Disney darling Awkwafina has fallen from grace a bit in the last several months, initially due to her NAACP nomination (which antagonized Twitter users who accused the rapper and actress of using a “blaccent”) and now due to her recent performance in the already-controversial new Little Mermaid remake.
In the new live-action Little Mermaid movie, Awkwafina plays Scuttle the gull. Scuttle is one of Ariel the little mermaid’s closest friends “under the sea,” but in the original 1989 movie, the seabird did not have a song of his own.
The Drama Behind the “Scuttlebutt”
Now, Scuttle does indeed have a song — but this might not be good news for the character, or for the actress who plays the bird!
Awkwafina’s song “Scuttlebutt,” which also features actor Daveed Diggs in his Sebastian role, has been released on Youtube as part of the movie’s soundtrack — and Disney fans are livid.
The song is becoming famous for its poor quality, with Disney fans claiming that they only enjoy the song when their ears are blocked.
The song’s poor reception has also caused some people to attack Awkwafina herself, as well as composer Lin-Manuel Miranda — but not everyone apparently thinks that the song is bad!
Unexpected “Scuttlebutt” Fans
According to Deadline, actually, Awkwafina did an excellent job in her role. The Deadline review of the film declares that “the vocal work of Diggs and the irrepressible Awkwafina could not be better.”
This is obviously a very stark contrast to the unkind comments that have been previously directed towards the Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings and Raya and the Last Dragon actress!
Up until now, reviews have mainly focused on complaints about the movie’s CGI characters, complaints about the film’s poor lighting, and high praise for the performance that was brought to the table by Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel.
Have you listened to “Scuttlebutt” yet? What do you think of the song, and do you side with the critics or your fellow audience members regarding the quality of Awkwafina’s performance?
