You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Disney's famed animation department has been churning out classics for the past 80 years. For the most part it appeared that nobody complained about the color or ethnicity of Disney's cartoon characters because Disney was white and was animating from his point of view. For the most part later on the complaint was that little girls shouldn't believe in a Prince Charming on a white horse to make their life complete so Disney started giving us strong female characters in the way of Mulan and Pocahontas. As I recall I don't remember too many Asians raising a ruckus over Mulan being an empowered animated woman who leads soldiers into battle against the Huns (sorry if I pissed off the Hun population). Oh sure she gets away with it at first disguised as a guy but in the end is rewarded for her independence and elevating women above second class citizens.
Things got dicey when Pocahontas was drawn. First off she was not portrayed in a historically accurate fashion because she was a cartoon. A cartoon folks. Some Indians were ticked off because she was drawn too attractive and and fell for a white guy! Oh the humanity! When she meets and falls in love with John Smith in the forest, she is forced to keep the encounter secret because she needs her father's approval to accepted among her people. It's a little bit more complicated but basically her secrecy indirectly causes the death of Kocoum at the hands of one of Smith's friends causing her tribe and the white man to the brink of war. Ultimately she does save her people only because she has put them in danger and still needs father's praise to allow her to finally receive the recognition that she deserves from her tribe, Fast forward to 2006, when Disney first announced they were bringing a black princess to the big screen in the way of "The Princess and the Frog."
But even the best laid plans can piss off the extremes. First off the princess was a maid for a white family so that didn't fly very well so Disney made her a chef. Then it was pointed out that her name was Maddy which sounded too close to Al Jolsen's "Mammy" so she was renamed Tiana. After kissing the proverbial frog we soon learned that Tiana's prince would not be black but someone with the Indian name Naveen. So who do you piss off? A black woman going with an interracial lover to reflect mixed relationships or one that is more pure sticking to one's own color?
A lot of people wanted her to remain with a black guy but wouldn't that be a slap against someone who is currently in love with someone not of the same color as their lover? Why not make her a lesbian? A transparent lesbian combining bisexual, transgender maybe a lipstick with a butch cut to appease as many in that classification as possible? No? Who goes to see these Disney animated movies anyway with the idea of getting annoyed? Maybe Tyler Perry should start animating characters to take some of the heat off Disney? Spike Lee where are you? All I know is that you can never please everybody. Sort of like comedy there's always someone who will be offended. I predict in the future that just like gay, black, Hispanic or Asian night for comedy showcases the same will apply to theaters to see an animated movie that matches one's ethnicity. Oh wait there will be those complaining that one ethnic group got the primo Friday or Saturday night accusing the white man of putting Black Animation Night on a Monday. Next we'll be changing the days of the week so that every other day is a Friday and then Saturday thereby making everyone happy. What about a Mutt Night or an "I Don't Give a F**k Night" because some of us actually have a life? Too soon?
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Disney's famed animation department has been churning out classics for the past 80 years. For the most part it appeared that nobody complained about the color or ethnicity of Disney's cartoon characters because Disney was white and was animating from his point of view. For the most part later on the complaint was that little girls shouldn't believe in a Prince Charming on a white horse to make their life complete so Disney started giving us strong female characters in the way of Mulan and Pocahontas. As I recall I don't remember too many Asians raising a ruckus over Mulan being an empowered animated woman who leads soldiers into battle against the Huns (sorry if I pissed off the Hun population). Oh sure she gets away with it at first disguised as a guy but in the end is rewarded for her independence and elevating women above second class citizens.
Things got dicey when Pocahontas was drawn. First off she was not portrayed in a historically accurate fashion because she was a cartoon. A cartoon folks. Some Indians were ticked off because she was drawn too attractive and and fell for a white guy! Oh the humanity! When she meets and falls in love with John Smith in the forest, she is forced to keep the encounter secret because she needs her father's approval to accepted among her people. It's a little bit more complicated but basically her secrecy indirectly causes the death of Kocoum at the hands of one of Smith's friends causing her tribe and the white man to the brink of war. Ultimately she does save her people only because she has put them in danger and still needs father's praise to allow her to finally receive the recognition that she deserves from her tribe, Fast forward to 2006, when Disney first announced they were bringing a black princess to the big screen in the way of "The Princess and the Frog."
But even the best laid plans can piss off the extremes. First off the princess was a maid for a white family so that didn't fly very well so Disney made her a chef. Then it was pointed out that her name was Maddy which sounded too close to Al Jolsen's "Mammy" so she was renamed Tiana. After kissing the proverbial frog we soon learned that Tiana's prince would not be black but someone with the Indian name Naveen. So who do you piss off? A black woman going with an interracial lover to reflect mixed relationships or one that is more pure sticking to one's own color? 
A lot of people wanted her to remain with a black guy but wouldn't that be a slap against someone who is currently in love with someone not of the same color as their lover? Why not make her a lesbian? A transparent lesbian combining bisexual, transgender maybe a lipstick with a butch cut to appease as many in that classification as possible? No? Who goes to see these Disney animated movies anyway with the idea of getting annoyed? Maybe Tyler Perry should start animating characters to take some of the heat off Disney? Spike Lee where are you? All I know is that you can never please everybody. Sort of like comedy there's always someone who will be offended. I predict in the future that just like gay, black, Hispanic or Asian night for comedy showcases the same will apply to theaters to see an animated movie that matches one's ethnicity. Oh wait there will be those complaining that one ethnic group got the primo Friday or Saturday night accusing the white man of putting Black Animation Night on a Monday. Next we'll be changing the days of the week so that every other day is a Friday and then Saturday thereby making everyone happy. What about a Mutt Night or an "I Don't Give a F**k Night" because some of us actually have a life? Too soon?
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