can you believe it took Disney this long?

Question

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20070308/117340194000.html

To make a black princess.

Answer 1

It is cool.

But, with all due respect to both strawbarrycheey and every black person in the world, it seems as if all the fuss is just dumb yellow press and clever marketing. As already said by Stix, there have already been many princess of other racial identities. And even more main characters that are not white.

It is nice, that little black girls will have their princess now, but I think that the fact is, there had been no stories that had a black princess as such in the original classic story. Not 'cause of racism (and I do know that it can be a factor) but because a writer tends to write about what he knows best. Cinderella with a black girl would be just the same, but I personally feel one should respect the original works of the people who made them.

I'm a latino, and truth is, that right now, we latin people are subject of many stereotypes in mass media. So I understand what you mean, but fact is that we should try to teach our kids that not every thing that goes against us, or not like we want is because of racism. If we do, we are building them an excuse.

Answer 2

The orginal Cinderella was Egyptian (and the slipper was rose-colored fur, not glass. That came later, when the ancient Egyptian word for "fur" was mistaken for the French word for "glass".)

There is an African Cinderella in the story, "Mufasa's Beautiful Daughters".

There is a Chinese Cinderella in the story of "Yai-Shin" (I think that's what it's called. It was featured on CBS Storybreak once, but that was several years ago...)

The story of Aladdin is the Cinderella story, but with the male and female roles reversed (HE'S poor, SHE'S royalty).

Cinderella is a folk tale, not a fairy tale, and has versions all around the world, told for generations by storytellers. The Brothers Grimm just happened to be the ones who first wrote it down. (the orginal magic comes from a tree planted at the grave of Ella's mother, and was watered by Ella's tears until in grew into a large tree. The mother's ghost is suppose to reside inside the tree, and when Ella says a ryhme (a spell?), the ghost-tree gives her whatever she asks for. Including the dress and GOLD slippers for the ball.)

And a new take on the Frog Prince just might be interesting.

A selfish princess goes into the royal garden to play with her favorite toy, a golden ball. The ball falls into a well, and she crys. A frog tells her that he will get it for her if she will be his friend. Desprite to get the ball back, she agrees, and the frog jumps into the well and returns with the gold ball. Delighted to have her toy back, she grabs it and runs back inside the castle, forgetting her promice to the frog.

That night at dinner, a knock on the door is heard, and the frog beseeches the princess to keep her promice. The frog is allowed in, and the king demands that the princess explains herself.

"Oh, he's just a frog..." she says.

"But you made a promice, princess," the frog protests. "That if I returned your golden ball to you, you would be my friend."

"What thou hast promiced," the king says, "thou must keep!"

So the princess had to give the frog some of her food and drink, and let it sit near her through dinner. Then, the frog asks to be taken with her to her room. She refuses, but her father reminds her of her promice. The princess relents, and takes the frog with her.

When the frog asks to sleep on her pillow, the princess throws him at the wall in disgust. But when he hits the floor, he is no longer a frog, but a handsome prince. He explains that an evil witch had changed him into a frog, and only if a princess would be his friend would the spell be broken.

The princess marries the prince and they live happlily ever after.

Typical fairy/folk tale. So it would be interesting to see it in New Orleans, with a black princess. Wonder who the prince will be, and if it was voodoo that changed him into a frog.

That's another thing: How are they going to treat voodoo? As evil magic, good magic, or just magic? They'll probibly avoid calling it what it really is; a religeon. Cartoons tend to avoid religeon of any sort, unless the cartoon starts out to be about religeous content in the first place, like The Nativity, or The Passover, or something like that.

Japan seems to be the only country not touchy about religeous subjects. You see it all the time in manga an anime.

And I'd better stop before this gets out of hand...

Anyway, I'd like to see the new movie when it comes out. I'd a least give it a chance. I'm sure it will be good.

Answer 3

yeah it's great, but the movie itself sounds lame. Disney is now running out of classic stories to turn into movies. It's good that there is finally a black princess, it's just a little too late

Answer 4

It took about 70 years for a company that was founded by a racist anti-Semite to have a cartoon with a black princess? Sounds about right.

I don't think a lot of people really know exactly who Walt Disney was other than a cartoonist. That man had some serious issues with people who weren't "like him".

Answer 5

That's great, but the movie seems lame.The Frog Princess? There is so many different versions of that story.

I won't be seeing it.

Answer 6

I think it is crazy that it took them this long. I'm excited that my biracial nieces will have a princess that looks like them!

Answer 7

About time!! Great news!

Answer 8

And it only took them what, 80 years?

Answer 9

Oh my gosh, I never even thought about that before now but you're right!

Now that I think of it, I can't believe they never made one before.. wow..

Answer 10

Yes anything for a buck. No matter how unbelievable