![]() In the absence of a concerted, thoughtful effort to avoid reproducing them, it’s not surprising that problematic elements show up in TV shows, movies, and so on.Īnyway, this should be an interesting situation to watch unfold when the movie is finally released. Or the creators may have unthinkingly reproduced stereotypes because, when thinking about characters to use in a movie set in New Orleans with a Black protagonist, they drew on existing cultural imagery. A Black character cast as a maid, to many people, reproduces an image of Black women that goes beyond the individual–whether the creators intend to or not, such images bring with them associations to the Mammy character and real oppression of African American women in a culture that saw them primarily as servants for more privileged groups.ĭisney may have intentionally tapped into those cultural images when Tiana was originally imagined as a maid for a White character (as well as including other stereotypical elements). The “Mammy” figure, a happy-go-lucky servant pleased to take care of the White family she worked for, was applied exclusively to Black women.ĭepicting Cinderella as a maid doesn’t play into pre-existing stereotypes of White women it’s just an individual portrayal. African American women were stuck with jobs as maids a lot longer because of job discrimination. But they fairly quickly transitioned, as a group, into other types of work. as well as other countries in the late 1800s many female Irish immigrants to the U.S. There have certainly been large numbers of White maids in the U.S. And there’s nothing wrong with playing jazz or, for that matter, practicing voodoo (which could be seen as very similar to the magic that is so common in kids’ films).īut of course, an image of a Black woman as a maid carries different connotations than that of a White woman doing the same job. For instance, the fact that Tiana was originally going to be a maid wouldn’t, on the surface, necessarily be that different from “Cinderella,” in which the (White) protagonist is basically a maid. These images and objections are interesting by themselves, but they also bring up some of the difficulties in portraying groups that have historically been stereotyped negatively and occupied a subordinate social status. Here’s Mama Odie, the godmother figure, is a “seer” with a snake: ![]() The text for one of the cards says “It’s not in yo’ cards”: I did notice that the valet (is that the same as a butler?) for the prince is White rather than Black: Facilier is a “witch doctor,” practices voodoo, and looks a bit like cartoonish images of pimps I’ve seen now and then: Here are Tiana’s parents note that her mother is “nurturing” while her father is “inspirational”:ĭr. There are some interesting gender and racial elements. pointed out a deck of promotional cards handed out at Comic-Con (also at io9). ![]() …Tiana, is sent on a mission to retrieve the rich white girl’s tiara, so she can borrow it, but along the way she’s asked to fetch some hot sauce for the gumbo before she has permission to get to the rich girl’s bedroom. But then, doesn’t the princess turn into an ogre in at least some of the “Shrek” movies? I can’t quite recall. Charming.įor the record, the protagonist is only African American for part of the movie for a good chunk of it she’s a green frog. …based on this trailer, the other things that Black people get to do are voodoo shit, playing jazz and dancing, and making jokes about their butts. Margaret Lyons at EW.com says,ĭisney’s track record with racism and racist caricature makes me a little nervous when I see stuff like that toothless firefly.Īccording to Jezebel, “…Tiana was originally a maid named Maddy (to0 close to mammy?)…” And Leontine says, While many people have eagerly awaited “The Princess and the Frog,” Disney’s long history of negative or stereotypical portrayals of non-White characters (i.e., “ Fantasia“) meant many were concerned about what the final product might be, expressing concerns based on the trailer and other promotional materials that have emerged so far. We’ve seen Disney films with non-White protagonists before–“Mulan” and “Pocahontas,” for instance–but to my knowledge there haven’t been any with a Black main character, unless I guess you count the Uncle Remus stuff, and that’s just a whole lot of ick. The noteworthy aspect of this film, aimed at a mainstream audience, is that the female protagonist is African American. As you may know, Disney has a movie coming out later this year called “The Princess and the Frog,” a retelling of the story of the princess who kisses a frog that then helpfully turns into a handsome prince for her to marry.
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