The controversial outrage over the casting of black actress Halle Bailey in Disney’s new live-action The Little Mermaid film has largely subsided online. However, this does not mean the battle over companies going “woke” has ended. In fact, a new female heroine has gained the fury of many conservatives on social media.
Like Disney, this “woke” character is causing boycotts against the entertainment giant that created her. The photo below showcases the female lead currently stirring the internet masses. Her race is not the issue this time. They just think she’s ugly.
Transitioning From the Tropes
The Walt Disney Company has largely moved away from its usual “damsels in distress waiting for a prince” trope over the past decade. Instead, they have focused on self-reliant and more realistic protagonists. Female Characters such as Moana and Encanto‘s Mirabel function perfectly fine without a love interest. The success of their movies proves that the company can explore different narratives than what worked in the past in an attempt to empower young girls of various backgrounds and appearances.
However, not everyone has agreed with Disney’s transformation of their childhood classics and progressive social agenda. Recently, some internet users disapproved of Disney changing Ariel’s race by casting Halle Bailey in the role for its live-action The Little Mermaid movie. These detractors have latched on to the film’s lackluster performance at the box office, especially overseas, as proof that Disney’s “woke” ideologies are causing it to lose support and profits. Disney has continued on its path regardless of the backlash.
Physical Appearance Now Makes a Character “Woke”
Another media giant is now being attacked for its recent reveal of a controversial female character. Microsoft and Playground Game’s Fable franchise has received pushback for introducing fans to a heroine that they deem unattractive.
Fixed Fable? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/U9N7VWMoLi
— Xbox3R 🥊 (@blntforcetrama) June 15, 2023
One popular Tweet has tried to “edit” the character’s appearance to “fix” her. This single Tweet has caused an uproar, garnering over 15 million views and thousands of comments. While a lot of people are defending the appearance of the Fable heroine, just as many are making abhorrent remarks. A significant portion of these commenters are the same people who took issue with Ariel being black in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. They have now set their rage on Microsoft and Playground Games, boycotting the game and hoping it will fail like Disney’s latest title as a way to prove a point.
Some conservatives on social media have gone as far as to claim the protagonist is transgender and based on the appearance of one “woke” developer. A debate has raged on Twitter over a feminist agenda to make women as repugnant as possible to avoid sexualizing them in media.
This is the main character of the new Fable game from Microsoft. Continuing the trend of weirdly unattractive female main characters in video games, because beauty is objectifying. This is what happens when you consult with woke intersectional feminists. pic.twitter.com/suKtlsLQ0n
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 12, 2023
Those Defending Disney and Microsoft’s “Woke” Characters
However, not everyone agrees with these detractors. Many have come to the defense of Microsoft, claiming that the character looks completely fine and realistic for the period. Fable takes place in medieval times, and women did not have access to the beauty supplies needed to look like the “fixed” version of the female hero on Twitter. User @ShadowDarkclaw remarks:
Why do people think women need to look like fashion models for a medieval/fantasy style game? Sure women can look nice but make them still fit the theme of the game. There is nothing wrong with how the female character looks for fable.
To further their point, these supporters have stressed that the character’s face is modeled after an actress named Lily Nichol. Her appearance might not work for some people, but it is a real person’s face.
The character in Fable is loosely modeled after Lily Nichol, the same case for literally 95% of characters who have models irl. pic.twitter.com/zOiXs2qC0O
— Exicide (@Exicide_) June 15, 2023
You can see the reveal trailer for the new Fable game below, which has been spammed with dislikes since its launch. What do you think of this female character’s appearance? Do these detractors have a point about animated women in modern media, or are they just screaming at Disney and Microsoft about ridiculous non-issues to promote an agenda of their own?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The allure of art is that it allows different interpretations and visions to be presented to the world, and everyone will have a different perspective and opinion on how it affects them. However, with such a vocal uproar, it will be interesting to see if companies like Microsoft and Disney will continue releasing content involving a “woke” character or backpedal due to the controversies.
