The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Unpacking The Racist Reponses to The Little Mermaid - Between The Scenes

Episode Date: September 20, 2022

There's a talking crab in the movie, but people are worried about the color of Ariel's skin? #BetweenTheScenesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. You know, every time one of these, like, internet, outrage things happens about which character is being played by whom and people get angry, I would get it if people had good faith arguments, but you can tell that people are just using these moments to disguise a discriminatory idea and like, you know, a racism that they hold. You you know it's like it's your thing you know people gonna act like oh no the little mermaid I'm here because I'm a little mermaid purist I I can come up with all these bullshit answers they'd be like you know you look at the history of the little mermaid I'm sorry the history of the

little mermaid you mean the imagination of the little mermaid yeah yeah I mean if you I you the you you you you the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the little m. the little m. the little m. the the little m. the little m. the little m. the the little m. the the the the the the the imagination of the little mermaid? Yeah, I mean if you look at it, it's like, yeah, if you were a fan, you would have known that Disney had long created Black Mermaids. Like, they did this, they spin off all their movies, they've had tons of them, they had like a Black Mermaid, she did sign language, used to be a cartoon when we were kids. People don't care about it. It's never it's, it's, it's, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it's never thi, it's never thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's, it's thi, it, it, it, it, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. they thi. they thi. they they thi. they're thi. they they're about race. It's just about realism. I'm sorry what? And then it's ironic that they try and use representation as the argument the other way around, you know, so they will say It's it's not about representation. You shouldn't who cares who plays the role all that matters is the best person. All that matters is the best person. All that all that matters is the best person? All that all that that? that? that? that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that th th th th th th th th th th th that that that that that that that the that that that th. th. th. the th. the the th. the the th. th. th. th is th. th is th is th. th is th is th is th. th is th. the the th th th th th th. th is the the the the th. the the th. the the the the th. th. the th. th. th. thi is thi is thi is thi is the thi is the the the the the the the the the thi the the thi the thi thi thi thi th heard her sing? You're going to tell me the best person? Like, who do you think they got for? You think Disney is just out there in the street like you, come, let's go. You think they play games like that.

It is the best person for the job. You angry about who it's like, no, but the little mermaid, she means so much. And I don't deny that. I don't deny that it must have been amazing for any red-haired little girl to see the little mermaid. It must have been amazing. It's a beautiful experience. But the movie's still there. You get to the movie.

You know what? all the time. It's not going anymore. It's like, you get so angry, but what about the little girls with red hair who want, who want what, see themselves in what, a Disney cartoon? Like, are you being serious right now? You have the princess and brave, she was red hair, remember her? You have, you have Anna from Frozen, right? You have a little kid from up, you know, like pulls off the and like, the hair does a thing? It's the cutest thing. It was like, ah, remember that? Red hairs, there's tons, tons of other characters.

There are more red-haired Disney like stars, like women who are stars in the franchise, than black women. But now you're going to make to make it's... And it's not like one should be against the other. There's no need. You have the little mermaid. It's fun. Now you've got Harry Playing the real version of it. That's fun. Don't make it about realism.

Guys, it's under the sea. There's a crab. There's a crab. People are like, well, I just think it should be, I just, all the things. And then, and then I love when people go, oh yeah, so if you don't care, then how would you feel if the Black Panther was played by a white guy? I'm like, well, the difference here is the black panther. Blackness is central to the character's identity. Like literally, literally, literally, that is like, that, that, that, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, I, I, I's, I's, I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the black, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the black, the black, the black, the black, the black, the black, the black, the black, the black, the, the... I. I. I. I. I. I. I's. I'm. the. the. the. the the the. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the black. the the is the whole point of the thing. And by the way, if you're gonna bring a white guy who's gonna be like, Vibreniam, bring him, I want to see that guy.

Just for fun. Just bring that guy. Just for the fun of it. Let's see what happens. There are many people who haven't seen themselves on screen. to get angry because somebody who's black is now playing that role, you're going to be... The original is still there. There are many parts that are still out there. It's not like there is nothing left.

It's not like there's one movie in the world and there's one story and this is the only way you can tell it. There are many. Calm down at the very least, at least, at the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the very least the the the very least, she the the very least, she the very least away. Just be like, until somebody kisses you, yeah, don't come back. Ready? You're today? You're ready? You're so angry.

They're gonna go touch gross, man. Watch the Daily Show, weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.