
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Move over Snow White. Make room for Disney’s first black princess. With America’s first African-American president in the White House, Disney is counting on an African-American princess to be a big hit in Hollywood. But even though The Princess and the Frog isn’t released until later this year, it is already stirring up controversy. For while Princess Tiana and many in the cartoon cast are black – the prince is not. Which has led some critics to complain that Disney has ducked the opportunity for a fairytale ending for a black prince and princess. While some have hailed Disney’s decision as a reflection of melting pot America, others say the company is sending out a mixed message. Although the black princess’s love interest in the new animated musical is called Prince Naveen of Maldonia and is voiced by a Brazilian actor, he looks more white than black in photographs from the film that Disney have released. Since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, all of Disney’s princesses have predominantly been white. A native Indian princess was featured in Pocahontas and Jasmine in Aladdin had a Middle Eastern appearance. The race row hasn’t yet hit the mainstream because the film’s release date isn’t until late in the year, but Internet chat rooms and blogs have been abuzz with complaints. One disappointed fan wrote (sic): 'I think it's sad that he is white because its saying that black love isn't good enough and that black men could never be princes. ‘Disney had the perfect chance to make its first black prince, but instead it decided to go the controversial route.'
Another complained (sic): ‘I am very disappointed and I wished Disney had made the prince black,(and the ironic thing is the prince in the movie is white but the evil voodoo villain is voiced by a black actor and is black).’ Since announcing their plans for the first black princess in 2006 the production of Hollywood studio's 49th animated film has been dogged by racial controversy. Originally called The Frog Princess, its heroine was to be a chambermaid called Maddy working for a spoilt white debutante in 1920s New Orleans. But the storyline sparked a backlash from critics who claimed it reinforced prejudice and demeaned black people. The princess’s original name was perceived by some to be a stereotypical ‘slave name’ and she was also a maid working for a wealthy white boss, which was criticised as being racially insensitive. Even the New Orleans setting for the film was questioned as it had overtones of voodoo and slavery. Disney has insisted its choice of a black princess was part of a policy to give characters as much diversity as possible. In the past, founder Walt Disney has been accused of being racist, particularly against Jews and blacks. One extreme example often cited by his critics was in The Jungle Book which was made in 1964 at the height of the civil rights movement. In one scene, Mowgli is told he can't live with Baloo the bear because different species need to keep to themselves. Disney also ran into trouble when creating the character of Pocahontas in 1995 for the retelling of the encounter between an English settler and a Native American princess. Animators were accused of modelling Pocahontas on model Naomi Campbell, although they said they had used Native American faces as their inspiration. Anika Noni Rose, the black actress who voices the character of Princess Tiana, has insisted that people should look beyond the colour of the character. ‘Not only is she the first black princess, she’s the first American princess. We’ve never had an American princess,’ said Rose.
‘The scope and the significance is larger than people even realise,’ she added. Rose has starred in Dreamgirls but is best known in Britain as the officious secretary Grace in the new BBC series The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. The film also features the voice of chat show queen Oprah Winfrey as Tiana's mother called Eudora. The film is scheduled for release in December. Although set in 1920s New Orleans it an adaptation of the classic tale The Frog Prince. In the Disney version, Prince Naveen is turned into a frog by a voodoo magician and asks Princess Tiana to kiss him to break the spell. But she turns into a frog and the pair must reverse the spell, while in true fairy tale tradition, they fall in love. Nobody from Disney was available to comment tonight.

how interesting that they think that if you put oprah as a voice that the movie will do better.
 
 
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creole
post Oct 6 2009, 07:19 PM
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oh yeah, he's definitely black like the night.
 

Posts in this topic
Melie   Disney to Feature Its First Black Princess   Mar 18 2009, 10:04 AM
brooklyneast05   i think people have made way too big of a deal out...   Mar 18 2009, 10:18 AM
superstitious   Oh now now. 101 Dalmations was about both white a...   Mar 18 2009, 10:27 AM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   makk princezzz skinn lykee jasminee aladin... nott...   Mar 18 2009, 03:06 PM
dosomethin888   QUOTE(PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH @ Mar 18 2009, 0...   Mar 25 2009, 03:05 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   QUOTE(dosomethin888 @ Mar 25 2009, 04:05 ...   Mar 26 2009, 03:33 PM
karmakiller   I thought Disney was going to sell meaningful stor...   Mar 19 2009, 04:39 PM
smash   i think if they're going to go the route of ha...   Mar 19 2009, 05:01 PM
illmortal   so lol... let me get this straight, it takes a hal...   Mar 19 2009, 05:27 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 06:27 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 05:29 PM
BOSS   there is a deleted 10 min clip from disney on nazi...   Mar 19 2009, 05:40 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(BOSS @ Mar 19 2009, 06:40 PM) there...   Mar 19 2009, 05:51 PM
BOSS   i believe that was it   Mar 19 2009, 05:55 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(BOSS @ Mar 19 2009, 06:55 PM) i bel...   Mar 19 2009, 06:00 PM
brooklyneast05   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 06:00 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 09:56 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(brooklyneast05 @ Mar 19 2009, 10:56...   Mar 19 2009, 10:18 PM
brooklyneast05   yeah what i said still stands, it'd be more ef...   Mar 19 2009, 10:24 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(brooklyneast05 @ Mar 19 2009, 11:24...   Mar 19 2009, 10:28 PM
brooklyneast05   yeah that didn't make me care anymore about th...   Mar 19 2009, 10:38 PM
illmortal   Then either you didn't watch them.. or, you si...   Mar 19 2009, 10:44 PM
brooklyneast05   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 10:44 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 10:51 PM
illmortal   lol damn son... you've never watched any of th...   Mar 19 2009, 10:59 PM
brooklyneast05   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 10:59 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:00 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(brooklyneast05 @ Mar 20 2009, 12:00...   Mar 19 2009, 11:04 PM
brooklyneast05   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 11:04 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:04 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 20 2009, 12:04 AM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:06 PM
brooklyneast05   yeah, i'm sure anyone who reads this thread wi...   Mar 19 2009, 11:07 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(brooklyneast05 @ Mar 20 2009, 12:07...   Mar 19 2009, 11:11 PM
BOSS   no thats not the video   Mar 19 2009, 11:12 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(BOSS @ Mar 20 2009, 12:12 AM) no th...   Mar 19 2009, 11:22 PM
brooklyneast05   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 11:22 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:25 PM
BOSS   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 09:22 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:25 PM
brooklyneast05   wow what a surprise   Mar 19 2009, 11:17 PM
karmakiller   I think all JC was asking for was some proof that ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:27 PM
brooklyneast05   QUOTE(karmakiller @ Mar 19 2009, 11:27 PM...   Mar 19 2009, 11:28 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(brooklyneast05 @ Mar 20 2009, 12:25...   Mar 19 2009, 11:31 PM
karmakiller   I'm saying that kids shouldn't be able to ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:34 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(karmakiller @ Mar 20 2009, 12:34 AM...   Mar 19 2009, 11:38 PM
karmakiller   QUOTE(illmortal @ Mar 19 2009, 11:38 PM) ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:42 PM
BOSS   lol yeah we know you are use to being in a gangban...   Mar 19 2009, 11:32 PM
illmortal   QUOTE(karmakiller @ Mar 20 2009, 12:27 AM...   Mar 19 2009, 11:34 PM
brooklyneast05   lol this idiot still doesn't understand the di...   Mar 19 2009, 11:35 PM
BOSS   lol heres the more important question, illmortal, ...   Mar 19 2009, 11:37 PM
IWontRapeYou   If all this was true, shouldn't I be wanting t...   Mar 19 2009, 11:40 PM
BOSS   lol WHY SO SERIOUS?   Mar 19 2009, 11:40 PM
BOSS   looks like steroid boy finally shut the f*ck up   Mar 19 2009, 11:57 PM
illmortal   Argggg ::dies::   Mar 20 2009, 12:00 AM
BOSS   thats right you little bitch, now sit your ugly as...   Mar 20 2009, 12:22 AM
illmortal   QUOTE(BOSS @ Mar 20 2009, 01:22 AM) thats...   Mar 20 2009, 01:04 AM
BOSS   prob would love me to touch you too huh you little...   Mar 20 2009, 01:47 AM
illmortal   QUOTE(BOSS @ Mar 20 2009, 02:47 AM) prob ...   Mar 20 2009, 12:50 PM
PurpleDaze112   Every disney movie with people of color in it is r...   Mar 20 2009, 07:27 AM
emberfly   I agree with everything JC said :D Illmortal was j...   Mar 25 2009, 04:38 PM
IWontRapeYou   Isn't Disney know for being just a weeeeeeee b...   Mar 25 2009, 04:42 PM
Tsukuyomi-No-Mokoto   i'll have to agree with brooklyn cause i don...   Mar 28 2009, 11:42 PM
Joanne   I don't think this has been posted yet...   Apr 6 2009, 12:27 AM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   QUOTE(Joanne @ Apr 6 2009, 01:27 AM) I do...   Apr 6 2009, 02:30 PM
Gigi   THANKS! I'm definitely gonna watch that. I...   Apr 6 2009, 12:33 AM
Joanne   I know eh?? I just tweeted about how I miss those ...   Apr 6 2009, 12:36 AM
smash   hmmm. not sure how i feel about that.... correctio...   Apr 6 2009, 12:44 AM
Joanne   QUOTEThe film, which began production under the wo...   Apr 6 2009, 01:00 AM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   i no rite.. shiet funni.. LOL.. i wan da whitt pr...   Apr 6 2009, 02:35 PM
brooklyneast05   it's set in new orleans and she talks with a s...   Apr 6 2009, 02:36 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   dat shiet aint southurrnn accentt.. fuk outta hur   Apr 6 2009, 02:37 PM
brooklyneast05   you've never heard anyone from louisiana talk ...   Apr 6 2009, 02:38 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   ye i hur southurrn accentt.. i juzz no thenk hurr ...   Apr 6 2009, 02:40 PM
Joanne   Well considering how she's voiced by a black w...   Apr 6 2009, 02:45 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   QUOTE(Joanne @ Apr 6 2009, 03:45 PM) Well...   Apr 6 2009, 02:46 PM
Joanne   Wait my bad, Mulan WAS voiced by a Chinese woman. ...   Apr 6 2009, 02:49 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   dat rite foo... 2 da prince ye u thenk.. butt ...   Apr 6 2009, 02:50 PM
Joanne   lol fine Prince, you win. But hey, pretty much ev...   Apr 6 2009, 03:10 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   wii aintt talken bout aladin hur...   Apr 6 2009, 03:12 PM
dosomethin888   A new disney princess is fine by me.. as long as s...   Apr 6 2009, 03:43 PM
PrinceGonnaChokeaBEECH   QUOTE(dosomethin888 @ Apr 6 2009, 04:43 P...   Apr 7 2009, 05:23 PM
Joanne   THE FIRST 5 MINUTES OF THE MOVIE ARE OUT. ...   Oct 6 2009, 01:39 PM
Beenly   i'm glad to see interracial dating going on in...   Oct 6 2009, 03:22 PM
Joanne   I think the prince is black too........ NOOOOO TH...   Oct 6 2009, 03:39 PM
Beenly   oh yeah, he's definitely black like the night.   Oct 6 2009, 07:19 PM
hypnotique   QUOTE(Beenly @ Oct 6 2009, 07:19 PM) oh y...   Oct 7 2009, 05:56 AM
doughnut   QUOTE(Beenly @ Oct 7 2009, 08:19 AM) oh y...   Oct 7 2009, 07:03 AM
brooklyneast05   ^lmao   Oct 6 2009, 08:01 PM
brooklyneast05   if that's the actual dude, they should make th...   Oct 7 2009, 06:40 AM
IWontRapeYou   QUOTE(brooklyneast05 @ Oct 7 2009, 06:40 ...   Oct 7 2009, 11:02 PM
Joanne   Or James Marsden in Enchanted. They all have the s...   Oct 7 2009, 09:37 AM
smash   you can never really tell with some of those creol...   Oct 7 2009, 10:13 PM
smash   ^they've done the interracial couple thing bef...   Oct 8 2009, 12:36 AM


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