I’m Here For Ariel In the Live-Action Remake of ‘The Little Mermaid’

ArielYes, I know that the news about casting singer/actress Halle Bailey as the new Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” is practically a month old, but I’ve been saving this as a blog post idea ever since and think it’s really important to talk about. For so many reasons

I was 8 years old when “The Little Mermaid” first came out. When I saw Ariel, I thought “Look, it’s a Disney princess who has red hair just like me!” I was so happy because it was the first time we had a Disney princess with red hair; we had blonde-haired and black-haired princesses, but never a redhead. For the first time in my young, Disney-obsessed life, I…felt…included. I felt scene in a way that I never had before, and that, as you can probably imagine, is a very powerful thing. It’s no coincidence, then, that “The Little Mermaid” remains my favorite Disney film to this day.

That’s precisely why I’m so glad to see Disney advocating for better representation with Halle Bailey’s casting. Young Black girls need to see themselves onscreen and feel that happiness too! They need to be able to say “Look, she’s just like me!” Everyone screaming needs to JUST STOP. She’s not your Ariel. She’s an Ariel for a new generation and they deserve to have representation be a part of their world — see what I did there?

Have you seen these awesome illustrations that fans made in honor of Ariel?

“As black creators, we know how isolating this industry can be,” Nilah Magruder, a Los Angeles–based illustrator and animator, told BuzzFeed News. “To see a black Ariel now is particularly inspiring.”

So many beautiful interpretations of such a beautiful, beloved Disney princess!!!

ArielAnd, one more thing about Ariel and The Little Mermaid (something I wish I would have learned when I was younger): The most problematic aspect of the whole movie was Ariel giving up her voice for Prince Eric. Changing yourself to get some guy’s attention? What kind of dangerous message is that??

No! Thank! You! Ladies, if a dude tries to silence you/thinks you should be quiet…R-U-N…

Anyway, are you excited about seeing a live-action version of “The Little Mermaid” I’m also interested to see who plays Prince Eric…suggestions as to who would be the best actor?? So many possibilities!! xoxo

My Essay on Cosmo: “‘She’s All That’ Was a Great Teen Movie With a Horrible Message For Women”

She's All ThatSuper cool news: I’ve got a new byline AND I’ve COINED A NEW POP CULTURE TERM. Does this feat earn me a coveted spot in the Pop Culture Hall of Fame?? For Cosmo, I wrote about “She’s All That” for its 20th anniversary and how the movie sends a dangerous message to young women, where the guy falls in love with the girl after she gets a makeover! I dubbed it the Hot After Makeover trope and I’m not here for this nonsense!

Now, I’ll admit that I did once love the movie. Maybe it’s because I was young and just a bit on the naive side — and, yes, that Freddie Prinze Jr. was a pretty fetching leading man in the late ’90s. But when I watched the film again a couple years ago as an adult, the horrific and toxic messages came bursting through the television screen. Ugh, whyyyy?

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I talk about what the dangerous message in “She’s All That” tells young women about self-esteem, body image and relationships…

This thought that “If I just fix X about myself, he’ll suddenly like me” was powerful to teenage me, and I didn’t even realize that in thinking this way, I’d be fading into the background of my own life. I started believing all the stereotypes about people with disabilities: We’re broken, there’s something wrong with us, and all our scars and deformities would disgust people. As long as I wasn’t “normal looking,” I wasn’t worthy.

That’s why movies like “She’s All That” set up such false, unrealistic expectations for young women. Yes, Zack may have come to see the error of his ways by the final kiss, but even presenting this plot in the first place set a precedent that is hard to break—as evidenced by the fact that we’re still seeing movies like this in 2019.

You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

My Essay on The Daily Dot: “Forget Hot Jafar. All Hail Fat Ursula”

Hot JafarSo, if you follow me on Twitter, then you’ve probably seen me go on and on about my Hot Jafar piece for several months now and I’m so happy to say that it marks my first for The Daily Dot. I got about 12 rejections before that coveted yes, so this one feels extra special. Plus, I also got to write about Ursula, my favorite Disney villain!!

Seriously, even I started feeling like I was sounding like a broken record, but ever since I saw the first photos for the new live action Aladdin, I’ve been repeating these words: “Why did they ‘hot up’ Jafar? What about the female villains?”

That thought got me thinking about the portrayal of male vs. female villains in Disney movies — how female villains are always presented as fat or ugly while this new Aladdin gives us a Hot Jafar who looks like he just stepped off the set of a Calvin Klein commercial. What is this nonsense about??

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I proclaim my undying love and devotion to a certain sea witch named Ursula because, let’s face it, SHE’S the best and baddest Disney villain of all time…

In the original Aladdin, Jafar is far from conventionally attractive; he’s slimy and sleazy. But now that he looks like he’s just stepped off the set of a Calvin Klein commercial, people are “rooting for Jafar.” Ursula, on the other hand, remains a cautionary tale. Fat is bad. Fat can’t be beautiful. Fat can’t be sexy. Don’t let this happen to you, you poor unfortunate female soul. Would Disney trust the American public to think Ursula was bad if she wasn’t fat? Doubt it.

In other words, gender stereotypes are still alive and well in the wonderful world of Disney. These messages are telling young audiences, especially young girls, that “ugly” means evil. That as long as you’re hot, then it doesn’t matter if you do bad things.

Hot JafarYou can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

My Essay on CNN Opinion: “Casting Bryan Cranston As a Quadriplegic…?

Bryan CranstonI suppose it’s only fitting that my first byline of 2019 is a CNN op-ed!! I wrote about how disappointing it is to see another able-bodied actor playing a disabled character. This time, it’s Bryan Cranston in The Upside and, well, I don’t see any upside to lack of representation. And if the comments I’ve received are any indication, we’ve got a long way to go on squashing ableism. Spoiler alert: NEVER read the Twitter comments!

Anyway, I’ve written about the need for greater and more positive disability representation in TV and movies in the past. I’ve also featured initiatives like the Disability Film Challenge that are advocating for inclusion and working tirelessly to give actors with disabilities a voice. That’s why, with all these amazing changes happening in the disability community, Hollywood still seems so behind the times. Are they just not hearing our pleas? Do they not care about getting it right on the big and small screen? When will they catch up and get it right?

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I outline exactly how it makes me feel to see an able-bodied actor on screen, in a wheelchair, playing a character who is disabled. It’s not only insulting, but it’s also incredibly inauthentic to see Bryan Cranston in the role…

As a disabled woman, I never saw people like me on TV or the movie screen. I didn’t see them in my favorite romantic comedies. I didn’t see them in my favorite sitcoms. I didn’t see them anywhere — not even in commercials. Instead, I saw able-bodied actors playing disabled characters.

There is an important distinction here. It’s easy to pretend to have a disability for a few months, knowing that you can get out of the wheelchair and walk away from it once filming is over. You will eventually leave it behind and go on to the next project.

But people with disabilities can’t do that. Part of acting is being able to identify with the character you’re playing, and being disabled is an identity, so no matter how brilliant the actor is, unless that actor is also disabled, the authenticity just won’t be there and the character won’t be entirely believable.

You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts and this casting of Bryan Cranston! Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! And here’s to us going home for the holidays, wherever that may be! Love you all… xoxo

Bohemian Rhapsody Is the Music Biopic We Need

Bohemian Rhapsody Bohemian RhapsodyThe world may be imploding, but there is one bright spot of shining star proportions in the form of Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s exactly the cinematic/musical mash-up we need to soothe our weary hearts and souls, and let me tell you: I’m beyond excited!

The film, which opens in theaters TODAY, chronicles Queen on their epic journey to becoming one of the greatest rock bands of all time, culminating with their historic performance at Live Aid in 1985. Have you watched the trailer? I can’t get over how convincing actor Rami Malek is as lead singer Freddie Mercury.

Plus, I’m especially looking forward to seeing this in the theater for the ultimate surround-sound experience. The band’s catalog of music is the stuff I grew up listening to, so to see those songs come to life on the big screen. “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions” at full decibels? Yes, please! As one Mashable review said: “This is a movie to be felt as much as heard.”

And, with foreshadowing lyrics like these from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” you can’t deny that Freddie Mercury accurately predicted 2018…

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality

Are you as ecstatic as I am about Bohemian Rhapsody, friends? Will you be seeing it on the big screen? Pop corn and soda in hand, of course… xoxo

P.S. Friday links coming up soon!