Disney in the Bayou... and LA and NY: An Update

Back in December, I wrote an article called Disney in the Bayou that focussed on Disney's newest feature film, The Princess and the Frog. The article really focussed on Disney's rocky history with characters of color and whether this film may fit into that history. Then, the bulk of available information was a teaser trailer, several outraged focus groups, and the ever important fact that history (and Disney especially) tends to repeat itself.

Recently, Disney has released a full trailer that shows us more characters and gives us an idea of their unique take on the fairy tale. 

And while I'm not sure about their decision to go from "Huh-huck, i' look like dis might take some tiiiime!" as the closing sound byte of the teaser to, "Dis gon'be goooood! Heh heh heh heh!" in the full trailer, I'm more interested to know your thoughts and opinions.

There will be a limited release in NY and LA November 25th, and the movie will be in theaters everywhere December 11th.

To see the teaser trailer and for the original article, go here: Disney in the Bayou.

Read more!

Disney in the Bayou

Sometime in 2009, Disney will release its 49th animated feature film. This comes as very exciting news to toddlers and artists alike as it is Disney’s first film to be hand-drawn since 2004. It comes as very interesting news to me since it will be the first ever Disney film to feature an African-American princess.

The movie, entitled “The Princess and the Frog,” is set in New Orleans during the 1920’s Jazz era. The producers felt that after Hurricane Katrina, this was a positive addition to the very violent images that have replaced many of the romanticized notions of the city. A valiant desire, but let’s be real. This is Disney. The same Disney that has glorified and re-written some of the nastiest and bloodiest times in our history – the “discovery” of North America in Pocahontas, all of slavery in Song of the South (a movie that, along with an alarmingly long list of demeaning cartoons, is locked away in the Disney vault).

And while romanticizing and glorifying is Disney’s main MO, I think there is a very fine line to be walked here. For example, I can’t help but wonder if anything historically accurate can or will be included in this film. New Orleans in the 1920’s wasn’t exactly the beacon of free expression and economic bliss for African Americans. Not to mention physical well-being or safety. So the first problem is that a movie about African Americans in the post-Reconstruction South really shouldn’t be for kids.

But even if we were to just take the film as another adaptation of a fairy tale, the history of Disney and the negative iconography associated with blackness don’t cease to be an issue. Originally, the movie was entitled “The Frog Princess.” However, the image of the frog overlaid on black culture (think, among other representations of blackface, Michigan J. Frog) caused such a backlash that the title had to be changed. As were the princess’s name, from Maddy to Tiana, and her role from chambermaid to princess.

In addition, the question of dialect or any hope for an innocuous depiction of the princess’s animal sidekicks seem to arouse a certain unease. As I watched the trailer, I couldn’t help but think that they didn’t quite get it right…



Many who support the movie believe that it’s “about time” Disney used an African American princess in one of its fairytales. Yes, there was the Lion King. But that would be an African princess (who had a minor role) and really, they were lions. The sadder thing is African American remakes of familiar fairytales were very popular at one time. “Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs,” produced in 1943, is a 7 minute retelling, complete with an evil queen, Prince Chawmin’ and a jazz soundtrack.

And while that time was a long time ago, it seems like there’s still a lot to unpack. Like, why is this villain a Voodoo Priest? As if we don’t have enough to face about the decimation of native religious practices… Or, who can decide if it’s more of a disservice to ignore the historical context of this film rather than produce a Disney-illustrates-the-Brothers-Grimm type cartoon? Or, should we focus less on it being “about time”? And try to think if there was any time period that would have been a better setting for an African-American princess? Read more!