Disney's first black princess Maddy in animated film

[freedom13]

Disney Finally Gets a Black Princess
Princess Maddy Gets a Spin in 2009

Disney Finally Gets a Black Princess - AOL Black Voices The Walt Disney Company announced last Friday at its annual shareholders meeting that it has started production on a new film, 'The Frog Princess,' featuring the famed studio's first black princess. The animated musical is set in New Orleans and is dubbed by Disney chief creative office John Lasseter as "an American fairy tale." The story of Maddy, a young African-American girl living in the grandeur of the fabled French Quarter, is filled with jazz and based on an original story written by Disney's John Musker and Ron Clements ('The Little Mermaid,' 'Aladdin,' 'Hercules'), who will also direct. As to why the studio has waited almost 70 years after its first animated film, 'Snow White,' to present an African or African American animated princess has been a debate bubbling over in the African-American community for years. In 2005, and after a trip with her daughter to Walt Disney World, Katrina Helm started an online petition asking the billion-dollar behemoth exactly this. According to her letter, a representative from Disney responded by saying that there were "no African-American fairy tales." Until now, apparently. Since 'Snow White' debuted in 1937, there have been Disney princesses represented from almost every other ethnic group: Asian (Mulan), Native American (Pocahantas) and Middle Eastern (Jasmine). Of course, there are the Caucasian princesses we all grew up with -- Snow White, Cinderella and even 'The Little Mermaid's' Ariel, who is from the sea.

What do you good people think about Walt Disney Studio's first black princess "Maddy" set to be released in 2009?

[gela]

You can't really accuse disney of being rasicst when they have middle eastern (Jasmine), chinese (Mulan) and Native American (pocohontus (sp?)) Lead females.

[JaneDoe321]

Actually there have been plenty of cries that Disney is racist. Either the "good guys" were "not ethnic enough" *or* the "bad guys" were stereotypically ethnic.

I am looking forward to this movie, though, more to see how New Orleans is portrayed than due to any hope for an intellectually or social conscience stimulating story line. I mean, it's a DISNEY movie.

[freedom13]

Quote by: gela You can't really accuse disney of being rasicst when they have middle eastern (Jasmine), chinese (Mulan) and Native American (pocohontus (sp?)) Lead females.

Well, so far in this thread, I haven't accused Disney as a racist.

Pocahontas represents Native America, Mulan represents the Chinese and Jasmine represents the descendants of the Middle East. Maddy will probably be the first African American black princess.

[freedom13]

I found the character name "Maddy" very interesting for a black princess in connection to African American. I wonder why good old Disney chosen “Maddy” to be her name. What does Maddy means anyway? Is she Mad-dy or Mad about something...? Sound very muddy…

Disney Princesses: Black Girls Need Not Apply - AOL Black Voices * Editor's Note 3/22/07: This story was written in August 2006, in response to a lively message board as well as the author's own confusion as to why the Disney company did not include an animated African American princess in its iconography. The poll on the page had more than 17,000 votes with the majority of respondants saying that Disney should be boycotted and that this lack of representation adversely affects black children. Fortunately, the Disney company recently announced that it finally will have an African American animated princess, Maddy, which will debut in theaters in 2009. "Mommy, why don't any of the princesses look like me," asks the beautiful brown girl, a mix of curiosity and confusion in her eyes. It is questions like this that torment black parents or caretakers, who like everyone else, want their children to be respected, affirmed, and yes, represented. Unfortunately, if said parents are in a Disney store, or at a Disney "Princesses on Ice" show with their kids, they'd better start thinking fast, because the mouse kingdom has never crowned a black princess.

[freedom13]

I wonder why good old Disney changed the name “Maddy” to Tiana?

The Princess and the Frog

Princess Tiana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tiana is to be the main protagonist of Disney's upcoming 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. She is to be voiced by Anika Noni Rose. She will be the 9th official and the first black Disney Princess. Tiana's character was originally a chambermaid named Maddy, but her character was later changed to Princess Tiana. The current story is purported to take place in 1920s Louisiana.

[phoenix_fire]

Well, I kinda have to think that they were telling the truth when they said that they didn't originally have a story for it. Practically all of the classic Disney movies are made from stories that already existed. They're having to adapt one themselves just to be politically correct. But with shows like "The Proud Family" and rising young singer/actresses like Raven Symone, it's hard to say that Disney excludes African Americans.

[freedom13]

Well, I kinda have to think that they were telling the truth when they said that they didn't originally have a story for it. Practically all of the classic Disney movies are made from stories that already existed. They're having to adapt one themselves just to be politically correct. But with shows like "The Proud Family" and rising young singer/actresses like Raven Symone, it's hard to say that Disney excludes African Americans.

Who say African Americans are excluded or discriminated?

Disney's Song of the South:

The Image of Racism Forbidden Animation: A Valuable Contribution Cohen's chapter on racist images in animation is primarily devoted to the depiction of people of color. "When and why did animators stop making these films?" Cohen investigates both the actions of African-American publications and organizations such as the NAACP in making their displeasure with stereotypes in American animation known. The greater part of Cohen's investigation centers around the production and reception of Disney's Song of the South(1947). Based on Production Code Administration files, interviews with screenwriter Maurice Rapf and contemporary press reports, Cohen illustrates how Disney attempted to respond to pressure to modify his use of stereotypes in the film. Disney hired Rapf, a Jew and known Communist, to rewrite the script in the hope that Rapf's background qualified the screenwriter to avoid problems related to racism. Disagreements with Dalton Reymond, author of the original Uncle Remus treatment, led to Rapf's reassignment and several of the racist clichés were restored. Even if the film had been made according to his version, Rapf now feels that Song of the South was inherently racist, and should not have been made.

YouTube - Sunflower clip banned from Disney's Fantasia part I

[phoenix_fire]

I find the allegations of racism in that particular film to be somewhat less than credible, given the fact that Disney was friends with the actor who played Uncle Remus and campaigned heavily for the actor to be given the Academy Award.

[freedom13]

Uncle Remus - James Baskett

James Baskett - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia James Baskett (February 16, 1904–July 9, 1948) was an American actor known for his portrayal of Uncle Remus in the 1946 Disney feature film Song of the South, for which he was given an Honorary Academy Award, making him the first male performer of African descent to receive an Oscar. Baskett was unable to attend the film's premiere in Atlanta, Georgia because he would not have been allowed to participate in any of the festivities in what was then a racially segregated city. In March 1948, Baskett received a special Academy Award for his performance as Uncle Remus. He died a few months later of heart disease. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

[Piscean]

I'm so tired of lame acusations of racism I'd like to bite someones head off from each race just to make myself feel better.

[Piscean]

I found the character name "Maddy" very interesting for a black princess in connection to African American. I wonder why good old Disney chosen “Maddy” to be her name. What does Maddy means anyway? Is she Mad-dy or Mad about something...? Sound very muddy…



So now the name is racist? Wow thats trying pretty hard to find something to have a problem with, maybe you should write a book with all the acceptable names for black females to have so noone has to be accused of BS like this.

[phoenix_fire]

Name was changed in post #6.

[featherman]

Good ol' Disney... finally coming 'round for another 'pot-O-gold'

[JoshuaRGodinez]

Quote by: featherman Good ol' Disney... finally coming 'round for another 'pot-O-gold'

Well, that's what show business is about, making money with a little self-aggrandizing or castigating thrown in. Speaking of which, who else is struck by the brilliance of this site's management in being able to fit three different locations for ads into each thread? Top, right after the first post, and at the bottom. Half a million posts? Multiply by 10 or 20 in page views. Whew! That's the pot o gold. Seriously, I'm impressed.

On topic though, when did America have princesses in the 1920's? Is this a Coming to America thing? And I thought the frog was supposed to turn out to be a prince. How does that work in a republic? I'm too lazy to wiki the story, but I don't get it at first glance. Shouldn't the first black princess story be set in a place that would have princesses who are black?