The Little Mermaid has always been a story about exclusion – and its author was an outsider
- Written by Michelle Smith, Senior Lecturer in Literary Studies, Monash University
Edmund Dulac/IMDBDisney’s forthcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid has sparked an astonishing backlash. The trailer for the 2023 film was met with millions of dislikes on YouTube, seemingly because the mermaid is played by Halle Bailey, a Black actress.
The 1989 animated Disney film, on which the upcoming film is based,...




