Unfortunately, the first trailer for Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid didn’t come without a racist backlash.
And now, Trevor Noah is putting those who are outraged on notice. During The Daily Show, the verklempt host targeted those who are agitated by a Black Ariel, saying, “Really, people—we’re doing this again?”
Speaking to the people who’ve pointed out that Bailey looks “nothing like” Disney’s original Ariel, Noah said, “Nothing like? They both have the tail, they both have the red [hair].” He continued, “Once again, a bunch of internet racists are upset that a fictional character is being played by a Black person. This is so ridiculous. And honestly, I don’t know what the big deal is. You guys realize that Nemo was Black too, right? Yeah! The whole movie was about a fish that can’t find his dad.”
Regardless of his jokes, Noah told the naysayers to “stop being ridiculous” and pointed to the fact that The Little Mermaid world is, indeed, “imaginary.”
He added, “I hope this scandal doesn’t overshadow the rest of the movie. The Little Mermaid is a beautiful story about a young woman changing her core identity to please a man. Let’s not forget about that, people.”
Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid was directed by Rob Marshall, and also stars Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy. It’s slated to open on May 26, 2023.
Watch Trevor Noah’s full diatribe against racist trolls up top.
