MSNBC is reporting that Disney’s decision to hold it’s annual shareholder meeting in New Orleans was, according to CEO Robert Iger, a show of support for the city that is still recovering after being flooded by Hurricane Katrina. It also provided the perfect platform to announce an additional sign of support, "The Frog Princess", Disney’s newest animated film will also be set in the city. Of course, we already figured that.
Plot details were not released, but preliminary drawings were shown to shareholders and composer Randy Newman performed a song created for the film.
The big news, according to the media, is not just the introduction of the latest addition to the popular Disney Princess Collection, but that she, Maddy, is black. The inclusion of a black heroine is obviously long overdue and will hopefully help in putting to rest the lingering accusations of racism that have followed Disney since the days of Walt.
The hand-drawn film, which John Lasseter calls "an American fairy tale", is scheduled for a 2009 release date.
Yeh I just blogged about this over at Highbrid Nation, check it out if you get a chance. Anyway, it really is about time Disney gave little girls a black princess to look up to. Its long overdue. I also think its great that the film will take place in New Orleans. I’ll definately have to take my neice to the Frog Princess.
I am so incredibly excited about this project…as a native and resident of New Orleans, I can’t think of a better way to give our town a much-needed image boost while at the same time creating what I hope and suspect will be an incredible addition to Disney’s classic portfolio. I grew up idolizing Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, and I was very aware of their images and compared myself to them. I am a blue-eyed Caucasian girl, but it bothered me on some level that my hair was brown and not blond like a princess. It really hurt my feelings when my mother told me I shouldn’t use the yellow crayon for my hair when drawing self-portraits. So I think it is very important and has been overlooked for some time to provide black girls with an image of something glamorous and pretty that they can identify as being like them. Maybe girls shouldn’t look up to princesses as role models, but we do and that isn’t going to change so the least we can ask for is a good example.
I DONT LIKE HOW YOU ARE MAKEING A NEW PRINCESS.
You shod kansol afrething. From a boy named C.j.
Thats a brilliant news!! looking forward to see the new princess ;)! hey have a look at http://www.badmovieknights.com/ when you get time ;)!
Comments are closed.