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Walt Disney Proudly Presents 'The Princess and the Frog and the Racist Firefly'
Posted by Seth at 10:35 AM on July 31, 2008
As if we weren't soiling our pants enough already in anticipation of Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua and its high-kicking chorus of furry Mexican slurs, now comes a short teaser from the upcoming The Princess and The Frog—a return to hand-drawn animation for the studio, and the first to feature an African-American princess in the lead. Set in New Orleans, the jazz-era musical is written and directed by the team who brought us classics like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, features songs by Randy Newman, and—if this teaser is any indication—stars a toothless firefly that seems to have fluttered in accidentally from the set of Song of the South 2: Cajun Vacation. Unfortunately, the feature won't be in theatres until Christmas 2009. Haw-haw! Id looks like dis could take some TAHM!
As if we weren't soiling our pants enough already in anticipation of
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
metroville
Posted 10:48 AM 31/7/08
I don't know...that firefly could just as easily be representative of a southern-fried cracker, a la Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel.
metroville
Breadbowl
Posted 11:47 AM 31/7/08
I suppose you have a problem with such Disney favorites as Shuck & Jive the lovable crows, Moshe the leach and Seamus the drunken leprechaun.
Breadbowl
kookla
Posted 11:43 AM 31/7/08
Lawdy, Miss Clawdy. I do so hate when Yankees try to propagate a Southern accent. Now run and fetch me my smelling salts, I thank I'm a-getting the vapors.
kookla
juniperjenny
Posted 1:54 PM 31/7/08
You guys. Stop making fun of my accent.
juniperjenny
Cam/ron
Posted 1:47 PM 31/7/08
@metroville: Ditto, the firefly has a cajun accent and belongs to a long line of Hollywood's Cajun minstrels:
+ Watch video
Cam/ron
JudyPaceFace
Posted 2:10 PM 31/7/08
"Written and directed by the team who brought us classics like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, features songs by Randy Newman"
So in other words, no jobs for black writers, directors or songwriters.
Yep, that's progress. Thanks Disney!
JudyPaceFace
juniperjenny
Posted 2:01 PM 31/7/08
When my grandparents lived in New Orleans, they gave me a book with Cajun characters who talked in letters, like:
C D Bs?
M R N Bs.
S M R! C D E D B D Is?
juniperjenny
Benovite
Posted 2:24 PM 31/7/08
I'm sure Ashford & Simpson were too busy for the job.
Cue Spike Lee.
Benovite
raincoaster
Posted 8:51 PM 31/7/08
Is the firefly voiced by James Carville?
raincoaster
Oxycontinmoron
Posted 11:38 PM 31/7/08
It was either the firefly, or give the princess a wide nose, thick lips and a high-water booty you could park a drink on. And no one at Disney wants that.
Oxycontinmoron
NoWireHangers
Posted 1:37 AM 1/8/08
Yes Aladdin, which had that classic line in the first song that they later removed: "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face, it's barbaric but hey its home!"
Randy Newman? Good God. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Well, this trailer is apparently a step-up from the original draft in which the little black princess was maid to a white southern belle or something. It should be 100% racism free by the 500th draft. [jezebel.com]
NoWireHangers
yikesahootie
Posted 3:03 AM 1/8/08
Jar-Jar Firefly?
yikesahootie
picardia
Posted 4:48 AM 1/8/08
The Cajun accent is more typically associated with white Louisianans than black, though it can be heard from either. The firefly's speech is therefore stereotypical but not racist.
However, the assumption that any heavily accented, unintelligent character MUST be a representation of an African-American voice = really, really racist. Way to go, Defamer. Through your ignorance, you have become more racist than Disney. You must have gotten up very early this morning.
picardia
MartyPants
Posted 5:13 AM 1/8/08
@Decebal: awesome. first big laugh of the day for me.
though...I got up late.
MartyPants
Decebal
Posted 4:54 AM 1/8/08
Is the firefly is hooked on meth?
Decebal
Mabimab
Posted 6:35 AM 1/8/08
@juniperjenny: Stop it, you're making me laugh and cough at the same time. It's true though, I have read those stories. Mark Twain had one in I believe a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
Mabimab
Seth
Posted 6:18 AM 1/8/08
@picardia: Whatever color Puff the Racist Firefly is supposed to be, he's racist. I know a racist firefly when I see one.
Seth
juniperjenny
Posted 6:47 AM 1/8/08
@Seth: That's stereotyping. Some of my best friends are fireflies.
juniperjenny
Plankton420
Posted 10:56 AM 1/8/08
@JudyPaceFace:
Well, Randy Newman is a lot more black than Phil Collins, so maybe this really IS progress at Disney?
Plankton420
zlovemojo
Posted 12:23 AM 1/8/08
Um... cartoon characters are generally grossly exaggerated forms of real people/places/things, I'm not sure I see how this is racist. On another note how dare Disney promote the stereotype that fireflies have poor dental hygiene and have few teeth as a result!
zlovemojo
MyLud
Posted 3:13 PM 31/7/08
Ummm...it's not the accent. It's the fact that a clearly African-American character is displayed as a rotten-toothed bug!!!
Why not make him Jimminy Cricket classy???
MyLud