Posted on 04/26/2009 6:46:26 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3
WALT Disney's first black princess is steeped in controversy, with the studio changing her name and job, but still facing claims of racial insensitivity.
Following claims of racial insensitivity, the studio -- known for its wholesome and predominantly white family values -- has made several changes to its first African-American princess, Tiana.
Voiced by Anika Noni Rose, Tiana is the star of a new animated film to be released this Christmas, titled The Princess and the Frog. Tiana's mother will be played by talk-show host Oprah Winfrey.
Disney has changed the profession of the princess to an aspiring restaurant entrepreneur, instead of being a chambermaid.
It has also changed her name -- Tiana, instead of Maddy. Critics thought Maddy was too similar to Mammy -- a once-common term for black female slaves in white households.
The controversy has intensified after it was revealed the film would be set in New Orleans and Tiana would find love with an almost-white prince.
His skin has been described as olive-toned and he will be voiced by Brazilian actor Bruno Campos.
"What? No black prince? What's up with this?" blogged James Collier on Acting White, an anti-racism website.
"Perhaps Disney doesn't want the future mothers of dwindling white America being imprinted so early in their lives with the notion of a black suitor."
Another blogger, Angela Helm, complained to the Black Voices website that even though there was a real-life black man in the highest office in the land, Disney seemed to think a black man was not "worthy of the title of prince".
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
So Politically Correct — last I looked movie theaters didn’t issue barf bags so I will pass.
You obviously do not want to go see a movie with a black princess because you are a racist! /s
known for its wholesome and predominantly white family values ...
Man, you have GOT to be kidding me.
I was at WDW in Orlando and my kids watched Cinderella’s parade - All of the female characters were men drag queens.
And don’t get me started on gay day.
It honestly sounds like a team of PC "experts" sat down to pick away anything possible that could be found offensive. God help us.
This is the thanks they get for playing the Jackson/Sharpton PC sweepstakes. Karma’s a b*tch, eh Disney?
You are also a white racist!
What in the world are “White family values”? I guess they might mean traditional family values. If so that was true about 30 or more years ago. Disney has been a PC palace for a long time now.
"Who you calling Mammy?"
what would predominantly black family values be?
Why are they not the same?
This is hugh and series, folks. With Obama in the White House, the race-baiting industry is facing the appalling concept that he finally disproves their endless charges of rampant racism.
Something Must Be Done.
LOL. Damn. There’s just no way out.
I think you’re sidling into the point.
They want to denigrate traditional values,
so now they refer to them in a way that implies that those values
are racist.
No, give her an Asian non-white prince and I'll reconsider. *\;-)
(Make him Latino-Asian with adoptive Scottish ancestry and accent and you have a winner. Believe me. *\;-)
I think there IS no way out, now. The socialist/American split is too wide, and the differences are irreconcilable.
You can’t win here. I’ve told my liberal “friends” over, and over, and over again; I don’t care what you look like, I care how you act.
The substance is lost on them. Over, and over, and over again.
So in the future, Snow White will be called..Snow Black?
“...its first African-American princess...”
There is no such thing as an American princess, African or otherwise.
Typical white family values. Bitter clingers.
Oh! I think it’s about time that Disney come clean and quit with the subliminal. They know they want to make Princess Michelle and her olive Prince a cameo so just go with it.
I think you’re onto something.
Also. I’m pissed. Cinderella was a chambermaid.
That’s degrading.
I demand they change Cinderella immediately and make her a, um...make her a pilot!
Our home is disney free - they have a leftist agenda.
Disney has had several non-white princesses. Off the top of my head: Jasmine (daughter of the sultan), Pocahontas (daughter of the chief). Mulan?
Cinderella is a classic symbol of white supremacism.
LOL, Prince Chawmin’.
...AND she oppressed those animals...the mice. Very cruel.
Here’s my idea for a black princess:
Her name is Michelle Shanequa and she has teeth as big as one of Cinderella’s horses, with biceps bigger than Gaston’s (Beauty and the Beast) and she can clean and jerk 300 pounds in a sleeveless ball gown. And she hates her kingdom until she becomes princess, then she spends the rest of her life talking everyone’s money. And her biggest problem is not her stepsisters, it’s her husband always trying to act European and play golf. And when she goes to visit Shrek and Fiona in the land of Far Far Away, she brings them tacky gifts.
To me, I suppose white family values would be the same as non-white family values. Those would be a union of a man and a woman who would create a family. Moral actions of that union that would promote future generations.
Black or white has no significance in this equation. However, the gay movement does have a negative significance since it is a perversion of normal genetic propagation...
If Cinderella can be a poor step-child, why can’t this one be a chambermaid? Good grief ... people are too sensitive.
“Tiana would find love with an almost-white prince.”
Tiana is going to fall in love with Obama?
They were on the endangered species list too...
Prince is gorgeous.
Obumbler is fugly.
>”What? No black prince? What’s up with this?” blogged James Collier on Acting White, an anti-racism website.
Apparently an “inter-racial” couple is racist.
Some people need slapped.
Obviously, you've never been married to my ex-wife.
“Following claims of racial insensitivity”
The leftist whiners have been after Disney for a long time.
Also, she fortified arcane appearance requirements for women by having that ball gown and glass high heels.
In order to be less indoctrinating, she should have worn and plaid shirt and some sensible flats to the ball.
The prince should love her regardless.
THAT IS SO COOL!!!
>>“...its first African-American princess...”
>
>There is no such thing as an American princess, African or otherwise.
That’s right... it has an empress!
{Ref to a three musketeers movie, not The 0ne.}
AFA and others have run boycotts of Disney over the "gay days" stuff.
I'm glad to see Disney returning to animation. Unfortunately, this project looks more like a marketing ploy to get a black "Princess" into the Disney Princess line than anything that was actually done to create a movie.
Disney animation had a rebirth under Jeff Katzenberg (Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King), but Michael Eisner ran him off and almost killed the relationship with Pixar. They still haven't recovered from Eisner, and I don't know if they ever will. After Katzenberg left, each animation movie made about half what the previous version did, until they finally killed the studio after "Home on the Range."
There are a number of so-called “anti-racism” websites and every once in a while when I’m bored, or depressed, I treat myself to a visit to one or more of them, mainly because they tend to be quite hilarious.
The white liberals who post to these sites tend to be on the far left in politics along with being on the high end of the stupid index in intellect.
The black posters, for the most part forego using logic when they make or answer an argument and just tend to be of the “whitey is the root of all evil” crowd. The sheer stupidity of some of their arguments has convinced me that a large proportion of the black posters are either sheer idiots or they work for the media.
“Angela Helm, complained to the Black Voices website that even though there was a real-life black man in the highest office in the land,”
What is it with these nutballs? Since when does half white half black equal black?
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