First Disney princess of the African American persuasion.
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Disney’s Princess And The Frog Teaser Trailer
July 30th, 2008
21 Comments
Oliver Willis
Like Kryptonite To Stupid
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‘Bout dang time.
That lightning bug looks like more old-style Disney stereotyping, though.
Sounds like some nice Randy Newman compositions (or somebody doing a good imitiation) on the soundtrack.
Maybe she’ll actually be voiced by a black woman. They’ve of course had Arabs in the past, voiced by white American actors.
Ugh. That looked so good until the traditional “animal sidekick with stereotype voice” popped up.
Maybe she’ll actually be voiced by a black woman. They’ve of course had Arabs in the past, voiced by white American actors.
And Bart Simpson is voiced by a woman. And Elmo is a 40-year old black man. And believe it or not, since animals can’t actually talk, they need to hire humans to do voices for them in cartoons. What’s your point? The point of a voice actor is they’re supposed to be able to do different voices. Are you arguing that Princess Jasmine had a racist accent or something? Did you think it was a bad voice?
Anika Noni Rose is the voice of the princess, though I agree with August that the voice doesn’t need to be the same race or gender of the character, as long as they do a good job of it.
What’s your point?
My point is that the ‘good guys’ in Disney movies are – more or less without fail – voiced by white actors without accent. The villains are played often by actors with accents, or American actors using an accent.
There are those who would argue that this is to render the good guys more ‘like us’ and the villains ‘not like us.’ I’m not saying it’s inherently racist. I’m saying it makes more sense to have an actor more like the part play the part. I’m not going to try out for Othello. Charleton Heston probably shouldn’t have played the Mexican guy in Touch of Evil. Bart Simpson (like all the kids in the Simpsons) is a different case – an actual child couldn’t wrap their tongue around Bart’s vocabulary.
It is kind of a weird pattern when Aladdin, Esmerelda, and Jasmine were all voiced by actors with no discernible accent (as opposed to Pocahontas and Mulan, who were played by a Native American and Asian Woman, respectively).
the voice doesn’t need to be the same race or gender of the character, as long as they do a good job of it.
Doesn’t need to be, but why not make it more authentic? Why pick actors that sound completely unauthentic? It’s not as if your talent pool is too small.
Doesn’t need to be, but why not make it more authentic? Why pick actors that sound completely unauthentic?
Yes, I too, was taken aback by how unauthentic Alladin was, especially the way all the actors in the film spoke English.
My point is that the ‘good guys’ in Disney movies are – more or less without fail – voiced by white actors without accent. The villains are played often by actors with accents, or American actors using an accent.
…
It is kind of a weird pattern when Aladdin, Esmerelda, and Jasmine were all voiced by actors with no discernible accent (as opposed to Pocahontas and Mulan, who were played by a Native American and Asian Woman, respectively).
So Disney always has white actors playing non-white protagonists, except when… they don’t.
Got it.
Yes, I too, was taken aback by how unauthentic Alladin was, especially the way all the actors in the film spoke English.
So Disney always has white actors playing non-white protagonists, except when… they don’t.
Alright, alright. I can see I’m outvoted on this one. It just strikes me as wierd to cast whitebread actors for ethnic parts – not always, but as what appears to me to be a definite majority. True enough that they spoke English in Aladdin, but the villain did have the accent, didn’t he?
I was disappointed that Ariel wasn’t voiced by a real mermaid.
Alright Quaker, I’m taking my ball and going home.
It just strikes me as wierd to cast whitebread actors for ethnic parts
When auditioning actresses to play Snow White, Walt Disney chose not to see them but rather listened to their voices form another room. He didn’t want to be influenced by their appearance since that would actually be irrelevant.
For animation you can cast whoever has (or can do) the voice most suited to the role you’re trying to fill. How can things get more level playing field and color blind than that?
Interesting story about Walt, never knew that. I stand by my accents theory and concede on the rest.
I saw the trailer, and I was absolutely amazed by it! The Princess And The Frog looks like it’s going to be a fantastic film that’ll put Disney back on the map! ^___^ Anika Noni Rose was the perfect choice for it, and I’m sure everyone will agree once the movie comes out. Thanks Disney, for letting the world know that ALL girls can be princesses. ^_~v
I’m not going to try out for Othello.
Although I eagerly await the Disney adaptation.
Rosemary Clooney didn’t have an accent, did she? I’m pretty sure she wasn’t an Octopus, though, sadly.
Sorry, parth, couldn’t resist piling on.
My goodness, I’m starting to feel like McCann here. August went all Lewis Black on me, and I got zinged by Duros and Quaker in the same thread.
You dirty marxist fascist red army Che-loving pig-f***ers.
Nah, you can’t be mccann. You didn’t insist we answer now.
Speaking from England, British accents always seem to denote either evil (or bumbling). Think of the Brits who have been used to play baddies in film:
Anthony Hopkins & Brian Cox (Hannibal Lecter)
Jeremy Irons (Lion King, that twins OBGYN film)
& Etc.
In that cliff-face Sly Stallone film, 3rd rock guy seemed to think British baddy meant saying “you barrr stud” every 5 minutes. Dick van Dyke’s chiminee sweep was the very best worst british accent.
It was cool until the sub-Amos ‘n’ Andy dialects and the near-toothless guy. Then it lost me. They may as well give the rednecks and WD cultists what they crave and reissue “Song of the South.”
However, I’ve seen only two of the “modern” (1989-present) Disney ‘toons: “Aladdin” and “Hercules” (and only then ’cause I got the tapes used for 50 cents each). Otherwise I stay far, FAR away from their stuff. “Poppins” and “The Aristocats” are as modern as I want.
bryan: Think of the Brits who have been used to play baddies in film:
Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan)
Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard)
Ian McKellen (Gandalf)
Maggie Smith (Prof McGonagall)
Richard Burton (Father Philip Lamont)
not to mention
Anthony Hopkins (John Quincy Adams)
Jeremy Irons (Brom)
Yup, a rank group of villains they are.
Actually, Parth, I’m with you mostly.
In the past, Disney made movies with ethnic characters voiced by white actors because they wouldn’t even consider hiring anyone else. And when a white actor starts imitating any kind of accent, the result is pretty sure to be insulting. (Of course, the all time worst was Dick VanDyke’s Cockney accent in Mary Poppins, but that’s another story.)
I’d prefer that Disney practice good hiring so they can make good movies–and that often means hiring ethnic actors to voice ethnic characters.
Bryan – I always took the British accent to denote a certain magnetism and gravitas, which is what you want from a really potent bad guy.