Member-only story
Black Mermaids Aren’t Scientific!
White people, stop.
There are all kinds of “hot takes” circulating about the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live action The Little Mermaid. Many of them are rehashes of the arguments that were maid when she was first cast. Anyone who argues that the woman in this video isn’t qualified to play Ariel…
Well, we know.
And the latest hot take which is sad, terrible, and mockworthy all at the same time is that mermaids can’t be black because they live deep under the sea and don’t need pigmentation.
What the…
So, let’s take a look at some real creatures which “live deep under the sea.”
How About Those Whales
Setting aside the argument about whether mermaids are fish or mammals (I vote fish), let’s look at some sea mammals.
Orcas are black and white.
Sperm whales are dark gray, sometimes with white splotches on the belly (this may break up their outline when seen from below). Or brownish. They’re the deepest diving of the whales.