There hasn't been much real details about the storyline of the movie--it's one of the reasons I pause at calling it racist right off the bat.

I will say that Disney and other companies have made a pact with the State of Louisiana to bring more positive attention to the state and its culture...it's possibly that the company _is_ doing its homework.

Many people perceive Disney with the past images in mind--so it doesn't surprise me that some have called the movie racist or offensive...As I said above, if Disney is connecting with people from the African-American and the New Orleans communities then perhaps they are heading in the right direction.

Why do people still blame a company for making mistakes in the past?  Disney reflects cultural tendencies from the time movies are made.  I think what matters is that they are trying to be sensitive and better.

Now, I still don't like Disney because they know their merchandise is made in sweatshops and they don't care about that.  But that's a topic for the Fair Trade blog.

Disney's more than the average company -- it's one of the most powerful myth makers of modern times.  And the company knows it, too.

They are powerful trend setters, I agree.

They're first and foremost a company, and they are going to base most of their decisions on what will sell and increase the value of the company and make the shareholders rich.  That is all they care about.  That is why their toys and clothing is made in sweatshops.  And that is why they are having focus groups to make sure this movie is a hit and not labeled as racist or sexist.

Hopefully they'll do what is right not because they believe in it, but because all of us will pay to see the movie only if it depicts people in a fair and true way.

If they notice discussions like the ones going on in here, they will make sure to make the movie right.  So it's a success in terms of profits.

I wonder if by trying too hard to make the princess black and set it in New Orleans, they are carelessly and mistakenly making a caricature of black culture?

Also, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with stereotypes.  It's one way to understand the world.  The danger arises when we assume EVERYONE who looks a certain way has to act a certain way.

I totally agree. I've experienced the dirty looks, name calling, horrible restaurant services etc....

the crime: my prince was not black:(

I don't think that we are just nagging when we talk about racism. It is a real issue that still exists today. I agree it is not about which skin color is better, thats not at all what this post was about... its about equality, and until equality is reached within humanity then how do you expect us to deal with "real facts" like the economy or global warming. If you think that that racism is not a real issue and that people just want an excuse to nag I believe that you are horribly misinformed!

Are we being racist for making a huge deal about this movie?

If the protagonist was white, we'd still be arguing there are no black princesses.

Also, have we stopped to consider how the black community feels about it?  This princess seems like she's going to be "white washed" (I'm not from the US, so I'm sorry if that term is offensive, I'm not sure).  I know a couple of black girls who are discriminated against because they don't "act black enough", and are labeled as "sellouts" by their family and friends.  They are ridiculed for "acting white", which is ridiculous because they're not doing anything wrong, nor are they trying to be white.  They just adhere to the normal, general American culture that all of us immigrants adapt to.

Anyway, my point is, do you think movies like these kind of impose or try to propagate what would be considered the "appropriate" culture/behaviour that other races should adopt?

I know it happens within the communities of minorities, too.  Like I said, black people tease others they consider sellouts.  I'm not Mexican, I'm from Central America (born and raised) and I've been outcasted a few times because I don't act "mexican enough" or "hispanic enough" and it really gets tiring.  It's almost like a group of people are trying to tell me how I should act, which is not the way I want to act.  Does this movie do the same by telling the black community: "this is how a black princess should act"?

Does all of this make sense?

Juan, I was thinking along those same lines as I was reading the post. It's a fine line to walk... if they make the princess "act black," then Disney's being racist. But if they make her act just like Ariel and Wedny and Cinderella, then they've "white washed" the character and she's "not black enough" and that's also going to draw criticism.

It's almost like they'll be called racist for using the stereotypes, but they'll be accused of forcing "the white norm" on African-American girls if they do not use the stereotypes. You can't please everybody all the time, so you're always going to tick somebody off...

As much as I love the Disney princess movies (at least the ones from when I was a doe-eyed wanna-be princess), I would love to see Disney use female characters of all shapes, sizes, and colors in non-princess roles.

I think it is incredibly insensitive of you to say that those who might be offended by this would be weak. You cannot know what any individual has experienced and if someone is offended by this they have every right to be. You should try to think with a little more compassion on this issue.

Ashley,
I think that "insensitive" is not quite the word to describe my feelings towards this issue (if you want to call it an issue.)
Watching a film is personal choice.  There are plenty of films full of stereotypes and racism that you have the choice to watch.  From what I have learned about this movie, it is not necessarily racist, but contains some stereotypes of African Americans.
Racism and stereotypes are two separate things. Racism is prejudice towards a group of people because of their 'race'; a stereotype is a generalization - something that makes us human.  A lot of stereotypes are accurate, and this is really what offends people.  But without generalizations and stereotypes that appear mean but are actually true, we wouldn't be human! We generalize everything.  Right wing Americans consist primarily of white people, and we associate them with the south.  This is a stereotype; a generalization.  A lot of African American people like fried chicken; this is true, but so do a lot of white people.  That does not make it not true.  White people tend to like overplayed rock & roll.  Asians are good at math.  You could call these racist stereotypes if you feel the need to be offended by them.  But I have nothing against anyone.  I am a strong spiritual believer in the equality of all men.  Race does not really make us different.  We are all humans sharing a conscious experience on earth.  This is the truth.  And all the other stuff that comes after is what makes us human, and with that comes stereotypes, racism, war, greed, hatred, violence, gangs, things that make us feel powerful.
As I said before, I have African American friends, some who are gang-members, some who are not.  None of them would be offended by something so silly.  This is a movie about an african american princess, so there better be accurate representations of african americans.
PS.
What exactly does an individual have to experience in their life in order to say that a disney movie (holding stereotypes which could be true) offends them?
This is not a legitimate topic for change.org

Didn't we all grow up watching racist movies and TV shows?  And we're doing ok too.

Sheltering children too much can be dangerous.  If we let them watch some of these movies and then engage in dialogue with them, we can help them understand how the world works.

Obviously, if we let movies and TV raise our children, then they will grow in a really messed up way.  However, if we let them experience life and help them understand life, we should be OK.

We did grow up watching racist movies and TV, and many of us are NOT "doing ok" (see the comments in this and any other blog to come across grossly racist, sexist, ignorant and offensive ways of thinking).

I agree that you cannot shelter your children from everything. They have to see and experience the real world from the beginning, but there is enough hate and racism and ugliness as it is without putting it in children's movies, especially Disney movies. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to explain to children what kind of behavior is appropriate through real-life experiences, or through the old movies (I adore Peter Pan, but I had never thought of its portrayal of the Native American characters. I will probably still watch this movie with my children, but will take that opportunity to talk about those stereotypes and engage in that dialogue).

I strongly agree with you that we should not let TV and movies raise our children, but children will grow up and go to friends' houses and see things we may not want them to see, and they'll see things when the parents will not be there to engage in those dialogues. We can't shield them from everything, but we can ask that material targeted to children is clean and appropriate.

I was just trying to make a point. I know a lot of people are not doing OK, I just meant us (the people writing here) who understand what's going on, we are aware of racism and we're trying to do something about it.

Kids will always be exposed to something we do not agree with, but as long as we guide them and communicate with them often and correctly, then they should be fine.  I know when I have children I'll try to engage in deep conversations with them from an early age.  That's how I grew up.

Peter Pan is messed up, though, so I understand how it's important to make sure children are not bombarded with messed up ideas.

Cultural change takes a long time to happen, it happens over generations.  Hopefully when I have children it will all be a lot better.