If you ventured out to see "UP" this weekend, you were one of the first to see the trailer for Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" coming to theatres near you during the Holiday season (NY/LA limited release 11/25/09, nationwide 12/11/09).
When I first saw her brown face on the screen, I squealed with excitement for the unveiling of Disney's first Black princess!!! My heart DID drop when she quickly turned into a frog after kissing the frog prince, but I stopped myself from passing judgement and decided to wait optimistically for the movie's release in 4th quarter. My 5 year is already looking forward to her Princess and the Frog themed 6th birthday party in Feb 2010. I anticipate that Tiana will become her favorite Disney princess, much like her favorite Cheetah girl is the one who looks like her.
I've allowed my daughter to enjoy all things Disney as I did as a child, but the preview of Princess Tiana really made me feel like it's a new day. Clearly a movie like this won't come without its challenges. The cover story of NY Times Sunday Styles section on 5/31/09 highlights the critiques ranging from excitement to skepticism. Should the setting be New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? Will it dispel or emphasize old stereotypes? Why isn't Prince Naveen Black? Or will we simply fall in love with and embrace Tiana as we have other Disney characters throughout the ages?
Despite Disney's efforts to get feedback from consultants such as Oprah and the NAACP, my BIGGEST problem is the absence of African Americans at the table in the creative process at Disney. It's heart breaking that in 2009, African Americans still don't have the power to green light projects or influence content to ensure that Disney gets this movie RIGHT. What a SHAME!
Below are links to the Disney website, the full movie trailer on YouTube and the NY Times article.
Come on parents! Post your comments and lend your voices to this discussion. We want to hear what you think.
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6DmEgtibOg
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/fashion/31disney.html?_r=1
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