Disney’s First Black Princess Has a Wha…White! Latino? Prince
I can’t even figure it out myself. From Bossip.com late yesterday afternoon came word that Princess Tiana, heavily marketed as the first black Disney princess in their animated tale opening this winter, The Princess and The Frog, has a rather racially indeterminate prince.
Maybe you can figure it out, but I have a good idea that he’s just a Ken doll dipped in a vat of caramel-colored paint. Tiana, though, is cute.
Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen...Naveen?? Sounds like a jar of black hair creme. Even 'Tyrone' would be ten times better.
The story line is pretty basic for anyone who hasn’t gone through kindergarten.
Although set in 1920s New Orleans it is an adaptation of the classic tale The Frog Prince.
In the Disney version, Prince Naveen is turned into a frog by a voodoo magician and asks Princess Tiana to kiss him to break the spell.
But she turns into a frog and the pair must reverse the spell, while in true fairy tale tradition, they fall in love.
Okay.
You would think that the guys over at the Mouse House and Pixar would be a bit more sophisticated by now. That they would have delivered on a black prince for the little girls (and even big girls) to moon over. Can’t they draw a handsome black man sans accent (Naveen has a Brazilian accent, so he’s thought to be a black Latino)? I mean, we have the equivalent of a black prince in the White House, so what is the big deal?
I remember when Brandy starred in Cinderella on ABC in 1997, with Whitney Houston playing the Celeste Holm/Fairy Godmother role, and Whoopi Goldberg and Victor Garber were playing the Queen and King, respectively. Imagine my surprise when the Prince turned out to be…a Filipino, Paolo Montalban. No diss on Paolo, but…
Can’t a black couple walk hand in hand into the sunset and the future? Does it always have to be a white guy, or a white-looking guy? I don’t mind a sista or a brotha getting their swerve on with others of the human race, but this is getting to be a habit–and an excuse–among filmmakers. They must have no idea how to depict black people in love with each other, and damn everyone else–including white people. This, I think, is the problem. So Disney shows we can expect no different from them. Walt Disney himself was such a reactionary that he was pretty happy with depicting and reissuing films with blacks wearing tattered clothes and singing zippy-dee-doo-dah down a Southern dirt road during the civil rights era, and having Mowgli from The Jungle Book complain that different species should stay separate from each other.
Naturally, the denizens at Bossip weren’t too pleased about this development (they gave Disney a big F-U) and the story got traction at Jack & Jill Politics and other oases in Blackblogistan. Said Sepia:
But let’s say Disney is gonna try to “pass” this character off as black, why not avoid all the drama and make the prince an identifiably black man? What? So brothas who look like brothas can’t be princes?
And I don’t think they were trying to make them look like PBO and FLOTUS because even though PBO is light, you know he’s black. Hell, he looks like Michael Evans from Good Times!
Disney gets the gas face for this mess.
AtlasBlack suggested:
Yes, I’m fully aware that people of the African Diaspora vary in complexion and hair texture. However, I think there’s something else at play here… this is supposedly Disney’s first animated feature with a black princess – an obviously black princess, if we’re taking strictly surface representation. I don’t think they were ready to go all the way and make the prince obviously dark as well. Baby steps I guess…
This has long been an issue in Hollywood flicks, and it’s funny that the same rule apparently applies even in cartoons! We can’t pair up 2 dark-skinned people in the same movie, because it might automatically alienate a certain group of the film’s potential audience – read, white people. So, just as we do with live action pictures, in order to guarantee rich box office returns, we’ll cast a black woman/man, with a white man/woman, in a love story.
How often do we get to see love stories on screen featuring 2 obviously black people in the starring roles?
This is Mama Odie, the 'good' voudou priestess in "The Princess and the Frog" Oh, barrother...(Courtesy: Celebrity News and Gossip)
Baby steps…in 2009? The 21st century? Like I ask at times, what year and what century are we living in? Disney may be dead, but his backwards shade is still working through the accountants, PR, and artists running the studio. Nothing has really exploded on Disney…YET, but by the time December rolls around watch people get upset…bet on it.
And if Oprah Winfrey has anything to say about it, she had better rev up for damage control because girlfriend is in this potential bomb, too!
“Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen…Naveen?? Sounds like a jar of black hair creme.”
Hm. I think Naveen is actually an Indian name. Perhaps the character is of South Asian descent.
“Perhaps the character is of South Asian descent.”
Um, with a Brazilian accent?
Sure.
Asian Latin Americans do exist. And Brazil has quite a few of them.
If you are of South Asian descent and born and raised in Brazil you can have the accent. Just as being born in any other part of the world can affect your accent regardless of your race.
Llama, I do know that Asian Brazilians are not uncommon. However, in this case, looking at the cartoon, this is not an Asian man. He barely comes in as Latino. Which is my point entirely.
I did understand your point about him looking like a white dude with a tan, the assumption that having an obviously black leading male would alienate white people. And I can also understand the desire to see two black people in love. It does make you wonder about how they think about black men and women and their inability to depict a loving relationship between the two. And what are they saying about black men by not allowing them to be princes? Regardless of Naveen’s race, why did Disney make the conscious decision not to give Tiana an African-American prince? It raises some interesting questions. The common thread in all of these discussions is Naveen’s non-blackness. But to tell you the truth, when I saw this character, I never read him as white. And I think that’s why I never had a problem with Naveen to begin with. He’s not African-American, but he IS a POC at least (I understand that our non-whiteness doesn’t make us interchangable).
In response to what you said about him not being Asian, he has the light brown skin, the dark eyes and the dark hair that many SA’s have. I’m just really hesitant about saying that he’s not Asian simply by looking at him because, it may not always be obvious. And there’s a lot of variation within groups as well. There are South Asians with light skin and eyes, but they wouldn’t be categorized as white as we understand it. I realize that I could be wrong, but I don’t think Disney would just randomly give him a name like Naveen.
That’s why I wasn’t as troubled by Tiana and Naveen. I’ve always read him as a man of colour and I was glad to see that, for once, even if they didn’t depict an African-American couple, at least they avoided the POC/white relationship which is what we typically see when it comes to interracial relationships. Whiteness usually finds a way to insinuate itself.
I think this movie will start some interesting debates. I can’t wait.
Naveen IS an Indian name. Since India didn’t exist at the time, he’s probably a prince from a kingdom in the Indian subcontinent. I’m Indian, so I’m ecstatic about having an Indian Prince.
India existed in the 1920s, the era in which this animated film is set. It may not have been an independent country at the time. It did have princes and maharajas…so why isn’t he dressed as one?
The problem still remains, why the Latino accent? Not even Indians who lived under the Portuguese would have a Latino accent. And why is he in a swamp in Creole and Cajun Louisiana?
Get a grip. Disney is the one out of its mind.
Have you heard the actor while he was playing Naveen?
Is it the character that has a Brazilian accent or the actor? Because actors can and do change their accents depending on the role. I know Bruno Campos, the voice actor, is Brazilian born, but if the character, Naveen, is not from Brazil or Latin America the actor may have to change it. What he may change it to, I don’t know. If it is a default North American one, then that poses other problems.
As for his attire, in that promotional(?) picture, they both have lily pad inspired clothing which I guess is keeping in line with the bayou setting so I don’t know if we can assume too much based on that. Since he’s not in his own country, he may have decided on local clothing. (We’ve only seen ONE picture of the guy, folks.) Perhaps he could be dressed more appropriately. It may be sloppy attention to detail on Disney’s part. I must admit that a maharaja with an affinity for jazz and African-American culture would make for a really interesting character. Why not just say he’s from a real kingdom in the Indian subcontinent instead of creating a fictional country. I know people would think what would he be doing in the southern US anyway? Maybe that would open up all kinds of historical plot holes, but it’s not like anyone turns to Disney for a history lesson.
As for your question about why he’s in a swamp in Creole and Cajun Louisiana, from Wiki (which may not be that reliable, but still)
Prince Naveen is: An early twenty-something gregarious, fun-loving Prince who comes to the French Quarter for the Jazz scene…
If he came to Louisiana for that reason, maybe I’m not too far off. He actually reminds me of Bollywood star Salman Khan. Perhaps, it would have been far more authentic to get a Bollywood actor to play Naveen.
And I’m sorry if I’m annoying I’m just really excited about this movie. There aren’t many spaces where I can discuss the racial aspect of this without people being dismissive about black folks concerns.
If the person voicing the character has a Latino accent, then we are to assume that the character is not East Indian. If the person voicing the character has a British accent, then we are to assume that the character is British. I don’t need to hear the prince’s voice for myself; the initial reviewers have said that the person voicing the character is from Brazil.
People can figure out by dress, by voice, and by manner who people are when it comes to film. If Prince Naveen was an East Indian prince, then he should be dressing as such, and should be speaking as such. The same would be if he were African American, Asian, or even Native American.
Fine by me if you want to engage in wishful thinking, but it’s not based on reality, which is part of what I am trying to say in this piece. If Aladdin could have a Arabic princess, why can’t Tiana have a black prince?
Naveen comes from…Maldonia.
Ah…that doesn’t sound East Indian to me. At all. And I am not even from the subcontinent.
It sounds Mitteleuropa…
The film is set in Louisiana. Tiana was born in New Orleans. (And I am from New Orleans.)
Lastly, Naveen is voiced by BRUNO CAMPOS. This is a Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking name, something you didn’t want to include in your last comment. But of course, up to now, I didn’t have to refer to Wikipedia to talk authoritatively about the film.
Again, if Aladdin could have an Arabic princess, why couldn’t Tiana have a black prince?
Also, he ended up in a swamp cause he got turned into a frog.
*shrug*
An American swamp?
Why not an Indian swamp?
Naveen is from Maldonia, a fictional country that has royalty and its own made-up language, which is not Latin, Portuguese, Indian or whatever (probably a mix of all of them). The point of the Naveen character is that he’s a FOREIGN prince from an unknown FOREIGN country. Where he’s really from or his ethnicity is not important to the story.
And this is Disney for goodness’s sake! Should anyone really be surprised?
Who cares?
As I stated before, we would have cared about a black prince from Haiti, or black Africa, or Madagascar, so long as it was indicative of blackness.
Maldonia sounds like, as I said before, he comes from the middle of Europe–Mitteleuropa. Not even India or Pakistan. And so far, Disney hasn’t acquiesced to much that I have heard of. They’re still headed for disaster at the box office in my view.
“Who cares?”
That’s funny. Aren’t you the one who keeps getting worked up over the prince’s ethnicity?
And it sounds like you really want this movie to fail at the box office more than anything so that it will finally validate the whole point of your “critique”: America hates black folks. So now I get it!
[...] do confirm my view, in my first post about this controversy, “Disney’s First Black Princess Has a Wha…White! Latino? Prince,” that Disney is going to blow it, because Naveen is not going to garner any points among many [...]
Princess Tiana is gorgeous, I can’t wait for the movie to come out! I personally don’t give a flip what race Naveen is. My only complaint is that his chin is way too long lol.
As a white female who grew up on Disney, I would have looooooved to have African American heroine and hero. I begged my grandmother for the black barbie and ken dolls (of which I was flatly refused). “God forbid I mix them with my blonde-haired/ blue-eyed dolls”. Anyway, I digress.
I’m normally one to roll my eyes at people playing the “race card”. HOWEVER, I think Disney has it all wrong here. I agree the prince should look more like Denzel Washington (yum) than Ricky Martin (ew) and what’s up with the voo-doo queen?
I really wanted this one to succeed and now it’s going to get ugly. I think the Tiana character is adorable and I liked that they made her an entrepreneur (although Cinderella was practically a maid). I think Disney has a long way to go (along with the rest of the media) in their investment in African American, cultural capital. I wish I could do more myself.
Just a thought ugmmm the setting was in 1920s and I am not too sure if there were any Black prince/s in America that time or in any other part of the world other than Africa? please correct me if I am wrong O_O Although I wish they do could’ve made up something to ensure Princess Tiana gets a black prince like setting it in a far away land from a long time ago like all the other fairytale films they had before, I mean come’on, they didn’t had to be specific IMO … I mean even Mulan got a chink hunkie and as mentioned before Aladdin got an Arabic chick, so what’s up? T_T
Madagascar had a royal family until 1896, until it was driven into exile in Algeria. The Malagasys are a mixed African, Arab, and East Indian people. Ethiopia had an emperor until 1974.
Haiti once had emperors. They could have made him a pretender prince of Haiti, and taken advantage of the connections between Haiti and New Orleans.
What Disney has done is more than just stupid, it’s cowardly as well.
Please don’t use the word “chink” here again, because it is pejorative for Chinese.
Actually I know a guy who is black who looks legit exactly like that.
I can see both sides of the arguement:
I think it’s good that they are potraying interacial couples because for so long it has been taboo. And it’s better than the overly done black man/prissy white girl and angry black woman antagnist match up. I think it shows that black woman are apealing to people of other races, unlike how they are usually potrayed.
At the same time I think that there should be a mainstream ptrayal of black love. Becasue all that is shown is the usual “baba mama drama welfare case situation” when there is a black couple. But I think that mainstream America (or white America) is not ready for that quite yet. There just getting used to Barrack snd Michelle.
We are we freaking out about the prince? What we should be realy talking about is that messed up fly. What is with that? He remind me of those slave depictons that make black people look lie fools.
The firefly is a CAJUN…a WHITE Cajun nonetheless.
I agree. He’s a snaggletoothed IDIOT.
He’s going to be another Jar Jar Binks.
I do not think the firefly is being depicted as a white Cajun.
I understand your perspective…i do, but interracial couples need to be depicted as well its not just a one sided thing, white with white,latino latino , black and black.We have forgotten that these characters are human…beside different skin color they are human none the less. For the most part i believe people should be proud to have a bi racial princess as lead character, not the usual fabricated one. But instead they read into a innocent Disney movie and covert it to a whole racial issue…We are all equal ,Latinos,African Americans, and Caucasians, and i believe we all should be portrayed in something.
If you compare interracial couples with that of black couples, there are more interracial couples being depicted than a black woman and a black man. Please, in this case, I can empathize with those who would like to see Princess Tiana with a black prince, and with good reason. It sends just as much a positive message as those wanting to see interracial couples.
I don’t see what the big deal is! I mean yes, I wish the prince was black so we can finally have black children loving themselves and to know that they can be happy together. But I don’t see why black men are making such a big deal about it because all they date is white women, so why are they mad if a black woman dates a white man? Because they are selfish they want everything to themselves. I hate it when black men get mad when they see a black woman dating a white man. But they never have a problem with seeing a white woman with a black woman. Everytime we discuss interracial dating, say for instance a white woman and a black man the ones who are usually upset are the black woman and you would barely hear from a black man, because he was enjoyi
Still waiting for our Latina princess.
I hear ya, brah.
[...] Disney’s First Black Princess Has a Wha…White! Latino? Prince @ This Black Sista’s Page 19/03/09 [...]
Disney’s First Black Princess « Dolls of Color said this on May 23, 2009 at 6:59 AM |
The voice actor for Naveen is Brazilian, hence the accent and somewhat matching appearance. Also, what’s wrong with interracial relationships?
NOTHING is wrong with interracial relationships.
I just want to see a BLACK PRINCE with a BLACK PRINCESS for once.
You are not aware of the history of film to know why healthy depiction of black couples is few and far between.
OMG!!!!! Are you crazy ? The most important is love ,not color of skin
That’s not the point. The point is to depict black love as normative, not just white or interracial love.
I’m not really all the interested in discussing the movie itself or the issue of the lack of a black prince or an interracial relationship, since there’s no pont in arguing over it. I just want to address a few offensive things mentioned. I’m just a fourteen year old girl voicing my opinion so feel free to skip over this if you want. I don’t care.
1.For all your outrage about racial issues, I think your mockery of the name “Naveen” is pretty ignorant. Naveen is a legitimate Indian name and not something Disney just pulled out of their asses. It also happens to be my friend’s name, so I took particular offense to the remark.
2. Saying that an actor of a particular background HAS to play a character of that background is ignorant and insulting to talented actors. Ever seen House? Maybe you haven’t heard, but you know that main actor who speaks perfect American English?…SURPRISE! he’s British. Or maybe you’ve seen The Bridget Jones Diaries? That quirky female lead with the British accent–well you’ll be just blown away to know she’s American!
3. I think Disney deliberately put all these contradicting racial aspects together just for irritating people like you getting all up in arms for a movie that ISNT EVEN FOR YOU! It’s for children who barely know which accent comes from where. Please welcome in us Generation Zs, who aren’t so narrow minded and uptight.
Excuse me for living, but let me respond to each one of your ignorant, insensitive remarks that have everything to do with arguing about a black prince.
1. Black Americans have had hair and skin care products with names like Nadinola, Nuveen, Dax, DooGro and Aphogee. It’s perfectly rational for me to make such referemces, because to other black people, it would also seem weird for a prince to be named as such. And understand, because something is one thing in an Indian dialect, it is not the same in English. It becomes a nonsense name. And that, in itself, is insulting to black people.
2. and 3. I have seen House and Bridget Jones, etc. The problem is that they are LIVE ACITON, while The Princess and the Frog is a CARTOON.
3. You East Indian young women seem thoroughly caught up in this pipe dream of having an East Indian prince-Bollywood type as the prince charming in this flick. For your information, nitwits, this film is supposed to be targeted to AFRICAN AMERICANS first and foremost, not YOU. Disney put this stupid character in because they are uncomfortable about putting a black man as a prince. Traditionally, Disney cartoon films are supposed to be family-oriented, which means it has to appeal to the adults as well as to the children. I mean, they have to sit there in the theatre, too! Aunts, uncles, grandmothers, mothers, and daddies. And as for your asinine remark, that children don’t know about accents, you are so very wrong about how children don’t perceive differences or get messages about the world out there, even from an ‘innocent’ film.
You have no idea and no consciousness whatsoever about what the importance of a cartoon black prince would be, and not only to just African Americans. You Gen Z people seem to think that these decisions from corporations like Disney fall from grace, when they are located in cultural struggles about identity and self-image that was in place before you were born and that you would like to ignore–to your own detriment. Racism isn’t over.
For the record, I stated before in my essay that I have no problem AT ALL with interracing among African Americans (and I have done so in my own life) but in this case, I wanted to see a BLACK PRINCE WITH A BLACK PRINCESS.
It’s just that simple. Stupid.
Let’s see, now who’s sounding ignorant?
“You East Indian young women seem thoroughly caught up in this pipe dream of having an East Indian prince-Bollywood type as the prince charming in this flick. For your information, nitwits, this film is supposed to be targeted to AFRICAN AMERICANS first and foremost, not YOU.”
Thanks for that blanket characterization of all young Indian females. Regardless of whether or not Disney intended Naveen to be an Indian name, South Asians are going to notice that it is an Indian name just like you might notice that the princess in black. There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s called a different opinion or perspective
I frankly don’t care whether this prince in black or Indian or whatever, but the fact that you seem to think so much of your own opinion just demanded this response.
I think so much of my own opinion that I have my own blog.
And frankly, I am sick and tired of the East Indian young women who have come on this blog fantasizing without basis about Prince Naveen’s origins, not ALL East Indian women. Quit jumping to conclusions and get a clue.
Again as I said above that there ARE black guys who look like Price Naveen.
And I think that I also said that Disney should have located the prince within a cultural black context, rather than this rather ludicrous colorless and culture-less individual.
Here’s another PC critic who’s quick to jump to their own conclusions and deem the movie racist when they have not even seen the friggin’ movie yet.
What’s really ironic about your article is that you mentioned Obama as “an equivalent of a black prince in the White House”, yet you seemed to have forgotten about the fact that Obama himself is also a child of an interracial couple, which is what Tiana and Prince Naveen are in the movie. And speaking of Tiana and Prince Naveen, Obama and his wife Michelle are actually very much like the two characters in terms of ethnicity, where Tiana is 100% black like Michelle, while Prince Naveen is neither white nor black and whose race is ambiguous just like Obama (Let’s face it. He’s technically only half white/black and therefore should not be considered a 100% black man).
The truth is, no matter what Disney does with this movie people will always find things to complain about. It’s as if you people wouldn’t be happy unless you can find something that’s flawed in it. Just be grateful that we finally have a beautiful African American princess at all in a Disney movie. Or would you rather that Disney never makes a film featuring a black princess (or a black main character for that matter). Would that make you people happier?
I’ve never even uttered the word, racist, within the critique.
Again, you and others miss the point by miles. We would like to see black couples being depicted as normative, not just white or biracial couples. There’s nothing wrong with that request AT ALL.
Save your breath about Obama being biracial. You forget about the qualifying word, “equivalent.” Obama knows who he is. Black people know who he is, too. He’s chosen to be black, within the context of black culture and American culture as well. I would say the same thing about The Cosby Show.
You say:
It’s as if you people wouldn’t be happy unless you can find something that’s flawed in it. Just be grateful that we finally have a beautiful African American princess at all in a Disney movie.
That term, you people, is just like fighting words.
Black folks are shown to be hard to please when it is really THAT simple. We want to see ourselves as normal and not really out of the ordinary, and in this case, that there is nothing wrong with showing black love. Disney has fallen flat on its face on this score, and many black people are simply not going to support the film because of it.
Grateful. Oh, please. Just don’t go there unless you really want to see some missing front teeth.
I’m late, but I HAVE to respond to this comment:
“Prince Naveen is neither white nor black and whose race is ambiguous just like Obama (Let’s face it. He’s technically only half white/black and therefore should not be considered a 100% black man).”
YOU forget one thing: President Obama chose to self-identify as African American, therefore he’s African American. Period.
Furthermore, President Obama’s race has NEVER been ambiguous. He’s half-Kenyan black and half-American white. He knows this and has known since birth. We know this and have known since he entered the public eye.
“Just be grateful that we finally have a beautiful African American princess at all in a Disney movie.”
That’s where you completely lose me. Should I have a cap in hands and bow my head so low that it touches the ground while I thank Disney profusely for acknowledging our existence at all?
Screw that.
“I’ve never even uttered the word, racist, within the critique.”
No, you didn’t. But then again you don’t have to use the word “racist” to deem something racist, and that’s basically what you’re accusing Disney of in your critique.
“Black folks are shown to be hard to please when it is really THAT simple”
Yes, that’s what I was trying to say: black people are hard to please. And no, it is not that simple. And I said “you people” (Sorry but I meant no offense) because you African Americans always get so defensive and over-sensitive when it comes to anything that has to do with black people. A movie featuring African Americans still gets complaints even when done by African Americans themselves. If you think it is that simple and believe so strongly about normative portrayal of black people in movies and TVs, then why don’t you make a normative African American movie or TV show yourself, or at least try to get involved? If you want something changed, go out and make the change, don’t just sit here and type about it.
And what bugs me the most about all this criticism is that people are jumping to the conclusions so quickly. I’m not saying you can’t complain about the movie at all because you have absolutely every right to, but couldn’t you at least wait till you’ve seen this movie? Don’t forget that Disney has asked “leaders in the African American community all across the nation, to make sure [they are] doing something African American families will be proud of.” In addition to that I’m sure they’re handling every detail of the movie with extra careful thoughts and considerations. And haven’t they made a lot of changes to the movie already because of the complaints from people like you? The thing is Disney can’t make everyone happy because it’s simply impossible. The best they can do is try to make as many people/African Americans happy as possible, and that’s what they’re trying to achieve right now. And now thanks to people like you, the movie may very well tank due to all this negativity. Is that what you want to see happen?
I am accusing Disney of sinking their own show. Period. They were going to have African-American princess? Then deliver on an African-American prince, too. THAT would have pleased African Americans first and foremost. Other things would have paled next to this achievement.
I don’t think that I would like to see an animated film that has a firefly that needs dental work, either.
I would hope that Disney listens to those African American leaders you speak of, who would have definitely said as well, “ditch the bright-skinned prince.”
The rest of your response is so much hot air, there’s not much use in replying.
If you hate this movie so damn much then don’t go see it. Nobody cares anyway. Believe it or not there are actually people who can’t wait to see it. And a lot of them also have their own problems with this movie (including me), but at least they’re willing to give it a chance and hold their judgement until they’ve actually seen the entire film (not just the trailer and a few images). And that’s the whole point of my previous comments and your so-called “the rest of your response”, which you so slyly shunned by calling it “hot air”. I know I probably should be offended but I actually think it’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that myself!? Next time when I don’t know how to respond to a comment I’ll just call it “hot air”. Isn’t it just convenient?
And by the way, don’t bother replying either cuz I’m tired of trying to reason with someone whose definition of “reasoning” is to make prejudgements as they wish and insult anyone who dares to disagree.
I don’t hate the film, I really can’t stand the illogic (the ones who created it) behind it.
The movie is fine, chill!
Hey my name is Naveen. No Lie.
If Naveen is ticking you off, at least rest assured that there *IS* an example of a healthy happy black relationship in Tiana’s parents.
Look at this lovely hi-res still:
http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/110.jpg
Looks very promising. And since the movie starts with her life as a young girl (thankfully she doesn’t fall victim to the typical “Disney orphaned hero” stereotype), they should get a decent amount of screen time. Either way, this movie seems to have both black love and interracial love covered with some sensitivity. But it’s still too early to make sweeping judgment either way.
Just know that it’s not entirely hopeless!
In all honesty, I dont care. What is the desperate need to pair black woman with black man? In case this sends out mixed messages to children? Don’t you think there are other forms of education out there apart from Disney films.
Instead of a big political and ethical debate, why can’t we all sit and wait for the film? I sure as hell dont think this much of a fuss was made when Aladdin came out. Why must we black people (or politically correct activists out there) nitpick and get defensive when our race in involved? Is it so bad that she’s not with a black man? For pete’s sake, its a Disney movie. It’s meant to entertain not educate because if it was the latter, we’d be a pretty messed up world by now.
Also, extra point- talking about Naveen’s voice actor and how he must be Brazilian because of the person portraying him. You do realise Tiana’s dad is voiced by John Goodman right? Does that mean he should be white? A good actor should be able to pull of a range of accents.
Anyway, I’m not here to argue, I’m just here to point out a few things. I’m just a 21 year old Black British girl excited for a black princess in a Disney film. If she’s as cool as The Muses were in Hercules then I’m SOLD.
Hi, out of the comments above I agree with Nessie-chan’s the most. Plus I’m black and I look more like Naveen than Tiana. So I like the way he looks, not all blacks are brown. There are even black people who can pass for white, but don’t like actress Fredi Washington. She was asked many times by studio execs. to pass herself as a white actress and she refused You can see a pic of her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredi_Washington . Washington had trouble in hollywood since she wouldn’t pass as white, but even her own race wasn’t ready to accept her so would use makeup to darken her skin for some roles. Its sad that in order to be accepted as either white or black in this country you have either deny a part of yourself or look more “black” Why do we limit ourselves? Naveen is black in my eyes, I look more like him than tiana and I’m black. sorry I’m not darker or have more stereotypical black features, My bad. I guess as an actress i have to claim to be neither here nor there, or never star in a film with a leading black male or white one or anyone I guess.
Sister, I already know about Fredi Washington. I already know that many blacks can pass. Asking for a black prince in this case is not “limiting” oneself.
Race shouldn’t matter. Its the love connection. So can people stop complaning that the prince is not your idea of “black”
Disney probably wanted to incorporate more than one race. Princess Tiana is gorgeous so I don’t see why everyone is freaking out that the Prince is Latino. Do you have something against there being a Latino prince?
I know I’m late to this discussion, as it concluded in early July and it is now late August, still… I would recommend seeing _Mickey Mouse Monopoly_ It’s a very interesting documentary about the secretive and controlling corporate culture at Disney, and the pernicious effect on children’s minds the real values it represents has. It really made me think twice about exposing my child to its products. It’s all about the money. Period.
You, Blksista, asked the question repeatedly “why not a black prince for a black princess” and you yourself answered the question. It would risk reducing the audience for its film. You know as well as I that white folks in the USA are not in the habit of seeing films IN THEATERS with 2 black leads. They may, and I repeat MAY, rent a DVD, but they won’t go to the theater and I seriously and sit in an audience watching a story about black folks. I seriously doubt that Disney would ever make a movie that was aimed primarily at a black audience –simply not enough money at the box office to be “worth” it, not to mention that it would symbolize a completed reversal of its long-standing disregard for black culture.
The fact is Disney responded to criticism that in it’s 50+ year history it has NEVER had a black princess (and the entire line of princess sh*t that is the true money-maker, is also basically all white). That’s all Disney was interested in depicting -a black princess (and, more importantly, marketing all the princess gear that will go with Tiana). The black prince will have to wait another 50 years, if he ever gets a go at a Disney movie. I’m not sure how much princes sell at the local Toys R Us.
As you can see from some of the posted comments, white people aren’t bothered by this, so they will go to the movie, take their kids –and that’s all Disney cares about. Black folks will buy Tiana stuff for their daughters come Christmas (you KNOW they will) despite the sad fact that Disney doesn’t give an f*ck about black folks and never has. One princess, decades late, doesn’t change that.
Sadly, I think you’re prediction won’t be the reality. Disney WILL get the box office for this film because all the white folks that will take their kids to see it will “feel good” about going to a movie with a black princess in it. They’ll think that they are doing the right thing and teaching their children tolerance and acceptance.
I see no problem with there being 2 characters of the same race being together in a Disney film. I see people of the same race and bi-racial couples everywhere else, on every other channel. So why is it that it is such a big deal for Disney? For this film? All of this is just gearing toward one thing. Pretty soon you won’t be seeing disney films like, “Cinderella.” It will be, “A tale of 2 princes, true love at last.” We are all being geared up to see homosexual couples on a regular basis on what once was, “kid friendly,” channels.
But she’s gorgeous though!
Well, I think it’s like this. Unless she married a prince, Tiana would fall into the same fate as Mulan and Alice, being a Disney “heroine”. As there are no prices in 1920s America, they couldn’t do anything along those lines. However, if they used an Afircan prince…let’s just say I doubt they’d use an Afircan prince. So they just said “to Hell with it, let’s just get Oprah” and made him South American.
There were more princes in the 1920s than there are today.
Look at earlier posts I have written. They could have used a prince from Ethiopia, or from the deposed royal family of Madagascar, or from the deposed imperial family of Haiti.
Disney could have had this prince say, oh well, one of these days, when my family is back on the throne…and so forth.
It would have been quite a history lesson.
Wow. Youre really disturbed, aren’t you?
To get so mad over a possible (OMGNO) Interracial couple?
Get over yourself, and fast.
Heres the bottom line:
INTERRACIAL COUPLES ARE OKAY.
In fact, they can be healthy. THeyre just like any other relationship. COLOR should not matter, but being the kind of person you are, it clearly matters.. which is really really sad.
Pathetic, even.
Its not about color, or showing ANY of the BULLSHIT youve rambled on in your horrible little blod.
Disney is making a love story.
And if you cant accept the COLOR of a persons skin, then YOU are the one with ISSUES.
Not DIsney.
And I’m saying this as a black woman, who i’m SURE is older and wiser than you, hunny.
If youre what a “true” black woman is, then God I’m glad I’m not like you.
Get over it.
Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and COLORS.
Welcome to America.
What a dip you are.
Don’t impress me that you’ve read anything from the article or my comments.
Don’t embarrass yourself further by showing up here again.
there r many different colors to black race. I have seen a white looking black person but i have never seen vise versa… i think disney is just showing people the many different colors in the black race.
Nope.
I think Disney is ill-informed and ill-served because of the outcome of their film. They won’t get the audience and box office that they want because they don’t possess the cojones to make a black prince for a black princess. Period.
“America” has nothing to do with it.