April 6, 2023
‘The Little Mermaid’ Soundtrack Updated With Lyrics To Include Consent
The Little Mermaid creators are working to ensure its upcoming presentation won’t be picked apart by viewers.
The live-action film has undergone a few updates to its soundtrack as popular songs like “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” have modified their lyrics to allow consent.
“There are some lyric changes in ‘Kiss the Girl’ because people have gotten very sensitive about the idea that [Prince Eric] would, in any way, force himself on [Ariel],” said Alan Menken, the artist who collaborated with Howard Ashman on the film’s original soundtrack.
According to Deadline, Menken worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda to update some of the lyrics to modern times.
Recent updates include the scene where “Kiss the Girl” plays as Prince Eric is encouraged to kiss Ariel, who doesn’t have a voice. Lines in “Poor Unfortunate Souls” were also revised for Ursula’s line, “The men up there don’t like a lot of blabber, they think a girl who gossips is a bore, yet on land, it’s much preferred for ladies not to say a word.”
“We have some revisions in ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ regarding lines that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn, even though Ursula is manipulating Ariel to give up her voice,” Menken said.
The Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall with a screenplay by David Magee. Singer and actress Halle Bailey was cast to play the lead role of Ariel in the upcoming live-action version, inspiring many Black girls since the initial announcement of the role.
The cast includes Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian. The film also features Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, and more.
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26. Disney released a new poster for the live-action film last month.
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