Why the Little Mermaid tanked in China
By Emma Ding and Eryk Bagshaw
June 15, 2023 — 4.47pm
Gong Ziji was sceptical when he heard Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Gong, like many Chinese fans of the film, found it jarred with his childhood memories of the Disney princess.
The 21-year-old from Chongqing in south-western China has a collection of more than 40 Ariel dolls. All of them have red hair and white skin.
But he wept when he heard Bailey, a black R&B singer from Atlanta, Georgia, sing Part of Your World, the epic hit track that straddles Ariel’s identities: mermaid and human.
Little Mermaid collector Gong Ziji.
“I burst into tears immediately when I heard her singing. As a big fan of The Little Mermaid, I was not satisfied with the casting at the beginning but was completely convinced she was a perfect fit for the role,” Gong said. “This song encourages people to change and discover the real you, it moved me a lot.”
Gong’s view is not popular across China where the $300 million film has tanked. It has taken just $5.5 million at the box office, compared to $220 million for The Jungle Book in 2016 and $180 million for The Lion King in 2019.
The film has prompted racism, criticism and introspection among Chinese viewers and academics. Some argue that the Chinese filmgoers’ response is a rebellion against Western progressive politics. Others say China remains driven by racist Han supremacism.
“I think this is aesthetic bullying,” said Mao Fu, a 33-year-old who lives on the island of Hainan. Mao shared a photoshopped poster of Bailey on social media that lightened her skin and gave her straight red hair.
“I am not racist,” he said, arguing that his negative response to the film was because Bailey’s acting was “dull and not lively”.
Luo Xinran, a 30-year-old from Zhejiang, claimed China’s reluctance to embrace the live-action remake was a response to Western ideas about diversity and inclusiveness.
“People might dislike political correctness because they think it is formative and does not solve any problems,” she said.
A scene from the new film of The Little Mermaid, showing Halle Bailey as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric. Credit: AP
“Baizuo”, the Chinese term for Western liberalism, has come to symbolise a form of anti-woke crusade in China that suggests European and American ideals of multiculturalism and progressive politics are out of touch with the rest of the world. The concept, fuelled in part by the Chinese government, feeds into a growing tide of Chinese nationalism and a narrative of Western decline. In this ideology, workers are more focused on driving the economy than including minorities in it.
“In China, a key feature of public opinion is the hostility towards Western progressive politics,” said Dr Altman Peng, assistant professor of intercultural communication at the University of Warwick, who argues that a rising number of Chinese nationalists are also embracing xenophobic values.
“The Little Mermaid simply provides a social media event for racists to express their toxic views conditioned upon the historically entrenched anti-black racism in China.”
China has its own long history of racism against non-Han minorities including the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Mongols in northern China.
“China’s anti-black racism stems from Han supremacism, which perpetuates prejudice and discrimination by the ethnic majority, the Han people, against both domestic ethnic minorities and foreign nationals,” Peng said.
Dr Fan Yang, a postdoctoral research fellow investigating Chinese digital technology at Deakin University.
Sections of the Chinese public were also racist towards black communities as the country opened up to migrants from the 1970s onwards.
“The pre-existing anti-black racism has become increasingly prevalent in Chinese society without state interference, often perpetuated through the media’s stereotypical portrayal of African immigrants and students,” Peng said.
Dr Fan Yang, a postdoctoral research fellow investigating Chinese digital technology at Deakin University, said some of those perceptions were being entrenched by automated artificial intelligence social media filters and photo editing techniques now popular across Asia.
“The beauty standard is characterised by so-called ‘bai you shou’ – meaning whiteness, child-likeness, slimness and femininity. To some extent, Bailey isn’t able to fit into the audience’s conventional aesthetics,” Yang said.
“The Chinese audience has been constantly exposed to this kind of dominant aesthetic with very little diversity involved. The anomaly has been made to be the norm.”
Black critics said the film had made viewers confront uncomfortable realities.
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Credit: AP
“It is racism,” said British film and television writer Ellen Jones. “People essentially don’t want to recognise racism because it disrupts their lifestyles or because then they have to do something about it.
“I know anti-black racism exists in Asia, just as anti-Asian racism exists in black communities.”
Source: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/asia...615-p5dgra.html
By Emma Ding and Eryk Bagshaw
June 15, 2023 — 4.47pm
Gong Ziji was sceptical when he heard Halle Bailey had been cast as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Gong, like many Chinese fans of the film, found it jarred with his childhood memories of the Disney princess.
The 21-year-old from Chongqing in south-western China has a collection of more than 40 Ariel dolls. All of them have red hair and white skin.
But he wept when he heard Bailey, a black R&B singer from Atlanta, Georgia, sing Part of Your World, the epic hit track that straddles Ariel’s identities: mermaid and human.
“I burst into tears immediately when I heard her singing. As a big fan of The Little Mermaid, I was not satisfied with the casting at the beginning but was completely convinced she was a perfect fit for the role,” Gong said. “This song encourages people to change and discover the real you, it moved me a lot.”
Gong’s view is not popular across China where the $300 million film has tanked. It has taken just $5.5 million at the box office, compared to $220 million for The Jungle Book in 2016 and $180 million for The Lion King in 2019.
The film has prompted racism, criticism and introspection among Chinese viewers and academics. Some argue that the Chinese filmgoers’ response is a rebellion against Western progressive politics. Others say China remains driven by racist Han supremacism.
“I think this is aesthetic bullying,” said Mao Fu, a 33-year-old who lives on the island of Hainan. Mao shared a photoshopped poster of Bailey on social media that lightened her skin and gave her straight red hair.
“I am not racist,” he said, arguing that his negative response to the film was because Bailey’s acting was “dull and not lively”.
Luo Xinran, a 30-year-old from Zhejiang, claimed China’s reluctance to embrace the live-action remake was a response to Western ideas about diversity and inclusiveness.
“People might dislike political correctness because they think it is formative and does not solve any problems,” she said.
“Baizuo”, the Chinese term for Western liberalism, has come to symbolise a form of anti-woke crusade in China that suggests European and American ideals of multiculturalism and progressive politics are out of touch with the rest of the world. The concept, fuelled in part by the Chinese government, feeds into a growing tide of Chinese nationalism and a narrative of Western decline. In this ideology, workers are more focused on driving the economy than including minorities in it.
“In China, a key feature of public opinion is the hostility towards Western progressive politics,” said Dr Altman Peng, assistant professor of intercultural communication at the University of Warwick, who argues that a rising number of Chinese nationalists are also embracing xenophobic values.
“The Little Mermaid simply provides a social media event for racists to express their toxic views conditioned upon the historically entrenched anti-black racism in China.”
China has its own long history of racism against non-Han minorities including the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Mongols in northern China.
“China’s anti-black racism stems from Han supremacism, which perpetuates prejudice and discrimination by the ethnic majority, the Han people, against both domestic ethnic minorities and foreign nationals,” Peng said.
Sections of the Chinese public were also racist towards black communities as the country opened up to migrants from the 1970s onwards.
“The pre-existing anti-black racism has become increasingly prevalent in Chinese society without state interference, often perpetuated through the media’s stereotypical portrayal of African immigrants and students,” Peng said.
Dr Fan Yang, a postdoctoral research fellow investigating Chinese digital technology at Deakin University, said some of those perceptions were being entrenched by automated artificial intelligence social media filters and photo editing techniques now popular across Asia.
“The beauty standard is characterised by so-called ‘bai you shou’ – meaning whiteness, child-likeness, slimness and femininity. To some extent, Bailey isn’t able to fit into the audience’s conventional aesthetics,” Yang said.
“The Chinese audience has been constantly exposed to this kind of dominant aesthetic with very little diversity involved. The anomaly has been made to be the norm.”
Black critics said the film had made viewers confront uncomfortable realities.
“It is racism,” said British film and television writer Ellen Jones. “People essentially don’t want to recognise racism because it disrupts their lifestyles or because then they have to do something about it.
“I know anti-black racism exists in Asia, just as anti-Asian racism exists in black communities.”
Source: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/asia...615-p5dgra.html
