Why 'The Little Mermaid' is a feminist film

Yahoo Entertainment's Gwynne Watkins makes the argument of why 'The Little Mermaid' is a feminist film. Let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree. #TheLittleMermaid
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[@fcv4616]

The way I read it, when Ursula "advices" Ariel that men prefer women to be quiet, it's not supposed to be a moral for the audience, it's more of a critique and a satire. Women in the past were indeed expected to be demure and abide to their husbands wishes, so in a way they were mute. Considering that TLM is meant to be set somewhere in the 19th century, this would probably have been true for most women in Eric's kingdom. Yet, Eric didn't fall in love for her beauty: what's more, he almost never really comments on it. He fell in love with her voice, and by the time he met Ariel in her mute, human form, he was still interested in finding the girl who sang to him at the beach. To me this is symbolic: not only because Ariel's voice is gorgeous, it reflects that Eric actually wants a woman who can express herself, proving Ursula wrong that all men want women to be quiet. It also means that Ariel has to charm Eric with her personality, which she does, and this prompts Ursula to meddle directly, for she realised that Ariel is capable of outmatching her. We even see how Grimbsy, the butler, nudged Eric to consider Ariel instead of her dream girl, saying "one of flesh and blood, one warm and caring...and right before your eyes", without saying anything about her beauty. But it's not until Ariel confronts Ursula and regains her voice that Eric finally is convinced. So, with all this, we see that the movie never showed or implied that all girls should aspire to is to be pretty and land some guy. It was Ariel's sweetness, curiosity and more importantly, her voice, what got her the man she loved, and also it was her determination and rebelliousness what got her to finally live her dream to live on land. I think that's pretty empowering.

[@stargirlabi_111]

shes also a villain, so.....clearly all her advice was trying to harm ariel

[@seiya-chon]

Wow, I never thought about this! I just thought that Ursula was trying to convince Ariel to give up her voice, since she's naive and doesn't know that much about humans.

[@IAmDasani]

Love this take!

[@AlexandraRammstein]

Yes and this is correct. But new version is ugly to the verge where no romance and woman doesn't need man. It is Ariel should be convinced instead Eric. That's why I like 1989 movie and all bout it and hate new one.

[@Berrygirl6784]

Actually thats the truth these woke people always make everything their agenda😂​@@seiya-chon

[@chapatiou]

Feeling almost nostalgic remembering singing my hope to get away of my toxic family.

[@peterlane1391]

Onay, this is why I find feminism as a concept annoying. Little Mermaid is not only a feminist movie. It is one of the most feminist things Disney has ever made. The movie begins with a literal patriarch having his daughters, displayed there for their beauty and singing talent, entertain the kingdom by praising him and showing themselves off. Ariel is supposed to be the centerpiece of this display. Instead she's on a typically given to male characters adventure to explore the ocean floor and learn about another world. Later we see she has an amazing collection that tells us she's been doing this for years. She has a male sidekick who is weaker and more fearful than she is, and she rescues him from a shark and outwits it on her way to get knowledge about her latest finds. Her "I want" song is about exploring a new world and learning about it, something she's being prevented from doing 'for her own good' by the patriarch in her life who's convinced he knows what's good for her and doesn't listen to her feelings and emotions. Then she saves the prince from dying, falling in love the same way Disney princes have done without comment, sometimes without names, for decades. She's cast as the pursuer, the person coming up with plans to see the prince and get his attention. Every decision is hers. Then her patriarch destroys her life's work, her entire identity, to teach her a lesson and make her realize she needs his protection and authority to stay safe. Unwilling to bend to said authority, she again takes matters into her own hands, risking everything for the power to achieve her dream. It's when Triton finally sees how much trouble trying to strongarm Ariel instead of listening to her and giving her the tools to achieve her dreams causes that he finally gives her those tools allowing Ariel to become the unifying princess, and someday queen, of two entire kingdoms. That's a metric fuckton of feminism. the response? Screw that movie! She fell in love with a man and took risks to get him so it sucks. Are you kidding me? Not one feminist has ever said Aladdin is a bad role model for boys because he falls in love with a princess who barely talked to him and gives up literally all the power in the known universe for a chance to maybe please a fifteen year-old girl. They essentially made Ariel a Disney prince, but that wasn't enough for feminists. And the prince? My God! So Eric is the type of guy who finds a half naked hot girl on the beach and helps her. Not from romantic interest, or because he wants pussy, or because he expects her to be someone or do something for him. He helps her because she needs help. He's not some macho, bold ass adventurer who loves big statues of himself. He's a charming, sensitive, guy who loves the sea and his dog. He takes Ariel out for a ride not to woo her, but to entertain her, develops feelings for her naturally, based on more than just her looks, never makes a move without permission (Kiss the Girl is a song that applies to that exact situation only, where Ariel needs a kiss to avoid slavery. They're not encouraging people to randomly kiss women without permission. They're encouraging Eric to save Ariel from the sea witch), and then risks drowning twice to help Ariel. He's a gentleman, a good guy, and an excellent example for boys about supporting rather than exploiting women in their lives. He is not an afterthought. Every Disney prince before him was an afterthought. Disney would go on to make Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, movies that are even more feminist than this one, an entire movie about why it's wrong for the patriarchy to control women and another one about a woman refusing to conform to society, rejecting toxic masculinity, and surviving domestic abuse without letting her abuser off the hook. Those wouldn't be enough either. In the end, Disney would have to find a story about a woman saving all of China by infiltrating an all male army to finally satisfy these people. Meanwhile Disney's been empowering women for decades. Gadget from Rescue Rangers is a female mouse who loves science and engineering, is smart, assertive, resourceful, witty, and popular enough to have her own damn religion. Gosling from Darkwing Duck: a tomboy who defies gender stereotypes to love and be excellent at sports and action instead of the things girls are traditionally supposed to like. Rebecca from TaleSpin is an assertive, professional, highly capable single parent and business school graduate who owns her own business and has male subordinates. And that's why feminism annoys me. Nothing is ever enough.

[@NoobGamer69X]

TLDR

[@peterlane1391]

@@NoobGamer69X Fine. Feminists hate on movies despite those movies being full of feminism. I find it annoying.

[@noashaham5438]

Yes. Thank you so much for this wonderful essay!

[@peterlane1391]

@@noashaham5438 Thanks. I appreciate that sentiment

[@beethovensfidelio]

@Will NPersonally, I would argue that it was MADISON the mermaid from “Splash” (a “Disney” film that predated “The Little Mermaid” by FIVE YEARS) who paved the way for Disney heroines to be more proactive and empowered in their stories, not Ariel. To quote the article “How Disney’s 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩 Paved the Way for Its Heroines” (see link below):⁣ ⁣ “𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀, 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗵’𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 (𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻) 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮 (𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚), 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙯𝙚𝙣’𝘀 𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 - 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟬𝘀, 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘀, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬𝘀. 𝙎𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝’𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗶𝗿 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 (𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹).”⁣ ⁣ “𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺, 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗸’𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁. 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀 - 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺.” ladyclever.com/culture/how-disneys-splash-paved-the-way-for-its-heroines/

[@julieshez387]

Yes Ariel can trust the faith in humanity but she still has to be careful who she trust as to be less oblivious, naive and gullible on humans are all good thing just like she couldn't trust anyone under the sea like Ursula obviously the whole thing, hopefully getting it straight in case that everyone on land and sea has a free-will choice to choose right or wrong to be good people/good creatures or bad people/bad creatures not all of them can be trusted but to trust some so if this getting the idea about life thing just to make sense.

[@julieshez387]

Star-crossed lovers between Ariel and Eric like Romeo and Juliet style Forbidden love due to king Triton's racist hatred for humans in the movie just like the original story by Andersen The little mermaid dies in the end while her prince lives is a similar story to William Shakespeare's play in a different way except for the Disney Happy ending version little mermaid movie.

[@arielfilmsinc1926]

Since it's 1989 release the film is VASTLY underrated and it's accomplishments (yes surpassed)all but forgotten. The VERY studio Disney itself is to blame

[@beethovensfidelio]

How is it underrated and forgotten?

[@arielfilmsinc1926]

AS I stated it does not get the respect IT DESERVES HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET A BROADWAY SHOW? IS ARIEL BAD BECAUSE SHE MARRIES? NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR THAT SHE WAS THE FIRST TO HAVE A CHILD? THE TV SERIES? Disney did NOT promote it in 1992 CBS however DID And as stated at video's end Ariel DID INSPIRE BUT for some reason she is NOT acknowledged or she is overtook by another character who owes THEIR existence to the vermillion haired mermaid

[@beethovensfidelio]

@@arielfilmsinc1926 what do you mean Ariel is overtook by another character who owes her existence to another vermillion hair mermaid? What vermillion haired mermaid? You mean Madison the mermaid from “Splash”? I mean, yeah, in a way “Splash” did save Disney because thanks to its box office success, Disney was able to release a bunch of grownup movies under the “Touchstone Pictures” banner like “Down and Out in Beverly Hills”, “Good Morning, Vietnam”, and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” (the latter in which kickstarted the Disney renaissance contrary to those who say it was “The Little Mermaid”). And yes, it did take a while for “The Little Mermaid” to get produced on Broadway but I fail to see how that indicates Disney being ashamed of “The Little Mermaid”.

[@beethovensfidelio]

@@arielfilmsinc1926 The problem is that the film starts out with Ariel being curious and interested about the human world, but then all that gets shafted once Ariel falls in love with Eric, as if to say pursuing romance is more important than pursuing knowledge. To quote Gaston, “It’s not right for a woman to read. Soon, she starts getting ideas, thinking…”. Why couldn’t Ariel have knowledge AND a rich husband? I wish the film had Ariel really applying her knowledge about the human world and asking questions to get some answers. Sure, she got to explore Eric’s kingdom and learned that people operate puppets with their hands, BUT that sequence lasts only a minute, and the rest of the movie is more devoted to getting true love’s kiss. Maybe instead of the sequel having Ariel be a hypocritical mother who prevents her daughter Melody from exploring the ocean and embracing her mermaid heritage, they should’ve focused on Ariel exploring and learning during her honeymoon with Eric because you never stop learning. Heck, Eric should’ve loaned Ariel his library. At least the TV series rectified this issue by having Ariel be more exploratory and actually applying her “knowledge” about the human world. Ariel’s “I Want” song is called “Part of THAT World”, and her reprise is called “Part of YOUR World” (the latter in which refers to her desire to be with Prince Eric). Sure, Ariel always wanted to be human prior to being with Prince Eric, but, if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have gone to Ursula, so I think that’s why people tend to say “She gave it all up for a man” because the movie seems to base her desires all around HIM. Eric may have been the inciting incident, but to say that her desire to go on land wasn’t in anyway shape or form motivated by Eric, even a bissel, is intellectually dishonest. This blog article pretty much sums up my thoughts: bibliophilesreverie.com/2014/03/16/unadulterated-rant-sunday-disney-edition-why-i-think-the-little-mermaid-is-anti-feministanti-humanist/

[@arielfilmsinc1926]

@@beethovensfidelio Like many here I joined you tube to express my self and would love to have oodles of followers but as in my life before the net was invented no one listens or Ignorance is bliss and I DO NOT want to turn this into a rant Vermillion is another color for red so THAT refers to Ariel and Believe it or not Ariel was NOT the first red headed mermaid AND Disney Renaissance began WELL BEFORE 1989 It began in the eighties with a slow and steady process of embracing new technologies vhs beta new ways to watch televison cable channel new forms of self and social expresion and basic NOSTALGIA DUE to the entirenature of the decade of the eighties.. for the children of previous decades were "running things and at the me time wanted to go back to their past. Little Mermaid was frankly the END of the Disney renaissance. The ninties can be called the Pyrite age aka Fools Gold due to how ignorance a factor at ALL times seem to become a virtue instead of a shortcoming AND MY USE OF CAPITALS is a MEANS to EMPHIZE my points SINCEI DO NOT KNOW AND AS I STATED in 1991 despite deserved OR OTHERWIS success The character is giving the bums rush due to "politics"duriring the studio at the time I responded to this video because it acknowledged a film though FLAWED for it's positive vibes something the very studio that made said film DOES NOT DO try to emphizize this with my points and even if it s pho to net ic ally expressed or as simple as possible From 1991 to 2000 the film got little to NO positive buzz Hell I was in Kay bee Toy once when they used to play songs in the store Part of Your World was playing the male half of the "traditional" couple thought the film was Beauty and the beast Latly I HATE doing these nd of responses for no matter HOW MUCH I TRY NOT TO upset someone someone is offended or does not understand why my "worthless opinion" is better (or worse) THEN THEIR "worthless opinion" And in our SICK world today it is the LAST THING we need right now

[@Remythechef]

The bashing and hatred that Ariel gets from femnazis and SJWS is that Ariel solely wanted to leave home for a man. But this reasoning is wrong! The film makes it clear very early on in the first appearance that we see Ariel that she has an interest in humans and the human world LONG before Eric came into the picture. He was just another reason why the human world wasn’t deserving of hatred. Ariel cares and values human life and saw past her fathers racist and prejudiced attitudes towards the above world, going as far as to save one from drowning. Does that technically make Ariel the least self centered princess in the canon? And besides, we as the audience know that Ariel is right from the beginning as the film literally opens up with us seeing the representation of the good in humanity (Eric) and the relationship that the humans have with the merfolk world, as they just thought of the merfolk world as nothing but myth and legends and didn’t believe in them. Triton was racist and hated the humans because he saw them as bloodthirsty savages who would kill Ariel in an instant if they saw her, the reasoning for this is because her mother was killed by a humans ship in an accident and got the wrong idea about humans from the start. And here’s the thing, Triton knew he was wrong to hate the humans and he knew he was wrong to hold Ariel back from her life, it was the extremely painful memories of her mothers death that clouded his judgement and resulted in him nearly losing everything. But more on that later. Ariel was in the right to be trusting and more accepting of the above world and human life where Triton was wrong, he even goes as far as to say that Eric would have been “One less human to worry about.” And would have been ok if an innocent human being he didn’t even know dying. And if your incensed that Ariel didn’t even know who Eric even was, I would like to remind you that Ariel is not foolish enough to expose herself to the humans and had to remain hidden, and this was the first time Ariel ever saw humans in her life, up until this point, she never saw any humans up close before and the first time she saw Eric, she saw him as a kind hearted, heroic, brave, selfless good person who put others interests as opposed to his own and treats women with respect and would settle for just any woman. And he was eternally grateful for his mysterious rescuer (Ariel) even if he didn’t fully know who she was at first and only remembered her for her voice. One of the most inaccurate and completely unfair criticisms that is so not true in the slightest is that Ariel was somehow involved with Ursula’s plan to steal Tritons throne, but this criticism comes from a place of complete misunderstanding and failure to understand context and subtext, Ariel had no knowledge of Ursula’s plot in the slightest because of the following reasons, She has never met Ursula before in her life and didn’t have any confirmation that she was good or bad, Ursula never told Ariel anything about her plan and lied to her face about it, and pretended and made up her story that her witchcraft and dark magic was a part of her job and was using her magic to quote unquote “help merfolk”. And this is the biggest gripe I have against this criticism, Ariel didn’t chose to go to Ursula, she was emotional manipulated by Ursula to make a deal with her, so none of this was Ariel’s choice in the slightest, if anything it’s King Triton’s fault for doing this, he destroyed Ariel’s grotto right in front of her and said that Eric would be better off dead. If anything, it’s HIS fault that Ursula went crazy, not Ariel. His clearly wrong hatred and prejudiced attitude towards the above world nearly cost him his kingdom and almost cost him his daughter. So no, Ariel should not be blamed for what happened, for it’s not her fault. Besides, people don’t seem to have any problem with Hades manipulating Hercules with his weak spot into making a deal with him, so why should this be any different? Another clearly wrong and unfair criticism that Ariel “changed herself” or “gave up her voice” but that simply isn’t true, again, Ariel was manipulated by Ursula into making a deal with her and stole her voice from Ariel, because she knew that Ariel would fail faster if she went upstairs voiceless, considering that the only clue that Eric had of his mysterious savior was her voice, and Ursula told Ariel to be something she wasn’t, considering that in her view, the humans would care about her at all and would only care about her looks (which is still a societal thing that we still unfortunately deal with in this day and age) But Ariel went against what Ursula told her and she found a way to present herself and her voice by being wholly herself and who she was in personality. Another unfair and clearly wrong criticism is that Ariel didn’t go through any character arc or progression in the film, but that is not true in the slightest, Ariel clearly learns more about the above world and how it works as she gains more experience from the above world, because of this, Ariel clearly grows and matured with each learning experience, and she never stopped learn how things work upstairs. And if your incensed that Ariel didn’t have any sort of character arc whatsoever, then you clearly missed the whole point of the movie, just because Ariel wanted to explore more of the above world and learn more about it that doesn’t mean that Ariel wanted to leave her old world and her friends and family behind, why would she? Ariel and Triton didn’t like arguing with each other about the value of human life, they both wanted to have a mature, understanding relationship with each other that would be estranged. In Tritons sacrifice to saving Ariel’s life, that is exactly what she learns in the end, so does Triton when Eric comes back to help her kill Ursula, where he sees where Ariel was coming from with her love for the human and her belief and faith in the good in humanity. Eric came back for Ariel solely because Ariel went against what Ursula told her to be like as a human, Ariel stayed wholly herself on land and on sea, and that made Eric fall in love with Ariel all over again, because he got to know her better, as did Ariel with him, and when he found out that Ariel was a mermaid, he still went back for her because to him, it didn’t matter that she wasn’t human or that she was a mermaid, he loved her for who she was and wouldn’t give her up for anything. This makes their relationship all the more realistic and all the more beautifully done. One of the many themes that the little mermaid carries is that eventually, the inevitable event in every parents life comes and nothing can be done to stop it, that they will have to let their children go and live their own lives, and holding them back from their lives due to hatred and fear is wrong and will only lead to negative consequences, but that doesn’t mean that Ariel would leave or abandon her old world in favor or a new one. Another thing that Ariel clearly learns is that, she can have the best of both world’s as she broke down the walls of separation from both worlds and united them together, in the beginning of the movie, both Human and Merfolk worlds were separated from each other, Ariel is the one who brought them together, but that’s not the only thing she does, Ariel saved her friend Flounder form being eaten by a shark, Ariel saved Eric’s life from drowning, Ariel saved Sebastian from being eaten, Ariel went against what Ursula told her and remained wholly herself on land, making Eric fall in love with her again and made him come back to her during the climax, which lead to Ursula’s demise, so if anything, Ariel is the one who destroyed Ursula in the first place, Eric wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for her Ariel stopped Ursula’s attempted wedding when she found out that she was cheating Ariel saved Eric’s life three times in the film, Ariel saved the other merfolk from being Ursula’s prisoners forever, Ariel saved her fathers life, Ariel saved her Kingdom, Ariel is the one who bridged the worlds between the humans and the merfolk and became the ambassador of both worlds. Ariel clearly learns much about the above world and grew as a character and learns to have a mature understanding relationship with her father.

[@julieshez387]

Yes all of that is true what you said about it all but Ariel still has to be aware of stranger danger both ocean and land the real world humans and merfolk Equally, she can't be truly sure all humans are good some humans choose wrong choices you know She's not even perfect just a suggestion with my advice honestly while despite that she just met Eric barley know him liking him of his gerogous looks about him and maybe she would like him different things besides that like kindness, loyalty, intelligence and bravery this she might appreciate his character personality that is, she did the right thing though to remain kind and heroically noble by rescued A stranger like Eric for she knew it isn't right to let him die because of Triton's wishes of not to let anyone like Ariel under the sea contacting the world above so through it all Everything turned out alright in the end luckily for Ariel and everyone.

[@beethovensfidelio]

Jokes on you, but “The Little Mermaid” has always been a feminist nightmare since the 1980s. John Musker recalled during a press tour that there were some female reporters who gave Ron Clements and John Musker grief because Ariel married Prince Eric at the end of “The Little Mermaid”. Jeffrey Katzenberg tried to assure the female reporters that Ariel loved things all human, not just Prince Eric, but sadly this didn’t change the mind of female reporters. Jeffrey took Ron and John aside by saying to them during a “Beauty and the Beast” meeting: *”Sheesh!! They put me through the ringer! Guys! Whatever we do, I don’t wanna get tagged like that again! We gotta make sure that doesn’t happen on this one!”* Therefore, the “feminist” changes made for Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” were the result of Jeffrey Katzenberg getting “roughed up” by female reporters during a press tour in Florida, as well as Jeffrey not wanting any critique that would diminish the movie’s box office returns. Source: www.howardashman.com/blog/john-musker-question-countdown-5

[@user-ok6yb7jq3s]

Ive always believe that she was EVERYTHING, I mean she had the courage to go for what she must wanted, that is the epitome of FEMINISM 💜

[@Remythechef]

The Little Mermaid is the film that saved Disney Animation form going extinct during the dark era that the studio was facing during the 1970’s-80’s following Walt’s untimely death. Something that most people, even Disney themselves seem to have forgotten. Without this film, many and all world renowned animated films would never have been made and Disney Animation would have never have been revived and is responsible for them giving light to films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and so forth. Ariel is the princess that saved Disney Animation from death and gave it back its zest for life. If everything I mentioned above is really any indication, then it could be argued that Ariel is Disney’s answer to the Amazonian heroine Wonder Woman. (No really, think about it for a moment.) The Little Mermaid will stand the test of the time as a revolutionary movie that changed the face of animation and inspired millions of people around the world. This makes the upcoming live action remake all the more hurtful to experience when you start to consider that Disney is trying to retcon it’s existence just because it doesn’t relive up to some extremist on Tumblr’s expectations, the same goes for the princess scene in Ralph Breaks the Internet that the voice actresses hated, and that’s just not right. I’m so grateful for Ariel and I am comfortable calling her an amazing role model and my personal favorite Disney Princess for many of the reasons that I’ve just said. And I am also grateful for guys like John Musker, Ron Clements, the late Howard Ashman and Alan Menken for bringing this movie to life and saving Disney Animation from going extinct.

[@Remythechef]

Ariel>>>>>>>>Elsa/Anna

[@agnes3315]

i think elsa>ariel>anna

[@jonnyboy4289]

Ariel>Anna>Elsa

[@beethovensfidelio]

@Will N I think Madison from “Splash” (1984) would disagree with you. Unlike Ariel, Madison doesn’t give up her world to be with Allen on land, but rather ALLEN gives up his world to be with Madison 🎶under the sea🎶. Maybe the live action remake of “The Little Mermaid” will have Eric become a merman to appease the feminists. 😂

[@antartistube]

"bright young women, sick of swimming, ready to stand" such a strong line..!

[@Akoalawithshades]

I find it amazing that people could find this cartoon sexist and that the remake is changing the story because of this. Obviously the bad character is going to be bad, and what they say isn't going to be good advice. I think the grotesque monster like appearance and the evil music and laughing is going to be a clue for the kids that Ursula is evil. I thought the story was allegorical for moving out into the big world by yourself for the first time, she's literally a fish out of water, and not woman should be in the kitchen. This woke world is ruining kids cartoons.

[@KASC92]

Idk why more people don't see how intensely curious Ariel is about life on land. For a human this would be the equivalent of having an interest in marine biology. She collects artifacts and studies humans and life on the surface. She asks the question 'what is a fire, and why does it burn?' which is just a scientific question at its core. Eric was incidental to her first passion which was her pure curiosity about the world apart from her own.

[@smart.but.stupid]

Yet she totally forgets about everything she wanted to know when she gets on land, and it never is shown again. Boohoo.

[@beethovensfidelio]

@@smart.but.stupid Maybe the remake will have Eric loan Ariel his library like the Beast did for Belle in “Beauty and the Beast”.

[@fcv4616]

​@@smart.but.stupid Watch the movie again, and you'll see that Ariel is enamoured with her surroundings once she's on land. Obviously Eric is a great part of her motivation. But every scene of her as a human, whether inside Eric's castle or touring the kingdom, show's she's excited and eager to experience everything about human culture. And Eric noticed this.

[@smart.but.stupid]

@@fcv4616 I watched it alright, and it was weak af imo. From the whole concept of Ariel looking at everything through rose-tinted glasses to the fact that this unhealthy selfish decision of hers was rewarded by the plot itself, it's just bad writing. I much prefer the original story in which the mermaid was indeed suffering on land, but was in love so badly that she sacrificed everything and, ironically, wasn't rewarded in the end. I know it's harsh, but quite more realistic and actually freaking teaches kids something. And if thinking about the movie concept - Tangled did the similar trope flawlessly where you feel heroine is just genuinely a nice person, while Ariel is just...as selfish and unbearable as her father, honestly.

[@smart.but.stupid]

@@beethovensfidelio that would've been great tbh.

[@Myfavoritecuties]

The Little Mermaid is not a feminist film! Ursula is a female villain who was slayed by a male character

[@fcv4616]

So? She’s the villain, their purpose in most stories is to be defeated, regardless of gender.

[@seiya-chon]

@@fcv4616 Maybe that was sarcasm?

[@beethovensfidelio]

If it’s any consolation, the stage show had ARIEL kill Ursula by destroying Ursula’s conch shell instead of Ariel passively relying on Eric to kill Ursula for her in the movie: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZDKmWmYfpiCZ8kh53m .

[@curesaul5749]

Gee I can’t wait for the new Ariel to be a girl boss

[@danielfeliperodriguez4921]

The little mermaid is so relevant.

[@beethovensfidelio]

How so?

[@beethovensfidelio]

The problem is that the film starts out with Ariel being curious and interested about the human world, but then all that gets shafted once Ariel falls in love with Eric, as if to say pursuing romance is more important than pursuing knowledge. To quote Gaston, “It’s not right for a woman to read. Soon, she starts getting ideas, thinking…”. Why couldn’t Ariel have knowledge AND a rich husband? I wish the film had Ariel really applying her knowledge about the human world and asking questions to get some answers. Sure, she got to explore Eric’s kingdom and learned that people operate puppets with their hands, BUT that sequence lasts only a minute, and the rest of the movie is more devoted to getting true love’s kiss. Maybe instead of the sequel having Ariel be a hypocritical mother who prevents her daughter Melody from exploring the ocean and embracing her mermaid heritage, they should’ve focused on Ariel exploring and learning during her honeymoon with Eric because you never stop learning. Heck, Eric should’ve loaned Ariel his library. At least the TV series rectified this issue by having Ariel be more exploratory and actually applying her “knowledge” about the human world. Ariel’s “I Want” song is called “Part of THAT World”, and her reprise is called “Part of YOUR World” (the latter in which refers to her desire to be with Prince Eric). Sure, Ariel always wanted to be human prior to being with Prince Eric, but, if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have gone to Ursula, so I think that’s why people tend to say “She gave it all up for a man” because the movie seems to base her desires all around HIM. Eric may have been the inciting incident, but to say that her desire to go on land wasn’t in anyway shape or form motivated by Eric, even a bissel, is intellectually dishonest. This blog article pretty much sums up my thoughts: bibliophilesreverie.com/2014/03/16/unadulterated-rant-sunday-disney-edition-why-i-think-the-little-mermaid-is-anti-feministanti-humanist/

[@smart.but.stupid]

Yes, to say the least exposition could've been much, MUCH better than what we've got.

[@beethovensfidelio]

@@smart.but.stupid What exposition?

[@jonnyboy4289]

@@beethovensfidelio He means it's better if you make your comments and arguments more simpler and not too wordy.

[@beethovensfidelio]

@@jonnyboy4289 ​ Well, I’m autistic so I have a tendency to be verbose. 😂 At least I don’t ramble about how “The Little Mermaid” live action remake is going to erase the animated film from existence.

[@maxwilson5718]

When you have to make a video to explain to people what a movie is supposed to be about, then you can assume that the movie has been an epic fail. The movie's voice should speak for itself.

[@carolinacampos4386]

She is not explaining to people in general, only to feminists, because feminists usually don't understand movies... other normal people have always seen what she is saying... not the movies fault if feminists dont know how to interprete movies..... and even after what she said, the little mermaid is still not a feminist movie thanks God. If Ariel were a feminist she wouldnt really do anything about what she wants, and wouldnt be as strong and fearless, as most feminist aren't

[@cashisclear]

@@carolinacampos4386 exactly. Feminist lol what a waste of time

[@fcv4616]

Max Wilson Not necessarily. A movie can be interpreted in many ways beyond authorial intent. Perspectives can vary with tastes, cultural ideologies or simply with time. Even unanimously praised movies will be critiqued or under appreciated by certain individuals or groups.

[@Fee581]

People are stupid, max.

[@daniellecardoso7981]

yep, but not really

[@beethovensfidelio]

How so?

[@cashisclear]

This was a waste of time. Such a diluted perspective. Keep reaching feminists lol 😆

[@lumeanoastra1252]

You gals are high

[@ANGEL-ft2xh]

We live in 21 century ! and need feminism!!!!!

[@cashisclear]

No we don't

[@beethovensfidelio]

Jason Cash Easy for you to say. You’re a guy!

[@cashisclear]

@@beethovensfidelio what more do women need? They have been liberated, empowered, and put on pedestals. Most women can jump on only fans and make a living just posting her nude pictures. What more yall need?

[@hinamatsuro1908]

Hell no y'all are literally too overpowered

[@cashisclear]

@@bmwberlin1024 I'm no bloomer Berlin. Nice try.