Young Black girls reacting to The Little Mermaid trailer are going viral, reaffirming that representation in Hollywood matters.
Since the live-action version of the beloved Disney film dropped its trailer over the weekend, little girls everywhere are rejoicing that the flamed-haired mermaid will be played by none other than R'n'B superstar Halle Bailey.
Specifically, videos of the young Black girls reacting to Black Ariel are now making the rounds on Tiktok.
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In one video, a little girl named Sienna is seen watching the trailer for the highly-awaited Disney flick.
But the young girl can barely contain her excitement once Bailey is unveiled in all her glory.
A starry-eyed Sienna asks off camera, ‘That is Ariel? That is her?’ while ‘Part of Your World’ softly plays in the background.
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So far, the video has earned over 800,000 views, with many touched by the sweet moment.
One user wrote: “I hope Halle understands what this means for so many little girls all over the world and millennials.”
Another said: “The look in their eyes when they see that is the reason this is so important. I don’t know why people can’t understand that.”
While a third person shared: “Her lil' face lighting up.”
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In another post uploaded by a user named ‘Precious Avery’, a mother shows her three-year-old watching the trailer with the on-screen caption, ‘when your favourite Disney Princess looks like you’.
Once the real-life Ariel graces the screen, the toddler sits up, noting ‘I think she’s brown’ before adding ‘Brown Ariel is cute’.
And if that hadn’t already turned you into a big hopeless puddle of tears, another video shows a girl named Maya beaming while watching the teaser.
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Towards the end of the trailer, a stunned Maya yells out ‘Mummy’ to which she responds, ‘I know right’.
Bailey recently sat down with PEOPLE to speak of the significance of her portrayal of the Disney princess.
She said: "The fact that now it's getting to be played by me, a person who looks like me, woman of colour, I'm just like, wow, I'm so grateful for what it will do for all the other little Black and brown boys and girls who will see themselves in me.
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"Because I know if I had seen myself when I was younger, I think my whole perspective would've changed."
The Little Mermaid is set to make a splash in theatres on May 26, 2023.
Topics: Disney, Good News, News, TV and Film, Parenting