The Little Mermaid is Queerer Than You Think

[@nyorumi5221]

As an autistic person with selective mutism, Ariel from the animated disney film is so important to me. I wasn't diagnosed until I was older, but it was my favourite Disney film as a kid, and coming into adulthood and getting seen for my medical issues and having explanations I realised why I saw so much of myself in her when I was a kid. I was a little girl who loved to sing, who lost my voice and struggled to speak, who obsessed over collections and other things many people around me thought where weird. I felt like I belonged nowhere and as I grew up I never thought anyone would want to spend time with me as a friend or otherwise. Ariel may or may not be autistic in that movie. I'm pretty sure the creators never intended that, but that doesn't mean she doesn't present many traits that I can relate to. And maybe her mutism was caused by something magical, and could ultimately be reversed, while mine was due to health issues. But still. She was incredibly important to me and still is.

[@alexandra1415]

ariel was a favourite of mine looking back i wasnt aware of a particular reason (other than maybe her being a redhead or just enjoying the story) but having also had selective mutism (mostly during school less so now) maybe I had a subconcious connection to her and your explanation is similar to my experience

[@missnaomi613]

Thank you for sharing your perspective/experience!

[@kaitlyn__L]

I was obsessed with mermaids before my autism diagnosis and related a lot specifically to Ariel in the film so I totally get where you’re coming from!

[@flo9]

This is also why I didn't like the change they made to Kiss the Girl. If you have to change something because it's genuinely bad or it's a gigantic plot hole like writing, fine. But why is it better having to specifically ask for a kiss when she's really quite obviously fishing for one but can't specifically tell you yes in spoken words any better?

[@planetaryg0]

there's another comment somewhere here explaining how the writer was autistic, so she very well may have been a metaphor for that too! :)

[@sunsinger7806]

This video is reminding me of the "Disney movies encourage disobedience to parents" idea that circulated through my Christian circles in the midwest. I was all aboard that train at the time. I didn't even think about Ariel being genuinely unhappy and her father being straight up wrong. Parents don't always know what's right for their children. That's an idea I didn't grasp until much later.

[@Absmagail129]

The reason why I never was allowed to watch the little mermaid until I was 16. Spoiler: I was rebellious anyway before I watched it!!! Lol

[@mandi4122]

Yeah my mom says something about that everytime and it's so hard not to say anything. But that's one thing I loved about the live action little mermaid at the end she tells her dad thank you for hearing me and king Triton says "you shouldn't have had to lose your voice to be heard" and that's just probably my favorite part now lol

[@Absmagail129]

@@mandi4122 I looooove that

[@taejasper1343]

No, they don't, but they do want to protect them from groomers like Disney who want have their kids sexualized in school by their teachers at ages 5 and 6 and whatnot!

[@nyves104]

I would like to point out that Eric does show 3 positive traits when Ariel first sees him: 1. dog lover 2. music lover and 3. ride or die for those he cares about

[@justcomments]

There’s very little good added to his character in the new remake, but the part I did appreciate was 4. He’s an explorer and likes to try new things

[@AngelavengerL]

I felt he was one of the princes that had a lot more personality. Maybe not as much as Philip or the Beast but leaps better than snow white's prince.

[@froregon]

Also, plays in a band, and is of the same station as Ariel. He's got a lot going for him.

[@justcomments]

@@froregon same station? They’ve always both been princess and prince, no?

[@SinfulRainbow]

​@@justcommentsin the new movie, Erik is not royalty by blood. He is adopted after being found after a shipwreck as a toddler

[@jennifers5560]

This video gave me the best response when people ask me why I always talk about “gay” things. “Because I have to offset people like you who demonize it!” 🌈🏳️‍🌈

[@ma.chariza9590]

Nobody cares

[@jennifers5560]

@@ma.chariza9590Ah, but you do care.

[@niencat]

❤ Jennifer. It is so sad that this is necessary still

[@taejasper1343]

No, you don't! You just need to let people have their own opinions and enjoy the movie if you like it, okay? That's all, no one's being transphobic or anything, they just simply don't like it because it looks terrible compared to the OG film and it's dark as hell, and it's yet another Disney live action remake nobody wants! That they didn't ask for at all!

[@jennifers5560]

@@niencat ❤️

[@dismaldoll2222]

Why do they blame something being bad because it’s “woke” and not because of bad writing, bad direction, bad acting etc. Isn’t saying that something’s bad just because it’s more diverse and inclusive the definition of bigotry.

[@jennifers5560]

Yes, it is. And I don’t understand why “woke” is even considered a bad thing. To me it means that you are more aware and considerate of other people’s experiences. That is not a bad thing.

[@Palindrome78]

Exactly.

[@ladyflimflam]

Bigotry is the point and what they want

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

​@@jennifers5560 When they say something is "woke" they just mean it has black people, women or gays and they don't like it. and if they say "i hate it because it has minorities" they would admit their bigotry, so they hide behind the abstract word "woke".

[@katerinazavadilova9440]

I think the criticism is meant to be that the creators prioritised being seen as promoting diversity over good storytelling. I suppose in theory there could be a story where this is a valid criticism, but in practice usually a creative choice for diversity doesn't make the story any worse and it's just homophobes being offended that they have to be reminded of queer people's existence...

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

Three things: 1) Jessica is literally dressed like a Disney Princess! Looking beautiful! 2) My first response to all the conservatives hating on the live action Little Mermaid was basically thinking about Hans Christen Andersen and Howard Ashman. And Ursula. So yeah. 3) Want to spotlight a similar Black Little Mermaid story called Once On This Island which essentially has elements of The Little Mermaid with a mix of Lodun/Carribean culture and ends tragically.

[@maitesoto1953]

Once on this island is beautiful!!! Definitely one of my favourite musicals, I love the recent-ish revival with Haley Kilgore

[@lyrablack8621]

I would much prefer to support _Once On This Island_ than Disney! Thanks for sharing

[@rheagalarneau1366]

I was just about to say this.

[@CazAvery]

Absolutely minor point, but Ariel is definitely a princess and Eric is a prince, so I think their social status is pretty much the same.

[@1901180108]

Eric's social status in his society is probably the same as Ariel's social status in hers, but it's hard to say how other humans and merpeople would have compared Ariel's and Eric's social standing. In the Andersen story, merpeople seemed to rank below humans because of their lack of immortal soul.

[@aspergianstoryteller6204]

Maybe because she's the youngest in her family whereas Eric appears to be an only child and thus immediate heir to the throne?

[@adriannegentleman83]

also I believe her father was the son of Persidon, so she is the granddaughter of a god, so perhaps her social status is higher than Erics,

[@KateCallen]

Yes, but neither monarchy recognises the other, so their families would each see the other as beneath them, no?

[@MintyFarts]

The age gap is the bigger issue here lol. Though she left her home and support systems for a foriegn place with foriegn ppl who struggle to relate to her.

[@hahalove47]

It makes me nuts whhen i hear people say "gay people make everything about their sexuality." Are you serious? It Friends or How I Met Your Mother not completely about heterosexuality? Nah. Instead it would just be called romantically focus. Well, so are queer love stories. They're stories about love

[@taylor3950]

That’s a great point.

[@sabrinacheek]

This!! People who say stuff like this are just admitting that *they* are hyper focused on LGBT individuals, and any appearance they make.

[@ShintogaDeathAngel]

@@sabrinacheek yep, and it’s hilarious. Like, they need to get a life!

[@kaitlyn__L]

I once had someone say drag should “never” be in kids media to me. Then I asked if they’d want to get rid of the original Little Mermaid. And they were like “I said drag! What’s The Little Mermaid got to do with drag?!” and I just replied with gifs of Ursula and Divine, then muted them lol.

[@Draggonny]

Us Brits find this whole idea of drag being sexual completely messed up. We're raised on pantomime pretty much from birth. Pantomime dames are not sexy. They're usually old guys dressed as frumpy, middle-aged women. They're a comedy act. Yes, there are adult drag acts that are completely inappropriate for children, just like any other stand-up or song and dance act may have adult words and themes. We had one of our greatest drag comedians, Lily Savage, present morning television. If they find drag queens to be too sexy for children, that's a them problem. Wearing women's clothing isn't sexual unless they make it so. Women's clothing serves the same function as men's clothing.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@Draggonny I totally agree. Though I’m noticing American conservative orgs are trying to change that here in the last few years… I’m not so sure how effective it will be, but they’re really trying. Occasionally, on times when I want a deeper discussion rather than just poking the hive, I’ve brought up drag usually being a comedy thing for kids over in the UK. But that usually makes them shut down completely, rather than gaining a new perspective (on how local contexts can alter the content of shows, and the content they usually see isn’t inherent to the artform). You even see that context difference in otherwise more progressive accepting sides of American political discourse too. Back around 2009, before American gay discourse had remembered trans women can be and often historically were drag queens, they were insisting any comedy act involving crossdressing was inherently transphobic. Once again, the sole context they personally saw a device used in became the only valid one in their political discussions. Though if there’s anything to be gained from that parallel (of course the goals etc were different, it’s only similar in the inductive reasoning behind it) is that these things come in fads. The American right didn’t really care about drag when they were bashing gay marriage. So hopefully this won’t be a lasting perseveration. (Not that I’m eagerly awaiting some other group being their target…)

[@rainkidwell2467]

​@@kaitlyn__La lot of us still feel that way, are you trans?

[@sdtwirix1126]

​@@rainkidwell2467Why, do you wanna have sex and with them? Cause like, that's a really weird way to ask that.

[@SgtKaneGunlock]

@@Draggonny yeah a good third of Monty python skits have at least one of them dress in drag

[@thiadesg]

I've always seen the original Little Mermaid tale to be about "sometimes you're attracted/in love with someone and they don't feel the same way, no matter what you do for them", aka "Don't change yourself for love", but your interpretations are very interesting too.

[@lianasophie]

I love hearing about the original stories of what were likely our favourite films growing up. The dark themes and undertones make it all the more relatable and captivating to us now.

[@lrfcowper]

I can remember being quite confused when Disney announced they were doing Hercules, since his labors started because he murdered his entire family -- wife and children -- in a fit of insanity. Definitely not family friendly fare, unless you're the Addams Family.

[@hannahryan3229]

I love how you explained this because merpeople to me have always been a big part of my life! My mom never understood why a neighbor friend of mine couldn't see little mermaid until I got older and heard her tell me "well they didn't like the fact of the gay propaganda in it, same reason she couldn't watch Tellietubbies! It's honestly ridiculous!" That same girl is shunned by her family for being a lesbian and I am her pan pal who helps her occasionally with cooking because uh this girl before I started helping could screw up rice and pasta! Anyway love you and hugs to all!

[@jennifers5560]

❤

[@manaash4316]

The Little Mermaid was MY MOVIE growing up. Like, I would watch it, sing along, and rewind over and over and over and then it was conveniently "lost" by my siblings in a move. And I watched this one early with my mom in theater, the very first showing we could get. I cried. It was everything I'd ever wanted. This makes it even better. ❤and it makes me very happy that young Black girls get that same experience of Ariel.

[@niamhl6964]

One of my favourite songs (makes me cry EVERY. TIME.) is Sheridan Square by Howard Ashman. It was never formally released, the recording on Spotify is only a demo, but it is the most heartbreaking song about the AIDS crisis. Howard Ashman was such a talent. His contributions to animated musicals cannot be understated, we wouldn't have most of the absolute bangers in the Disney discography if he hadn't basically invented the 'I Want' song with Alan Menken.

[@jerrihadding2534]

Jessica, I love you, Claudia and Rupert! We are blessed that you exist. A 74 year old American bi whose entire adult life has been a challenge of asserting my identity.

[@samiam2088]

Don’t underestimate the importance of BoDy LaNgUaGe!!

[@victoria_taing]

I think the ending to Anderson's version meant that you could end the relationship- kill the prince and have him out of your life- or stay friends, which may be painful but will worth it in the end.

[@ReySkywalker-cs3re]

In the live action version they cut out the song that the French chef sings about fish😔

[@wrenofwvnds]

there’s also a theory that hans christian andersen was autistic which contributes to this idea of ariel being a metaphor for passing or masking p.s u can still fall in love if ur asexual :)

[@elsakristina2689]

I’m autistic myself and from what I’ve read and heard I do believe Andersen was autistic. Especially in the early years of his fame and career it seems like a lot of people who knew and met him saw him as really awkward and forward and blunt and childlike but there’s nothing wrong with being those things.

[@freddie.spaghetti]

as a queer and autistic danish person who very much grew up with his stories, i love the possibility that one of the most celebrated historical figures in my country may have been like me in a lot of ways

[@elsakristina2689]

@@freddie.spaghetti I know the feeling (I feel the same way about Queen Kristina of Sweden even though I'm not Swedish), I hope it helps people see us more positively and really grasp that there's nothing wrong with any of it.

[@robinhahnsopran]

I literally can't find words enough to express how much I love this. Disney? Queerness? Discussion of Howard Ashman?! This video is for me! ✨

[@savyjett]

Yes voice actors! Nothing pulls me out of a story like hearing a voice i associate with another character from something entirely different, or just a voice that is highly recognizable itself.

[@BeatriceKirkman-vp8yp]

Hello how are you today

[@Jo-sg8qb]

Funny, I as a queer person saw the queerness of the story as soon as it was read to me as a child. Also, the ugly duckling, come on. But nobody believed me it was about queer peole. Now I can just link them your video. ❤

[@niencat]

The ugly duckling very much spoke to me as a hetero little girl. I stood out in my family and it felt very uncomfortable because my siblings were jealous, and I was awkward at school in social situations. At 58 i was diagnosed with high functioning autism. As a child, teenager and young adult I often felt lonely. I thought of myself as being normal, like other people, but others did not, apparently, based on their reactions. Stories can have many layers, as is also pointed out in Jessica's video about the little mermaid.

[@freddie.spaghetti]

yess the ugly duckling always spoke to me as a queer autistic kid who didn’t know i was either of those things, so i just thought i was weird and different and that there was something wrong with me

[@rorycharlesworthington]

as a trans guy, i adore the little mermaid and all the deep, queer backstory behind it. i'd love to, one day, play a male version of ariel in the stage show. like keep everything else the same, but it's explicitly gay now.

[@marianneshepherd6286]

Hi Jessica, as a fan of a metal, Mermaid Corpse would definitely be an amazing band name!!! I used to watch the 1971 reader's digest animation film on the Little Mermaid (it's completely faithful to the original story). Jon Solo does an interesting video on The Little Mermaid, and can there be some feminist elements to the original story.

[@jennifers5560]

Can you imagine in a year there is a chart topping song by Mermaid Corpse?!!

[@beyond-the-night]

And to think that Ariel and Mulan have always been my absolute favorite Disney princesses XD. I've always loved mermaids (but that probably started with the movie as well.) It's crazy how these things can end up relating to us later in life in ways we didn't necessarily even notice originally. (I mean this all in a good way.)

[@HOHNancy]

I enjoyed learning the history of Hans Christian Anderson and “The Little Mermaid”. Thank you, Jessica! 😊

[@catherine-eggallergyinmd]

Girl you should've given us grab some tissues warning 😭. Very beautiful breakdown and you look lovely just like Ariel in her pink ball gown. I hope your family enjoys the live action movie.

[@BryonyClaire]

The little mermaid is my fav Disney movie, always has been, and the 2010's "hot takes" overlook so much that made the story special, and i love the original story too! Thank you for making this video, Howard Ashman was such an influential person, and if people haven't watched the documentaries on him or seen his other work, i implore you to

[@gracelarmee]

I love Jessica's videos where she makes me rethink movies I haven't watched since I was little and truly dive into the full story behind them

[@LifeguardOutofWater]

This topic is so important! But I have to say: Two seconds into the video and I immediately said OMG about that gorgeous pink dress. So wonderful! Thank you for talking about this and for showing us amazing fashion at the same time!

[@juliannehannes11]

It's also speaks towards dissability, I loved the movie as a kid because being deaf until I was five and back then labeled "communitively handicap" I identified with her losing her voice and not being understood

[@IllyDragonfly]

I don't like most remakes of famous Disney movies because they are a lot CGI and nothing new is added to the plot, but I did appreciate the variety in skintones of the characters... also makes sense the merpeople were queer because they are half fishes and many fishes can change gender depending on certain conditions

[@sabrinacheek]

I'm really happy someone made a video about this! I've been telling every person I know about this stuff for the longest time.

[@Efryd]

I am literally at the moment finishing up my master's thesis on lesbian mermaid literature! And one of the novels I'm writing about is a retelling of the Little Mermaid (the Mermaids Daughter by Ann Claycomb - highly recommend)

[@writethepath8354]

Not to super defend Eric or anything, but 1) dog-lover, big points, often closely tied to general animal lover which can indicate a) compassion or b) misanthropy 2) flautist; see Terry Crews I guess 3) sailor --> should be able to tie knots Eta, 4) when Ariel manages the cart jump, he takes a hint, kicks back and enjoys the ride

[@kathybramley5609]

"Woke" - originally from black US English for political consciousness - has become a straight up slur, if being black is the target. But you ask people and they struggle to define it, unless they define it truer to the original meaning.

[@scilines]

“Vintage pink puffball” 😅😂

[@TransGuyShane]

I'm here super early so haven't gotten far into the video yet but I love the title and would 1000% be down for more of these videos , like , is mulan gayer than you think? (Yes because 1 she saved China while binding and is a trans icon to me and 2 shang totally wanted to bone mulan when she was a dude and 3 they all do drag by the end of the movie) ♡♡ Also happy pride month everyone It might be hard right now but we gotta stay visible and stand together ♡

[@jilliank6379]

One of the animators said he suggested the line “Ping, if you were a girl I’d kiss you” for Li Shang

[@TransGuyShane]

@@jilliank6379 totally should have had that in there ♡ Genuinely my favourite animated movie ever 😍

[@jennifers5560]

I think Mulan is pretty gay, not sure if it can be gayer than I think! 😁🌈

[@TransGuyShane]

@@jennifers5560 we can always make something gayer 😂

[@kmxbmx]

Yes! Even when I was a junior queer, the sexual tension between Shang & boy drag Mulan was palpable. I never saw the live action version bc Disney filmed in the same province as the Uyghur re-education camps and literally thanked the provincial government, but that’s a whoooole other conversation…

[@sleepyspacegremlin]

When I was little, The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite movies! I think that's why I keep coloring my hair red, too. I'm so glad that it's queer!

[@MagnoliaPantherWoman]

Great video. I enjoy people's history and you're so good at telling it. I didn't know any of this before, and knowing makes the movies much more meaningful. Now I want to rewatch them. 😀

[@jennifers5560]

Right? Now that you have all this new info, you want to watch it with all this mind.

[@victoriabungart4330]

The Little Mermaid has always meant so much to me because it's about a girl breaking away from what her family wants and going after what she wants instead. That's been my whole life because I've had to live according to my parents standards (and often abuse) for years, and I'd give anything for my parents to have a change of heart like Triton 😭 the live action film is my favorite Disney live action and I'd wager that it's better than the original film 🥰🥰 I'm so in love with everything, the music, the scenery, the acting, the added bits to the story. It's so beautiful ❤ Thank you for this video 😊

[@andreakoroknai1071]

So, the 1989 Little Mermaid was the first movie I ever saw in a theater, it's also like one of my earliest memorie, absolutely loved it as a kid and in my teens I read Clarissa Pinkola Estes' Women Who Run with the Wolves and in it she talks about how the original moral of the story was lost in the Disney movie and I kind of felt, yes, that's accurate as I'd struggled in trying so hard to be "good" for others and losing myself in the process. I'm interested to hear this take on the movie

[@DoranGale]

The mermaid’s refusal to kill could be interpreted as acknowledgment that being queer was considered a mortal sin by so many at the time-she recognizes that going any further would be wrong and gives up, earning salvation. But she spends all those centuries serving in purgatory! Yeah, I think that’s how the writer regarded the rest of his life and the heteronormative masquerade he’d never escape.

[@youtubeuserremainsanonymou9022]

A point I hear in favor of the new one. Eric has a personality that clicks with Ariel's well now. All the sea creatures were screwed with CGI but the mermaids and Eric sound like they are handled well.

[@HellerKeller]

Wow I forgot I read the original story!! Thank you for helping my recollection. All of these old fairy tales were quite dark.

[@JuMixBoox]

What an awesome, well researched video!

[@rainygreymornings]

Jessica, this video is SO GOOD! As I queer literary scholar, I respect the work you’re doing here so much. The nuance. The research. Fantastic. ✨

[@hatsterical2475]

My take as a small kid from the original hans christian andersen ending of the little mermaid was that she was meant to kill the guy, but couldn't bare to, since she could see he was happy. She didn't want to ruin that for him, so her only choice was to drop into the water, and become seafoam; I saw this as a self sacrifice, that was then rewarded by angels, and so in the stories language, it was then the right thing to do. In retrospect, I believe that this can be read as a queer person seeing their friend they love is happy, and metaphorically stepping back to allow them that happiness. The killing is maybe less a literal idea that Hans Christian Andersen had maybe cross his mind, but if this is all a metaphor for the love he may have held for his friend, he saw the act of trying to gain his love as forcing his friend to be something he is not, and so he felt he had to step back, and not live how he truly wanted, I.E maybe to be together with his friend. The story from there can then be read as the love was sinful or something, but I don't think it's that narrow? Who knows. What I tend to read it as personally, is a person had an imagined choice of being with their friend, but realised that one person would be unhappy either way (if the friend participated in some relationship or did not) and decided that they would be the person to be unhappy, so that their friend could live how they wanted.

[@jennag7650]

The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin all have the same theme of people who are “not supposed to” be together…

[@TwistedGlitter]

I grew up hating pink and "girly" things due to my parents demanding I like that stuff JUST because I'm a girl. It took until adulthood and finding aesthetics I like to realize I don't actually hate it. I just hate being told I have to like it.

[@leannverhoff3572]

I’m so glad I stumbled upon on your channel! I’ve learned so much since finding it.

[@αστέρια4]

i think that why i hated these movies with princesses so much as a child is because i was forced to watch them and if i didn’t want to it was ‘not girly’ i didn’t wanna do ‘girly’ things i liked playing with my brothers hot wheels. every christmas i would ask people to please get me remote control cars, toy cars, sports equipment, and more ‘boy’ things years in a row. (and my birthday) the only people who got me that stuff were my parents otherwise i would just got dolls and typical ‘girl’ stuff. at one point this stuff was so forced apon me where i wanted a cinderella remote control carriage. those i doubt exist, i knew i didn’t actually want one but my brothers never let me play with their stuff. you know, that’s a pretty sick thing to do to a young girl. in second grade i wanted a pair of boy shoes with like blues, orange, black, because they only sold light up pink, purple, and narrow small shoes. my parents allowed me to get some and i loved them. why are we forceing stuff on kids like that? my twin brother would wear my ana, elsa and ariel dress and wigs and i would play with his cars. who cares, it’s a child aren’t they supposed to love that kind of stuff?

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

I enjoy hearing history like this! Thank you Jessica!

[@lauramathews3151]

Eagerly awaiting Mulan. And Li Shang's bi/ pan identity crisis. This Ping guy makes me crazy. I really like this guy Ping. Why am I so into this guy Ping?What does that mean about me? Wait Ping isn't a guy...Ping's a girl?!?! Do I still like Ping? What does that mean about me? I do still like Ping... I wanna pursue Ping. The question is did Li Shang think he liked boys until Ping turned out to be Mulan... or did he think he like girls until this guy Ping came along and was coming to terms with that, and then was blindsided that Ping is actually Mulan.... so he's bi/PANicking and Mulan could be genderfluid or NB....

[@lauratukey3584]

I haven't seen many of your videos in my newsfeed lately and then I saw this one and was delighted now I'm going to have to go and see what I've missed

[@Bookwormscififan]

This was interesting!! I’d like to see what you have to say about the 1998 adaptation of the Little Mermaid, which had one song that was about trash polluting the ocean That’s the one my sister and I grew up watching

[@jonjamesminer]

You look fabulous! But I got real distracted by the vpl on the book cover for My Dear Boy....

[@dannieden5049]

Great episode! I can't wait see the one on Mulan!

[@TheBethaiable]

Having read all H. C. Andersons original stories, i understand why they changed them for kids XD

[@jennifers5560]

So gruesome!

[@niencat]

I read the stories as a kid, because i loved fairytales and was a member of a public library. I read them between age 8 and 12, in compilations of fairytales by different writers or found them i a series of books called Winter Book and which i got for my birthday or Santa Claus day (6 december) as a present. Santa Claus day is very much celebrated here esp in families with children. We had no tradition of giving Christmas presents here in the Netherlands, until the late 1980s, when under the influence of the many USA movies and series the giving of presents at Christmas became a thing. Also, many households had much more money to spend than the generations before. They were not that gruesome, i was used to the tales by the Grimm brothers, but found them very very sad. Written by a poetic gentle soul. The story of the mermaid did not affect me much, i found her silly to try to change for such a superficial person, but i thought the end was a comfort. To turn into sea foam was such a beautiful notion for me. I believe in a very loving Be-ing, Superpower, Force, and if in the original story ending the mermaid entered heaven, then that would have felt as very right and normal and as a fact to my child world view.

[@louise102nd]

He has an amazing musical ear as he's able to instantly recreate the song he heard while half drowned

[@lexshizumdot2115]

I have watched this movie so many times because I used to work at a movie theater. Than you for your video, and the good memories it brought back

[@_paige_adelle_]

Wow! I loved hearing so much about the history of this tale! Thank you Jessica for making this video! It was fascinating 😊

[@HorizonOfHope]

Hans Christian-Anderson likely wrote this story as an allegory for his own life as a gay man unable to love openly. 😢

[@Aemirys]

Ooh can't wait for you to do Mulan!

[@marieonishenko]

Love this video. Your content always makes me feel good and informed.

[@TheoRae8289]

So, uh, when I got into The Little Mermaid when I was younger, I can definitely point at her as my first queer crush. I wanted to be the one Ariel had fallen in love with because she wouldn't have had to worry about not meeting the 3-day deadline. Fast forward 30 years and I'm on testosterone and genderless. 😅

[@zizalka99]

I love love love this video! I need so many more on other animated movies!

[@Waterflame]

Can someone tag me if/when the captions get fixed? They're currently showing up as a huge lump in the first second, and cutting off everything but the last few minutes, which is completely unhelpful.

[@kaz555]

Thank you for giving me new respect and love for my favourite Disney film.

[@DoeiDenise]

You did amazing research ❤

[@Max-ww6uj]

Princess Merida from Brave would be a great queer analysis? I was always so drawn to the whole "change your faith" thing and I mean she was not interested in marriage at all... but was she lgbt? I never found the answer! For me she is, as she is the symbol of being brave to come out :)

[@dinosaurs_rule]

I love that!! I've personally always thought about Merida as an aroace icon :)

[@Max-ww6uj]

@@dinosaurs_rule yeah that's what I thought of too! would be interesting to see if there are any clues that could confirm she is :)

[@dinosaurs_rule]

@@Max-ww6uj it really would be! It's honestly one of my favoutite disney films, I love the ones that aren't just centered around finding a prince

[@ookamiblade6318]

@@dinosaurs_rulebonus points for being an archery pun 🏹♠︎

[@dinosaurs_rule]

@@ookamiblade6318 it wasn't even intentional, but I shall gladly accept said bonus points :D

[@MintyFarts]

I want to aloe point out how Ariel is Autistic coded. When I was a child I was OBSESSED with her and saw so much of myself in her. Now I'm finally diagnosed as an adult and a scientist with collections and special interests lol

[@schist7867]

I’d be so interested in your take on strange world and the upcoming Elio!

[@tigerwolf2243]

When I was a teen in the 2000s, I remember being surprised to learn that my mom was opposed to gay marriage, because she liked movies like The Little Mermaid, who's message so obviously seemed to be that it doesn't matter what's below the waist when it comes to love. Hell, Beauty and the Beast, her favorite movie, is a romance between a human and non-human.

[@SpookyVintageGal]

Excellent points! You are always so insightful. I really appreciate that. And I love that dress!

[@keepcalmandslitheron9115]

10:53 so excited for the Mulan deep dive (coming hopefully soon!)

[@psychobiddy]

I love all of Jessica's content, but her video essays are my favorite. It's so nice to see a video essay where the creator and/or narrator looks genuinely excited about the topic. I hope we'll see more of these in the future.

[@carmuranO3O]

I love you so much Jessica. In the name of humanity, thank you for this video ❤

[@AngelavengerL]

Beautiful video! So much of this really resonated with me.

[@dark_baphomet]

Melissa McCarthy was amazing as Úrsula, I’m not a fan of hers so I wasn’t sure what to expect but she blew me away, she was entirely perfect as Úrsula and played the character perfectly

[@Jiddy12345]

Friend of mine wrote a play about exactly this. Different friend got to direct the play and is friends with Andersen's descendants who let him read his letters.

[@zebraskin]

I had the Katsumata version of little mermaid, which she does die at the end; but what my little queer self loved is that the mermaids were topless.

[@reneemckinnon5731]

I think you always dress beautifully but the neckline of this dress (I’m assuming it’s a dress) is everything! 💞🫶🏽💞 The pink is also gorgeous 😊💞

[@BeatriceKirkman-vp8yp]

Hello how are you today

[@logo9470]

Loved this! More please!! ❤

[@figmo397]

Re: HC Andersen being gay, it's sad that he was unable to enjoy a healthy relationship with a man out in the open. I'd have to see his letters to better judge whether he was gay or a latent transexual woman (also possible). I love your analysis of the story, given what we know about HC Andersen. It sounds like a Master's thesis topic. Heck, if you have a bachelor's degree, you could do that yourself! I also agree with your opinion of Pat Carroll, who was WONDERFUL and highly underrated. Apparently she was just as nice in RL as she was great as a performer. I sat next to someone who worked for her at a recording session at a comedy club in 1980, and he only had good stuff to say about her.

[@Nyx_chaos18]

I’ve never clicked something so fast I’m my life this will from now on be how I look at the little mermaid because I’m non-binary and I do feel like Ariel

[@emilywhite8626]

This video blew my mind 🤯 thank you for the education, Jessica! 🧜🏻‍♀️

[@esthermeyerhoff4113]

As someone who grew up with the original animated films, I also don't want a scene for scene remake of the original. I want something new and fresh. A different take on the story. If I wanted the same story I would watch the original.

[@madebymaryssa]

Another fun fact about the 1989 animated movie: apparently, when they were doing the character designs, somebody argued against making Ariel a redhead because "everyone knows" mermaids are blonde. Another fun fact about the original story's ending: there are caveats on how long it takes her to get a soul! Every time a child obeys their parents, a year gets taken off how long she needs to wait, but every time a child *defies* their parents, five years get added on. So be an obedient child if you want the Little Mermaid to get into Heaven someday! (Not one of the more subtle moments of religious proselytizing in Anderson's stories, although - amazingly - also not his most blatant.) I've read that Anderson's struggle to fit into high society is also one of the interpretations of "The Ugly Duckling". Based on the movie opening, Eric really loves sailing as well as his dog, so ... that's two things? He's also willing to take in a stranger and show her around town to distract himself from pining for his Mysterious Rescuer, accidentally falling in love with the 'new' girl along the way (though, comically, doesn't start trying to figure out her name until the next night). He says he wants to fall in love - "Trust me, when I find her, I'll know. It'll just, bam, hit me. Like lightning." - but he also wants to have more going on his personal life than Just That. I kind of assume Eric is a Spare Heir, with an estate and some governing responsibility over the nearby town, because the movie doesn't bother getting into the political implications of his relationships. ('Sleeping Beauty' justifies quickly getting together with "betrothal at birth/young age", and 'Cinderella' justifies it with the King *really* wanting grandkids. In 'Beauty and the Beast', the prince was able to disappear for 10 years with no consequences, so again he was probably a Spare Heir.) If Eric were immediate heir to a larger kingdom, I feel like he would've been under more pressure to Marry And Produce An Heir, but his parents/advisors would have strong opinions on *who* he married. Ariel, once her identity was outed, could be justified by *any* kingdom wanting a good relationship with the King Of The Sea, but the immediate marriage Ursula tried to pull as Vanessa would've hit a stumbling block. The greatest law in any story is, naturally, Narrative Convenience.

[@jimbolic0809]

FANTASTIC and nuanced video essay. I loved this. You've basically expressed all the points for me in defending 'The Little Mermaid' and other Disney princesses.

[@soulfoodsmama2980]

Thank you for this, I appreciate your work! Eagerly waiting for the Mulan is bisexual AF video 🖤

[@DangerousKaos]

This was so great. Ursula was always my fave. And I was always a fan of the villains lmao. I guess that was my origin story into the LGBTQ community hehehe

[@MariannesStudio]

Thank you so much for this! I knew about the author's queerness but NOT about the movies queerness :')

[@cassierobertson5778]

I will die on the hill that her hair is NOT red. That's my biggest complaint. (Although what they did to poor Flounder should be a shunnable offense.)

[@tobyameson3159]

Lovely analysis, Jessica, thank you ❤

[@UntitledWorkInProgress]

I was wondering if perhaps the part about ending the prince’s life to become a mermaid again could’ve been a metaphor for the pressure to ‘kill’ the queer part of yourself and conform to CisHet society, especially the families who offer to take you back in if you fit in with that society since it was her sisters who presented that option to her. It also seems like the rejection of that option and that the mermaid does eventually gain a soul after a long period in purgatory could be a metaphor for choosing freedom even though it’s a difficult path to venture, and that everyone is worthy of heaven or a happily ever after despite whatever phobic nonsense some awful ppl spew.

[@FunFilmFare]

I think Hans Christian Anderson is like Liz Kessler. Both wrote very queer-coded mermaid stories (The Little Mermaid/The Tail of Emily Windsnap), about mermaids trying to pass as human and in forbidden love with humans. Except Kessler is openly queer, and straight up admits the queer influence on her story 🏳‍🌈 (@00:20-@00:36 The Ariel casting controversy reminds me of a childhood incident. When I fancasted Liz Kessler's story, people hated me suggesting Antonio Banderas as the merman Jake, and instead suggested White/Anglo actors instead. Guess mermaids can’t be Hispanic. Being Hispanic myself you can imagine how I felt about that. I bet those same haters started #NotMyAriel.)

[@varvara9624]

A minor detail but - Victorian values in Denmark? I am not so sure about that. Andersen was christian after all, and Denmark was quite different from England to call it "victorian"

[@fionariley8004]

eric doesn't just like dogs! he also likes boats.

[@BearWomanWisdom]

In my little queer polyamorous heart, Hans got his happy ending with the Collins as a triad and that’s why they stayed ‘friends’ after they had to get married and were ultimately buried together. It was also historically plausible that a gay/bi man would marry a woman as society deemed socially expected/acceptable (especially a high society man) but had male lovers and Vice versa.