Disney's the Princess and Frog is the first of the Disney movies to feature a Black princess. The film has sparked a great conversation around the country of what the effects are of portraying this young Black woman that girls of all skin colors, but escpecially little Black girls can look up to.
While I agree that this is a momentous occasion in the history of Disney and a much awaited move for that matter, I am somewhat perturbed at the charicaturization of Princess Tiana, the Black princess.
My main issue is that, Princess Tiana's thick Southern Louisiana accent overshadows and distracts from her natural class and beauty. Now this is of course getting into the issue of what it means to talk like a White person or talk like a Black person- an issue that I am sure Disney saw coming a mile away- but do you here Mulan's thick Chinese accent or Jasmine's strong Arabian accent in Mulan or Aladdin?
The answer is no. So why Disney feels the need to go out on a cultural limb with this one is beyond me.
Now I have yet to actually see the film, so I will save the rest of my commentary for later. But I do hope this film lives up to the many expectations set my little sister, my cousins and young girls across the world.
Although I enjoyed the movie i had some problems as well as to the characterization of the African Americans as a whole. I understand that it was based in New Orleans and the culture of black majic but the movie came off as very evil and sadistic. I also agree with your assessments.
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