About The Princess and The Frog.
My dash is discussing problematic aspects of the film, and it got me a-thinking…
I was particularly appalled at how the movie just completely papered over any FORM of historical accuracy, when it came to what segregation in the South actually was like. I had a massive moment of cognitive dissonance when I realized that the New Orleans that Tiana and Charlotte lived in didn’t even KNOW what segregation was. It was this magical, fantastical land in which a little white girl and a little black girl could become best friends, and remain best friends, on an equal level. An idealized, fairytale version of magical New Orleans in which everyone, black and white, got along just great. And shared the same restaurants and neighborhoods. Hell, Charlotte and Tianna even drooled over the same man, a black man. Charlotte’s courtship of Naveen was encouraged by her friends and family.
Basically, WOW. I want to invite the white aristocracy of 1920s New Orleans to a screening of The Princess and the Frog, if only to watch their heads explode.
On the one hand, maybe this particular form of historical inaccuracy is not a bad thing? Because its hard, thinking about the past. Sometimes, you need to change the premises of the story, if its going to feature a black American princess; you necessarily need to paper over certain historical facts, facts that maybe, black kids growing up in this racist society don’t really need reproduced in a Disney movie. A movie that carries special significance for black girls, the first princess movie that features a black woman. Maybe the fairytale version of American history is needed. Because something is going to come along and tell black kids that they are not considered as worthy as their white peers, sooner or later. It doesn’t have to be in a Disney movie.
But on the other hand, completely whitewashing history…. its not so damn far off from what Hollywood does every day. Absolutely ignoring racism in order to serve a story, and in the process, eliminating the perspective of POC. Or, if racism is acknowledged to be an actual force in society, turning ordinary white people into champions against racism, when its actually highly unlikely that said ordinary white person would even think of doing so. Colorblinding not just our present, but our past, so that white folk can feel comfortable when consuming media.
So yes, mixed feelings.
