Rumor: New Disney Prince Not African-American

[atmtcprincess]

I found this article. I'm not exactly sure how trustworthy this site is but it's interesting:

http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2009/03/19/disneys-first-black-princess-has-a-white-prince?icid=mainaimdl8link3http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackv oices.com%2Fblogs%2F2009%2F03%2F19%2Fdisneys-first-black-princess-has-a-white-prince

If this is indeed true then I'm very excited about this decision. Good for Disney! Mix things up a little bit! In my opinion, he doesn't look white really... he actually looks more Hispanic.

Thoughts?

[gymnastgirlflips]

I didn't know Oprah was going to be in it...

And im not bothered by that at all. Its different than what I expected, but I think its going to be a great movie.

[MJMcBride]

why does anyone care?

[dharmster]

My first thought is that the new princess is beautiful! I love her hair and her green gown. I could see how after waiting for such a long time for a Disney full-length animation with black characters it might be frustrating that there's only one of the two. On the other hand, the prince doesn't exactly look Irish or Norwegian...he could be Hispanic, Mediterranean, or represent a person of mixed race...and there are many children like that in this country who I'm sure would love to see a Disney prince with their background, too!

There will always be more Disney films and more princes.

[spider0215]

I'll be so glad when things like this don't even make the news anymore.

[jewelsangel]

It doesn't matter. Clearly that movie is going to suck!

[Meg13]

It doesn't matter. Clearly that movie is going to suck!

Why is that?

[SarahandPaul]

I just don't like the fact that they are tagging her as a princess (even though there isn't any American royality and this does take place in America) after not using that title on characters like Mulan and Pocahontas, just to appease a certain community.

[SaratogaShan]

I don't get the uproar over using the name "Maddy" (Maddie?) for the princess either. It is a very popular name, and a cute one at that. I think you really have to look for something to nit pick to think that the name is an underhanded reference to "mammy". I mean really.....People act as if Disney was going to draw her with a "do-rag" or something.

Also...the prince looks latino to me, and is voiced by a brazilian actor. If Folks were saying that Disney needed an African-American princess, then why not a Latin-American prince. Seems very inclusive to me!

:)

[DannyDisneyFreak]

I think that prince looks like a big dork with his big cheesey smile... and it is very clear from the trailer that has been out for a while that the prince is not black, he is GREEN! My guess is that the dorky looking "prince" will be like Gaston, either trying to win over the princess or her beau untill she falls in love with the frog.

The article honestly annoyed me, yes I understand the point that "Little black boys will have to wait" for a disney prince but honestly how many boys relate to the prince as much as little girls relate to the princesses? Little girls go the the BBB and dress up like their fav princess, what do little boys do? The want to be pirates. Little girls dream of being rescued by their prince, boys pretend they are the hero and defeat the bad guy. Think of little girls fav Disny movies, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid... boys like Cars, Nemo, Toy Story. Yes I am making wide generalizations but I think it is far more signifigant to have an african american princess and would commend Disney if she did have a white prince. Why would it be expected for a black princess to have to fall in love with a black prince, if so then we might as well tell her she has to drink from a different water fountian and go to the back of the bus. No matter what Disney does their will be flack surrounding this movie because of the color issue...

[yitbos96bb]

I just don't like the fact that they are tagging her as a princess (even though there isn't any American royality and this does take place in America) after not using that title on characters like Mulan and Pocahontas, just to appease a certain community.

Actually you are wrong about that... Pocahontas was ALWAYS called a princess... The movie is based on the John Smith accounts which called the Chief a king and Pocahontas an Indian Princess. Its not accurate, but that is how Disney described her.

Mulan, I'll give you wasn't sold as a Princess at the release of the movie. When Disney realized they could make BIG BIG BIG bucks on marketing the Princesses the way they did the Villians, they called her a Princess. I don't think now they necessarily mean royalty as much as just calling the Heroine a Princess. That being said, If you read the article cited, the Prince IS actually a prince from a country called Maldonia. If Prince Naveen is indeed the prince she ends up with and marries... just like what happens Cinderella (or to Aladdin), she would become a Princess by marrying a Prince. I have also heard some rumors that Mardi Gras involved... she may be the Mardi Gras Princess or something like that... But I am guessing the Marriage of the Prince (or implied marriage) is the reason she is a Princess.

Either way, as you can see from the Disney Website, Mulan, Pocahantas and a host of others are Disney Princesses.
http://disney.go.com/princess/princess.html

[yitbos96bb]

I don't get the uproar over using the name "Maddy" (Maddie?) for the princess either. It is a very popular name, and a cute one at that. I think you really have to look for something to nit pick to think that the name is an underhanded reference to "mammy". I mean really.....People act as if Disney was going to draw her with a "do-rag" or something.

Also...the prince looks latino to me, and is voiced by a brazilian actor. If Folks were saying that Disney needed an African-American princess, then why not a Latin-American prince. Seems very inclusive to me!

:)

I don't think 99% of people care... but its usually that small minority of vocal people who get their way... squeaky wheel and all that. Why do you think some shows who say one thing get fined by the FCC, while others don't? Its all about who complains.

[djm99]

Actually you are wrong about that... Pocahontas was ALWAYS called a princess... The movie is based on the John Smith accounts which called the Chief a king and Pocahontas an Indian Princess. Its not accurate, but that is how Disney described her.

Mulan, I'll give you wasn't sold as a Princess at the release of the movie. When Disney realized they could make BIG BIG BIG bucks on marketing the Princesses the way they did the Villians, they called her a Princess. I don't think now they necessarily mean royalty as much as just calling the Heroine a Princess. That being said, If you read the article cited, the Prince IS actually a prince from a country called Maldonia. If Prince Naveen is indeed the prince she ends up with and marries... just like what happens Cinderella (or to Aladdin), she would become a Princess by marrying a Prince. I have also heard some rumors that Mardi Gras involved... she may be the Mardi Gras Princess or something like that... But I am guessing the Marriage of the Prince (or implied marriage) is the reason she is a Princess.

Either way, as you can see from the Disney Website, Mulan, Pocahantas and a host of others are Disney Princesses.
http://disney.go.com/princess/princess.html

I just wanted to say that Jasmine was born a Princess, her father was Sultan (King). Alladin was a peasant. She "made" him a prince.

[wdwpins]

Perhaps someone can explain to me why we use the terms "African American," "Native American" and "Asian American," but the term "European American" is nowhere to be found.

It's wrong to recognize one group's nationality and continent of origin and not do the same for another group.

Contest:

What's wrong with this sentence? "The suspect was described as an African-American male."

[jewelsangel]

Why is that?

I just have a feeling. I know movies and judging by the clips I've seen so far, it is in no way intelligently put together.

[kissofcraziness]

Instead of people looking at the movie in a negative light saying there is not an African American man, why is no one looking to see that this is a great inter-racial relationship depicted in the movie showing that love can be blind to race?

Disney had that a LITTLE bit with Pocahontas, but since Pocahontas and John Smith don't really get together, since she ends up marrying another man and such, I absolutely love the idea that the main love story is an interracial one.

And for those people upset that there is not an African American male in the movie, perhaps Disney will focus on one in a later project. Or, perhaps, they wanted to emphasize Tiana's ethnicity as the first Black Princess, and creating another major Black character might take away from it.

And I agree that the name should've stayed Maddy instead of Tiana. Maddy is such a sweet sounding name and sounds nothing like "Mammy."

[eeyorethegreat]

I am looking forward to this movie! I think the new princess is beautiful! I hope that she will be available for meet and greets when get go back to WDW in 2010!!

There are always naysayers whenever a new Disney movie comes out, those who will pick a part a 30 second trailer and decide that the movie is bad, not sending the right message whatever... I can say that there have been a few Disney movies that I have not enjoyed. So I am not one who is all "Disney can never miss the mark" because sometimes they do. In this case I think this movie will turn out to be a good thing for them.

Incidently, on the Prince, not that it should even matter two hoots, Prince Naveen as named in the article; the name Naveen is rooted from the name Navin which is considered to be Sanskrit/Hindi in origin and meaning youthful or new depending on which name meaning source you use. So if one goes strictly on the origin of the name which I am not suggesting we should do, the prince would be Indian (as in India). Since the story takes place here in the US , I'll "assume" that both characters are American, even if we don't have an American royal family- maybe we do now!.

[Informer1906]

I just have a feeling. I know movies and judging by the clips I've seen so far, it is in no way intelligently put together.


What does that mean, how do you know how it was put together, I doubt the director has even made the final cut yet, he/she does not even know how the movie is put together--how could you?

[djm99]

I'd sure like to know how a FAIRY TALE is intelligently put together. None (fairy tales) are based on/in reality nor should this film be any different. This film like any other fairy tale should be light, fun, cheerful, and possibly a lesson learned. Nothing more and not too much less. No one wants to watch a fairy tale based around the horrors of that time period. How much reality can this film be wrapped in - a princess is supposed to kiss a frog to return him to a prince. :confused3

[xoxorockon1]

god... people need to stop complaining about somethin dat made them happy.... i cnt believe people r criticizing disney just because the prince isnt african- american........ i thought people were above dat:sad2::sad2::sad2:

[atmtcprincess]

Disney really isn't going to win with this one. They're going to be nitpicked on everything. She's either going to be "too white" or "too black" among many things people are going to complain about. They need to stop listening to the complainers and do what they believe is best. People should be happy Disney is even attempting to step out of the box.

[jewelsangel]

What does that mean, how do you know how it was put together, I doubt the director has even made the final cut yet, he/she does not even know how the movie is put together--how could you?

I guess I mean by "intelligently put together" -- I mean intelligently designed --from the character lines to the music. You're right in that it is hard to judge based on a clip and not knowing what the final cut is. I guess I was attempting to say that my "gut feeling" is that this isn't going to be a good movie. I don't know anything more than that. And I didn't mean intelligent to say not researched. Of course they do research but when you actually sit and watch a film, it should wow you --- and I just don't think this one is going to wow anyone. Like when I watched the trailer for "UP" I got a great and excited feeling about the movie...just because it seems like an intelligently designed film. I don't know that for sure, but it's my gut feeling. When I saw the trailer for "Wall-E" - same feeling and I wasn't disappointed.

Will I see this one? Mostly because I am curious about how they are going to do it, not because I am excited about a black princess. But, I do hope that I am pleasantly surprised and I will be the first to come back here and admit that I was wrong about it if that's the case. I just don't know about that frog/toad though...his voice is creepy.

On the race issue, I do think Disney was bold to step out of the box and create a black princess and I don't think that it matters what race the prince is. Like someone said, what matters should be that the movie teaches a good lesson not the race of the characters. Kids don't really care what race people/characters are. It's the adults that put those ideas in their heads that it matters and that they SHOULD care.

[sdwjones]

I used to be "up in arms" about Disney princesses not being representative of my culture. I'm trying to deal with it, get past it and continue to love Disney anyway. I wrote about it on examiner.com

Check it out here:
http://******************/x-7361-Houston-Black-Culture--Traditions-Examiner~y2009m4d13-Raising-a-Black-Disney-princess-with-selfesteem-intact

[djm99]

I used to be "up in arms" about Disney princesses not being representative of my culture. I'm trying to deal with it, get past it and continue to love Disney anyway. I wrote about it on examiner.com


Great article. I agree on so many levels.:thumbsup2

[Tinkerbell21]

I'll be so glad when things like this don't even make the news anymore.

I completely agree with you! It shouldn't matter what the race of the prince or princess is at all.

[Informer1906]

I used to be "up in arms" about Disney princesses not being representative of my culture. I'm trying to deal with it, get past it and continue to love Disney anyway. I wrote about it on examiner.com

Check it out here:
http://******************/x-7361-Houston-Black-Culture--Traditions-Examiner~y2009m4d13-Raising-a-Black-Disney-princess-with-selfesteem-intact

Great article, we also are torn about the lack of a black princess image in the Disney portfolio. We are Disney fans, obviously I hang out on this board, but we have never bought into the princess (no movies, books, or paraphernalia) aspect of Disney. I could never swallow selling the Snow White, Cinderella image to my girls. I felt like I would be contributing to a pop-culture that already rates the looks of black women as second rate—if you do not believe next time you are in the grocery isle look at the female faces that are on the magazine rack, except for Oprah and mow our first lady Ms. Obama there probably is not another non-white image of beauty on the rack.
I told myself I would never buy my girls any Disney-princess things, thus I am excited that there is now a brown princess that will demonstrate that you can be brown and still be the “fairest’ one of them all.

[Informer1906]

I completely agree with you! It shouldn't matter what the race of the prince or princess is at all.

How many black dolls did you have growing up. How many black dolls does your daughter have (if you have kids).

[cjb1879]

I understand what you're saying, but exposing our children to a variety of media representations does matter. So I am very glad to see an African-American princess added to the Disney line-up. As an African-American woman, I can attest to the importance of seeing images of beauty that reflect you growing up. I was a kid who was very into fairytales, princesses, Barbie, etc., growing up and my parents had a hard time finding stories, dolls, etc, which looked like me. I am glad that this is changing so that when I have children, they may be able to choose from a true spectrum of images.

On the other hand, I am not particularly bothered by the new prince. White, Hispanic, Mediterranean or otherwise, I think the choice is actually a surprisingly forward move on Disney's part. If the Prince is actually supposed to be Black, it seems that Disney is recognizing that Black people (or any other race for that matter) don't all look exactly alike. If the prince is supposed to be of another race, it acknowledges the many multiracial families in the U.S. Additionally, when we do see these infrequent representations of multiracial families and relationships in tv and film, it is almost always a Black man and White woman. This variant shows that the reverse does occur.

Coming from a girl whose favorite Disney character growing up was Alice, I have nothing against the early princesses, but I am very glad that Disney is finally making an effort to have a more well-rounded pantheon of characters. I hope they continue in this vein to include not only more racial diversity, but also social diversity, diversity of ability and other circumstances. All children deserve to see aspects of themselves reflected in the media.

[Tinkerbell21]

How many black dolls did you have growing up. How many black dolls does your daughter have (if you have kids).


This is a REALLY old post but I just realized now that I was asked a question! I did have the CUTEST little black doll when I was growing up, her name was Jessica (I think the brand name of the dolls were Jessica) and I had a matching white doll named Jessica as well (I wasn't very creative). They were pretty big about the size of a toddler and I carried the two of them around everywhere!

[Michael623]

You revived a 10-month old thread to tell us that you owned dolls as a kid? Truly fascinating.

[Tinkerbell21]

You revived a 10-month old thread to tell us that you owned dolls as a kid? Truly fascinating.

Haha I'm happy you are amused! I had subscribed to it a really long time ago and I hadn't checked out my subscriptions in forever! I suppose it wasn't that important just bored at work...and the doll brings back a lot of happy memories for me!

[djm99]

You revived a 10-month old thread to tell us that you owned dolls as a kid? Truly fascinating.

LOL funny! My Diet Pepsi just came out my nose! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[BigGoofy44]

You revived a 10-month old thread to tell us that you owned dolls as a kid? Truly fascinating.

And you responded to her post to tell us absolutely nothing?

[djm99]

OK people, let's not get our panties (or tighty whities) in a bunch. Be nice.

[daybreaker]

OK people, let's not get our panties (or tighty whities) in a bunch.
Wasnt that the purpose of the thread in the first place? :-P

Anyways, the movie turned out great, IMO. So it's fun to go back and see how everyone's opinions on all the early rumors panned out.