Part of That World?

Racial Belonging and the Politics of Adapting Andersen

Abstract

This essay explores the public reception of Disney’s 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid (1989), in which the character Ariel is portrayed by black actress Halle Bailey. Focusing on the hashtags #myariel and #notmyariel, it examines how identity, representation, and racial belonging are negotiated on Instagram. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Critical Heritage Studies and whiteness theory, the essay argues that Andersen’s fairy tale becomes a cultural battleground where competing narratives of inclusion and exclusion are enacted. The analysis identifies three dominant responses: (1) posts in which black and brown mothers celebrate the representational shift by sharing moments of identification between their daughters and the new Ariel; (2) fanart and affective expressions that reframe Ariel’s iconic longing to be “part of that world” as a desire for racial inclusion; and (3) countermovement posts that confront the backlash symbolized by #notmyariel, highlighting how whiteness is put into question. The essay suggests that Andersen’s tales, when adapted into new cultural forms, invite renewed discussions over meaning, memory, and identity. In the case of Ariel, the debate reflects broader negotiations over who belongs in contemporary cultural imaginaries.