**The Little Mermaid Review: A Cry for More “Kink” in Kids’ Movies?**
The New York Times shocked readers with Hollywood critic Wesley Morris’s review on Disney’s recent adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” where he whined about the lack of sexual “kink” and criticized Disney’s attempt at “culturally reparative work” through their diverse casting.
The controversy first started with the Times promoting Morris’s position on Twitter, quoting him as saying that there was no “joy, fun, mystery, risk, flavor, kink” in the children’s movie. He then went on to complain that the movie tried too hard not to “offend, appall, challenge, or imagine.” His disturbing call for more sexual content in children’s movies is both appalling and inappropriate.
Unfortunately, Morris didn’t stop at inappropriate sexual remarks; the rest of his article seemed to boil with racially charged animosity. His frustration with Disney’s attempt to create diverse representation by casting black singer Halle Bailey as Ariel, having a Hispanic King Triton, and including a multi-ethnic cast of mermaid sisters suggested he saw this as indulging in “racial reconciliation fantasies.”
Morris also complained about the lack of a “racialized, radicalized adventure,” as if the story needed to focus more on race to justify the diverse casting. He went on to suggest that there were racial undertones to Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula stealing Ariel’s voice but didn’t seem as concerned about the original animated film’s plot. Another example of Morris’s racial grievances was his disapproval of the multi-racial collaboration on a new rap song for the film, citing an “Asian American performer whose shtick is a kind of Black impersonation” and a “Caribbean crab.”
**Dangerous Ideas Wrapped in Nonsense**
Ultimately, Morris’s article is an amalgamation of disturbing cries for sexually explicit content in children’s entertainment and racially charged complaints about Disney’s attempts to promote diversity. It’s a concerning showcase of the priorities held by some in the media, undercutting the importance of providing suitable and undisturbed content for children.
