There is growing concern about how Disney’s live-action musical film The Little Mermaid is being received in South Korea.
The movie has become a target for harsh criticism, and the media has also played a role in fueling the controversy. For example, SBS recently published an article titled “Backlash Against ‘Black Mermaid’: Appearance Ridiculed, Ratings Drop on Day One.”
The article highlights that the film has been flooded with one-star ratings and derogatory comments on movie websites and social media platforms. These comments reflect strong resentment towards the portrayal of a black mermaid and include harsh criticisms of Halle Bailey’s appearance, using extreme terms like ‘burnt fish,’ ‘black mermaid,’ and ‘sea monster.’
However, the controversy seemed to die down after the world premiere screening of The Little Mermaid in North America on May 8th. There has been a wave of praise for Halle Bailey’s exceptional acting and singing skills as Ariel, as well as for the film’s stunning underwater visuals and the representation of racial diversity through the seven princesses from different continents.
Nevertheless, South Korea is seeing a troubling trend of racially discriminatory evaluations of the movie.
다른 나라에서도 캐스팅 논란 있었던 건 사실이지만 4년내내 온갖 주작으로 배우 조롱하고 개인 브이로그까지 가서 악플 다는 건 한국인들밖에 없는데요… 외국인들도 한국인들은 인어공주에 왜그렇게 악플을 다냐고 반응하고 있고 한국 그냥 인종차별국으로 소문 다 났어요~ https://t.co/29xCisHFQS
— 악 (@sagajuseyo888) May 23, 2023
One Korean moviegoer expressed their frustration, saying, “It’s true that there were casting controversies in other countries too, but only Koreans have been mocking the actress for over four years, even leaving malicious comments on their personal vlogs. Foreigners are also questioning why Koreans are leaving such negative comments about The Little Mermaid, and Korea is now gaining a reputation as a racist country.”
이건 무조건 NYT, CNN, BBC 같은 큰 외신매체들에 보도가 될 겁니다. 한국은 이제 사람들이 많이 관심을 가지는 나라이고, 인종차별주의는 굉장히 민감한 사안이며, <인어공주>는 화제의 작품이기 때문입니다. 그리고 앞으로도 이런 망신이 계속되며 한국의 이미지는 정말 곤두박질치겠죠… https://t.co/ECDMjxcvcZ
— 비즈하는새(비즈하는중)🏳️🌈 (@beads_bird) May 24, 2023
Another Korean user stated, “This is definitely going to make headlines in big media outlets like the New York Times, CNN, and BBC. Korea is, like, getting so much attention these days, and racial discrimination is, like, a really touchy subject. Everyone’s going crazy debating about The Little Mermaid. If this whole awful trend keeps going, it’s gonna seriously damage Korea’s reputation. “
흑인 인어라는 단어 조합 너무 이상하다 인어는 인간이 아니며 상상 속의 존재입니다… 인어 역할 배우가 무슨 인종인지가 왜 중요한 건지 백날 생각해봐도 모르겠다… https://t.co/CJSkCF9xFq
— 루이스김루이스 (@hlodowiiig) May 24, 2023
There were also reactions like, “The combination of ‘black’ and ‘mermaid’ sounds strange. Mermaids are not humans. They are imaginary beings… The more I think about it, the more I can’t understand why the actress’s race in the mermaid role is so important.”
People have differing opinions about Ariel in Korea, and it’s important to wait for the box office results and feedback from moviegoers to get a clearer picture of the public’s response since it’s still the film’s opening day.
