Disney fans are not happy that the company is changing the lyrics to some classic Little Mermaid songs for its upcoming live-action remake.
The new version of the animated classic, which is set to hit theaters on May 26 and will star Halle Bailey as the iconic mermaid, is going to feature different lines for the tracks Kiss the Girl and Poor Unfortunate Souls, composer Alan Menken revealed earlier this week.
He explained to Vanity Fair that they made ‘some lyric’ changes to Kiss the Girl after people became upset over the ‘idea that Prince Eric would force himself on Ariel,’ and that they ‘revised’ the parts of Poor Unfortunate Souls ‘that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn.’
During the latter song, the evil sea witch Ursula is trying to convince Ariel to trade her voice for human legs. She sings: ‘The men up there don’t like a lot of blabber.
Disney fans are not happy that the company is changing the lyrics to some classic Little Mermaid songs for its upcoming live-action remake
The new version of the animated classic, which will star Halle Bailey as the iconic mermaid, is going to feature different lines for the tracks Kiss the Girl and Poor Unfortunate Souls
‘They think a girl who gossips is a bore. Yet, on land it’s much preferred for ladies not to say a word.’
She also says that ‘she who holds her tongue get’s a man’ and that ‘true gentlemen avoid conversation when they can.’
However, people on the web are outraged over the changes, with some pointing out that Ursula’s statements are a very important part of the plotline.
‘The whole point of that section of Poor Unfortunate Souls was for Ursula to lower Ariel’s self esteem and manipulate her into giving her voice, without that part of the song Ariel will just accept giving up her voice with less manipulation from Ursula?’ asked one person.
Someone else wrote: ‘It makes sense that the villain say those things. Maybe instead of changing the lyrics, teach kids to think and reflect about those topic so they can develop critical thinking.’
He also said they ‘revised’ the parts of Poor Unfortunate Souls ‘that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn’
‘Ursula was trying to convince and manipulate Ariel into thinking the solution she is offering is the best,’ another user pointed out.
‘It’s supposed to be awful and wrong. I watched this movie 100 times as a kid and it never made me feel like I couldn’t speak up or express myself around a man.’
‘Not sure why you’d change a villain’s song to make it less villainous? Ursula was an empowered woman,’ read a fourth tweet, while a fifth said, ‘Omg. They’re ruining it.’
‘This is like changing the way you make a sandwich when you already have the perfect combo,’ stated a different person.
‘Ursula is playing on Ariel’s love for Eric and manipulating those feelings by belittling her self-value,’ tweeted another.
During the song Kiss the Girl, Ariel’s pal Sebastian tries to encourage Prince Eric to kiss Ariel as they enjoy a romantic boat ride together.
‘Yes, you want her. Look at her, you know you do,’ the crab belts out. ‘Possible she wants you too, there is one way to ask her. It don’t take a word, not a single word, go on and kiss the girl.’
As part of the deal that Ariel made with Ursula, Prince Eric had to kiss her within three days or she becomes another one of the octopus’ poor, unfortunate souls.
‘No. I’m not having it. I refuse to accept a change in any lyrics,’ one user, named Kelly Keegs, said in her video, which got nearly 100,000 views
However, people on the web are outraged over the changes, with some pointing out that Ursula’s statements in the song are a very important part of the plotline
On Twitter, one user pointed out that since Ariel can’t speak she can’t actually give Eric her consent.
Others explained that it should be obvious to the viewer that the mermaid wants the prince to kiss her since her ‘future depends’ on it.
‘Of course consent is so so important… but in the film Ariel CAN NOT speak while this song is being sung and the lyrics of song make perfect sense in the context of the movie/scene,’ one person wrote.
‘I’m all for consent but Kiss the Girl is simply about a kiss. There is nothing wrong with a man going for a kiss (especially in a romantic setting) without having to ask,’ someone else said.
‘I’d prefer that over being asked actually. And yes it will be awkward if he gets denied but that’s life sometimes.
‘This woke sensitive narrative is going to make dating extremely awkward for the next generation.’
‘I thought Sebastian was singing it because Ariel wanted to be kissed? Her life depended on the kiss. I’m confused,’ agreed a different person.
Another TikToker, named Mikaila, slammed his interpretation of the first movie, adding that it ‘does a disservice’ to Howard Ashman, who was one of the original writers of The Little Mermaid
The lyric updates also became a hot topic on TikTok, where numerous people posted videos ranting about it.
‘No. I’m not having it. I refuse to accept a change in any lyrics,’ one user, named Kelly Keegs, said in her video, which got nearly 100,000 views.
‘Ariel needs the kiss from Prince Eric to get her voice back, to be a human, to save her family.
‘She needs Sebastian to get on the percussion and stir up a mood so he could lean in and kiss her without her asking him to.
‘She can’t ask him to because she has no voice. It’s f**king ridiculous. It’s ruining the cartoon for me.’
The director of the live-action Little Mermaid, Rob Marshall, recently told Empire Magazine that the 1989 cartoon made it seem like Ariel ‘gave up her voice for a guy,’ but that the new movie has a deeper underlying message.
‘She doesn’t give up her voice for a guy – that’s something that was sort of baked into that original. That’s not how we play it in our film,’ he said.
‘She wants so desperately to be part of this other world and wants to prove – to her father and to everyone – that there’s nothing wrong with [the people there].’
Composer Alan Menken explained to Vanity Fair that they made ‘some lyric’ changes to Kiss the Girl after people became upset over the ‘idea that Prince Eric would force himself on Ariel’
When it comes to Kiss the Girl, one user pointed out that since Ariel can’t speak she can’t actually give Eric her consent
Another TikToker, named Mikaila, slammed his interpretation of the first movie, adding that it ‘does a disservice’ to Howard Ashman, who was one of the original writers of The Little Mermaid.
‘Howard changed Disney movies to be more like Broadway musicals – a method of storytelling and songwriting that Disney still uses to this day,’ she explained.
‘He brought the “I want” song into Disney movies. In “I Want” songs, the protagonist tells the audience what they want.
‘It makes you immediately root for the character and their dreams. Giving an “I Want” song to the leading women in these Disney movies gave them much more agency and drive.
‘Nowhere in Ariel’s “I Want” song does she ever say, “I want a man.” She wants to walk on land, the hot prince just happens to be the cherry on top.
‘Howard fought tooth and nail to keep Part of Your World in the movie because he understood how essential it was that Ariel tells the movie what she wants most, more than anything else, is to live on land.’
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