CNN Reporter Lisa France Rips Matt Walsh for Bizarre ‘Scientific’ Objection to Black Little Mermaid: ‘Racism is Real’
CNN Digital Senior Entertainment Writer Lisa France ripped Daily Wire host Matt Walsh over his odd “scientific” objection to Black actress Halle Bailey playing Ariel in Disney’s upcoming remake of The Little Mermaid.
Walsh went viral with (one of his) bizarre takes about the casting — which he’s previously complained amounts to “White erasure” — in which he objected on “scientific” grounds.
“Also, by the way, with The Little Mermaid – can we also just mention that, from a scientific perspective, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have someone with darker skin who lives deep in the ocean,” Walsh said in a clip that was flagged and posted to Twitter by James Campbell of Media Matters. It went viral, and prompted a flood of reactions.
Daily Wire host says it is unscientific to cast a Black person as a mermaid: “From a scientific perspective, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have someone with darker skin who lives deep in the ocean”https://t.co/0tnbMQbC2t pic.twitter.com/VxALDQTjOi
— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) September 14, 2022
On Thursday morning’s edition of CNN’s New Day, co-anchor Brianna Keilar hosted Ms. France to talk about the poignant and heartwarming reactions the film’s trailer has prompted from Black girls seeing it for the first time.
But then, Keilar asked about the “ugly side” of reactions to the film, and France called out Walsh and others raising objections to a Black Ariel:
BRIANNA KEILAR: Here’s the thing, and this is kind of I think one of the ugly sides of this, though, is, this isn’t totally well-received. Now, I don’t get this, Lisa. Why? Because we see, I mean, The Little Mermaid isn’t real, right? The Star Wars characters, they aren’t real. Hobbits. They aren’t real. Why are people you know why? I mean, I know why, but you have people who get so upset about these total… It’s not like they’re changing some sort of historical figure, so I just don’t even get it.
LISA FRANCE: Well, you know what is real, racism is real, unfortunately. And people get so offended. I mean, and those who say we’re always trying to make things about race, people make it about race when they’re online and they’re trying to debate the fact that, “Oh, she couldn’t have darker skin because she’s a mermaid and she’s under the water and the sun wouldn’t be able to reach her.”
That’s about race.
So, you know, to say, oh, we’re not making it about race. We just don’t want to see this remade. There was no reason for it. I just wish people would keep the same energy for racism as they do when they get called out about racism. That would be, I want to be a part of that world, actually.
Watch above via CNN.
