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So, apparently at some point, Angelina Jolie commented that she is let down that none of the Disney Princesses are black. She had said:
“There still isn’t a Disney princess that’s African and it’s very difficult because our daughter’s getting into princesses right now and it upsets me.”
I’ve seen some fairly snotty responses to this comment. A talk show host (Laura Ingraham) actually went on a big rant about it, making reference to the world having larger issues to worry about and does Angelina really have to make such a big deal over something like Disney.
First of all, I don’t think anyone needs to remind Angelina Jolie that the world has a lot of serious problems. I’m not sure how often Laura Ingraham has headed over to Iraq, Darfur, or other war-torn regions to talk to refugees. I’m not sure how many conferences have had her as a speaker to address human rights. On the other hand, Angelina has been to those places, and she has raised awareness and money for human rights issues. Honestly, that entire statement was absolutely ridiculous. If it was Paris Hilton, then I could maybe understand, but Angelina champions people’s rights and the issues standing in their way on a near-constant basis. Does this woman even know anything about Angelina at all?
Second, yes, actually it does matter. While I hope my daughters grow up with better role models than a cartoon princess, at their young age they do love to watch Disney movies. I can quote Cinderella and Snow White by heart now because of all the times they’ve been played. I’m sure that Shiloh and Zahara both enjoy watching DVDs. The Jolie-Pitt family is very serious about making sure all their children have an understanding of their own culture of origin as well as others. Is it truly that unreasonable to be disappointed, as a mother, that your black daughter can’t watch a Disney film featuring a black princess?
I don’t know much about Laura Ingraham (other than the fact that the video cast her in a very obnoxious light), so I don’t know if she has children or not, but I would think that if she did she would grasp the importance for children to see dolls and cartoons and television/movie characters that look like them sometimes.
You can get all varieties of dolls in every skin color and ethnicity that there is. I don’t think it’s outrageous for Angelina to wonder why Disney hasn’t caught up yet.
So there you go PittWatch readers! Some of you have been asking for a new discussion thread. It’s the weekend, let’s discuss!
Here’s the video clip debating whether this is an important issue or if Angelina Jolie is making too much of it.
What do you think?
Image used with permission: Splash News Online
(source)
Technorati Tags: angelina jolie, zahara jolie-pitt, laura ingraham
Less than 24 hours since Sherry put this thread out there, and already there is 44 well thought out comments. Sherry, it appears that some how some way when you have an interesting thread going there is alot of response from highly intelligent people. Keep up the good work.
Ms. Laura’s comments are not acceptable. Even if she does not agree with the comments NOTHING gives her the right to mock another persons views by criticizing certain features about them. I find it extremely OFFENSIVE, that the only way she can attack Angelina is by making nasty comments about her tattoos! COME ON! That’s an old one. SHOULD I JUDGE BECAUSE YOU ARE A BLOND?? (No offense to blond readers- but people with prejudices can pick on anything)
I just wanted to speak up for Disney right quick. One of the reasons, I bet, that they’ve avoided African/African-American princesses (or even characters) in their movies is because of the tensions involved when a white dominated company tries to portray a black girl. Many people may see intended or unintended racism; this is already true. There is already controversy surrounding the movie. Hopefully the day will come (soon) when ALL races will be seen in kid’s movies. As a mother of mixed race children, I am sad to see that this demographic is nowhere to be found in child media. It’s been said repeatedly that young children are better for seeing themselves in their toys and cartoons, the things they love to play and imagine with. Any mother would be concerned when their child (especially daughter) is unable to have that. In a way, that’s just as important as the most important world issues.
It may have been out of line for her to bring up aj’s past because people do grow up and the blood vial comment and tatoo comments were unnecessary, however I agree with her with some respects to the interview. AJ is extremely famous, and she definately knew what she was doing when she made the comment towards disney with respect to black princesses. She totally knew it would be a big deal because of who she is. In my opinion, she should focus on how she is going to explain to Z that mommy and daddy are not married. If anything should make Z feel like an outcast, that certainly will.
Thanks Sherry for the story. I actually used to work for Disney and there is a black disney princess movie coming to theatres soon. Anika Noni Rose from dreamgirls is set to play the voice of Princess Tiana. The movie is called, “The Princess and the Frog” you can look it up on IMDB.com…and angelina does so much for the world and has the right to express how she feels
I remember reading that Pocohontas is multicultural in that she has attributes of all the races layered into her. I don’t think it should surprise us much that Disney isn’t cutting age when it comes to diversity. I think it would be nice to see some disabled heroines as well.
It is truly interesting to read all the comments re: black princess in Disney production and Angie has all the right to view her opinion as a Mom first and consumer second .i totally agree that this Laura is so damned envious of Angie’s success and she purposely issued those comments so people would start listening to her and have few minutes of fame. Laura is a racist and she should apologize to Angie for attacking her innocent comment. We love you Angie and keep your head up high. We have a saying in my country that ” A tree that bears a lot of fruits, get “stoned’ so many times, so there you go, you are so bountiful and fruitful that people talk about you too much. Lots of love to you ,Brad and all your rainbow-coloured children.
Oh my God.. listen to that low live women laura what ever her name is, she talk with so much hate in that voice of hers.. she even foaming from her mouth… and she look soooo ugly.. no wonder she hated gorgeous beautiful Angie..
Viva la our Brangelina.
Oh wow, another mountain out of a molehill (and maybe not even a molehill). I think I saw this quote somewhere, but it’s not a very reliable source. Did Angie really say this? I’m not too sure. But even if she did, she was just giving her opinion about something. Many of you are right, Angie for one is very aware of the much larger issues that are plaguing this world, and thankfully, she is one of those who are doing her part in trying to help solve some of them. (She can’t do it all, for those who keep trying to put her down!) We don’t even know the context of why she said this (if she ever did), maybe some one asked her. As Matilda said, it is just one comment. And who is making her comment a big deal anyway? Isn’t it the media who is picking on everything that Angie says or does? Geez…
As for not having a black princess (yep, I did read somewhere that Disney is about to come up with one), it does sense to make that observation. It is true anyway. I’m Asian (Chinese-Filipina), and when I was young, I do remember wondering why the Disney heroines were always white.
sorry about the text and spelling , I have some keys that stick
This is no different than women wanting posative roll models on televsion all those years ago. We got afully ired of hearing Jeanie call Tony “master” and Darrin insisting Samantha be “an ordinary housewife” etc. etc. We wanted our daughters to see women doctors and lawyers and executives. Television impacts child long before text books and real roll models
Disney needs to get on board and provide some beautiful,smart,african female fairyale characters.
Thank you Angie for trying to break one more glass ceiling and to lift the self esteem of all children
Good for Angelina Jolie and may she extend that observation to popular culture — including Hollywood! I’m white, my son, too, but he (he’s 11) constantly asks why there are no people of color on TV, both shows and commercials, and why there are not more people of color in magazines. That our culture is still predominantly one color is a huge issue, along with hunger, war, child labor; it’s not either/or!
Considering Angelina only made one comment – one sentence at that – I hardly think it qualifies as “making a big deal” anyway! But this is part of a bigger cultural issue, really, and it’s not just restricted to the American culture. We have similar debates here in Australia, due to a large multicultural population (mainly Asian migrants) who are very rarely reflected on screen. It’s really natural for Angelina to want to give Zahara and world where she sees herself reflected in equal proportion to others.
No, in the grand scheme of things it probably isn’t important when compared with the horror and injustice going on in some parts of the world, but then again what is? Someone being bullied at school – well, in on a global scale it’s not important, but at a local level it’s very important. Same with all local issues. They’re important to people and we have a right to complain, even though they’ll always pale in comparison to the world’s greater problems.
But I do see your point of view, Celeb Watcher. And you’re totally right, as well – it’s a valid point. This kind of just hit a nerve for me, I guess, because things like this matter in people’s lives.
Kari, great post. I think you pretty much said everything I wanted to, except much better!
Thanks to everyone so far – this conversation is off to a great start.
I just want to apologize to everyone who had a comment in moderation. I woke up this morning to find 20 comments waiting for approval and I honestly don’t know why they weren’t automatically posted. I don’t completely understand all the details of how the moderation queue is set up. Sometimes it’s obvious and other times, like today, it’s really not obvious at all.
Please don’t be discouraged by the moderation and do keep talking about this, I am really loving the discussion, especially since we have so many great readers and commenters. Our weather forecast for this weekend is absolute crap (lots of rain and thunderstorms) so I will likely be around most of the time and I will try to push moderated comments through as quickly as I can to keep the conversation flowing.
You guys are the BEST.
WHO THE H—-CARE WHAT HER NAME IS SAYING. ANGIE HAS THE RIGHT OT EXPRESS HER OPINION. THERE ARE STILL RACIST IN THIS COUNTRY AND BY THE WAY LAURA WHOEVER YOU ARE YOU MAYBE ONE OF THEM. ANGELINA LOVE PEOPLE OF ALL COLOR. WHAT SHE WAS SAYING IS BECAUSE ‘Z’ MIGHT BE ASKING QUESTION OF WHY THERE IS NO PRINCESS IN HER KIND,SO HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO A CHILD, OF COURSE ANGIE IS DISSAPPOINTED BECAUSE SHE LOVE HER CHILDREN, IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT ‘ LAURA WHOEVER YOU ARE”. DON’T WORRY PRINCESS Z YOU ARE OUR PRINCESS. AND PRINCESS JASMINE ALTHOUGH SHE IS AN ARAB PRINCESS SHE IS OUR COLOR. SOMEDAY THIS WORLD WILL WAKE UP THAT LOVING PEOPLE OF ALL COLOR IS WHAT ‘GOD WANT US TO DO’ I WOULD LOVE FOR LAURA WHATEVER YOUR LAST NAME IS TO GO TO CHURCH AND PRAY FOR YOUR SIN.
Angelina was being that lion for her child.
why are my comments in moderation?
My children are bi-racial and I can tell you that the role models on the shows they see must and should represent the whole spectrum. Laura clearly missed the point. Disney is one of the biggest producers of shows kids see and they have ignore one sector. Ignoring that sector is representative of what the world is like. She has a daughter who later on in life will be hit with racism and while at present she does not really notice it, I do know my son’s 7 year old classmates in Australia thought it was funny to call him chocolate one term. He spent so much time trying to make his skin dry so that he could scratch it “white”. Laura is an idiot if she does not understand that something Angelina highlighted is actually a lot more serious when you look at what it represents in terms of cultural awareness and pride in media.
I am thankful for the fact that my children, and now their children do not see skin color. But, I agree that Disney should try to catch up.
I am a 35 Year old balck female and have wondered about this for decades, I was so happy in the 90′s because Princess Jasmine was a lot darker than the others. For people who don’t get it, they never will. Think how a white child or yourself would feel in China where nothing of yourself is reflected on TV or the main culture seems to reflect you negatively, you probably would have a complex. For a great opinion ask the Asian kid or black kid adopted in a white family about association and how important it is for the development of selfworth. Like I said if anyone here hasn’t gotten it they never will.