Check Out This Lovely Fan Art Inspired by Halle Bailey’s Casting in The Little Mermaid

Last week it was revealed that Disney cast Chloe X Halle singer and Grown-ish actor Halle Bailey as Ariel in their upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid. Bailey joins other announced cast members Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina, with Melissa McCarthy in talks to play Ursula.

Bailey is an inspired choice: she can sing, she can act, and is clearly a talented young woman. But (as always) she was met with massive social media outrage from racist folks who can’t handle a mermaid of color. The internet was quickly flooded with #NotMyAriel racist screeds from angry white people claiming the casting “ruined their childhood”. If you’re an adult and you’re this incensed about the race of a MERMAID in a feature film, you need buckets of therapy, full stop.

Luckily, the internet isn’t entirely a trash fire, as plenty of fans were overjoyed with Bailey’s casting. The casting has inspired some terrific fan art for the film, here are some of our favorites:

Bailey’s casting is not only a terrific choice: it brings some much needed representation to a beloved Disney princess. Think of how many little kids will now be able to see themselves reflected in her character. It’s enough to warm the cockles of my cold sea witch heart.

What fan art have you seen out there this weekend?

(image: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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