Enough Already! “Wokeness” Aside, Stop Being Angry at Disney for More Diverse Representation

Time and again, the topic of the Walt Disney Company’s “wokeness” has come up in debate. Many devoted Disney fans have brought up their frustrations about how Disney has been “pandering to woke audiences,” which has often been a response to Disney speaking out against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Gay” law (otherwise known as Parental Rights in Education Act), Splash Mountain closing down, or Disney casting actors of different races in familiar roles, Disney covering topics in one of its many platforms that include the LGBTQ+ identities.

Related: Right-Wing Troll Wants to Take Down Disney for Its ‘Wokeness’

There has been much song and dance about the motivations behind why audiences don’t like Disney’s recent moves. Some say it’s racist and xenophobic, while others take issue with being called as such; this writer doesn’t intend to determine whether this is true.

Instead, this op-ed has a simple message: it’s a waste of time to be angry about representation, and simply put, there’s nothing wrong with seeing people of different identities on screen.

As someone who grew up watching the remarkable and stunning Disney princesses on screen, I was thrilled when I “discovered” Disney’s Aladdin. Princess Jasmine was brilliant, resourceful, had a pet TIGER (clearly, I’m still excited about this), and looked like me. The joy that went through me knowing I was seeing someone who leaned more towards the identities I live and exist in made me undeniably happy.

Related: Halle Bailey Defends Ariel’s Locs in the New ‘Little Mermaid’

One might say, “Fair enough! But my issue isn’t with seeing new stories with diverse stories, it’s Disney replacing characters like in The Little Mermaid.”

Well, The Little Mermaid is a story about a mythological being that has versions of its mythology in multiple cultures. Let’s read that again; Princess Ariel isn’t only fictional, she’s mythological. While the original story is Danish (and therefore, the princess would obviously look Danish), Disney is an American company. It represents present-day America which is the famed “melting pot” of the world. It stands to basic reason that Disney’s casting would reflect that as well.

Further, Disney is a global company. As a business, it has to represent the various identities that encompass both of those truths of being American and global. Telling new stories from different cultures is paramount to holding to the ideal of being an American, global company.

At this point, it’s important to acknowledge that many would say, “My issue isn’t with any of this, it’s with Disney retelling old stories with new actors.”

This is certainly fair; it’s been a long time since Disney released an original story that really thrilled audiences and became a wide, mega-hit. However, it’s worth considering how Disney has treated some of its latest original stories. Turning Red didn’t get a theatrical release, Elemental has really succeeded because of word of mouth after many trolls tried to bring it down. Many on the other end of the spectrum are frustrated with Disney not doing enough for their identities.

Read More: Despite “Woke” Backlash, Disney Still Fails at LGBTQ+ Representation

Disney truly invested in The Little Mermaid, and it has passed the breakeven threshold despite the trolls coming for that movie as well and tanking its performance overseas. Per this website, The Little Mermaid has reportedly made $547, 952, 962 already, and it reportedly ran up $240 million in production costs and $140 million in marketing costs ($390 million + other unaccounted-added expenditures). It would have been wonderful to see how well the movie could have done if audiences had given Halle Bailey a chance instead of reducing her to her race, especially because her performance is universally agreed to be one of the best parts of the movie.

All in all, if the topic of conversation is holding Disney to a higher standard and asking them to create new, original stories that delight audiences, then this writer is on board. However, if we’re going to be upset that someone who doesn’t look or think like us is representing a Disney character we like, maybe let’s let that identity have its time in the sun.

Ultimately, we don’t have to watch anything we don’t truly want to, so let it be enjoyed by those excited about it.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s and may not reflect the sentiments of Disney Fanatic.