Although The Little Mermaid is a classic movie and it certainly ranks up there as one of the greatest Disney films of all time, it is undeniable that the movie has got some serious problems. There are various flaws in the morals that The Little Mermaid attempts to teach young boys and girls despite the fact that the film is meant to be inspiring. What were some of the major flaws in logic throughout the animated movie-musical? Keep reading to find out!
10. THE THINGS WE DO FOR LUST
Usually, we'd say "the things we do for love", but our favorite mermaid cannot possibly be in love with someone that she has never even met. Sure, Eric might have a gorgeous head of hair and that boy totally lifts, but that ain't love sister. Sorry to break it to you.
The worst part is, Ariel is totally willing to give up her relationship with her family in order to be with some guy who she doesn't even know. What an excellent moral for the kids! NOT! All this does is teach young girls to abandon their lives and loved ones so they can stare at some hunk's abs all day. In Ariel's defense, he does have a really cute puppy. Bonus points for Eric on that front!
9. FORKS > TRIDENTS
Ariel's obsession with forks is cute and quirky and all, but doesn't she realize how much cooler tridents are? Especially her father's trident which is not only magical, but it's sparkly gold! Now that's freaking cool. We've got to hand it to our girl Ari though, because forks do one thing that tridents simply can't. Forks allow food to go into our mouths, and for that, forks will always be even cooler than tridents. Can you eat a large bowl of pasta with a trident?? We didn't think so.
Okay, now we're starting to comprehend this girl's fork fascination.
8. ARIEL IS A TOTAL HOARDER
During the scene from "Part of your World", we are meant to find Ariel's enormous stash of human items endearing. Although it is cute and fun, if this were to somehow happen in real life, the little mermaid would be classified as the ultimate hoarder.
She keeps a bunch of objects stacked up in her...uh...room? Is that supposed to be her room? We're not sure because we're too distracted by all of that darn clutter! This girl has got one too many thingamabobs if you want to know the facts. Can't she like chill it with the human items? It's getting a little too out of hand.
Eric most likely had no idea that his future wife would be a hoarder. Someone probably should've warned him what he was getting into...
7. TEENAGE REBELLION GONE TOO FAR
It might be safe to say that Ariel's whole teenage rebellion phase has gone a little too far. We all know Ariel and her father King Triton don't have the world's best father/daughter relationship of all time, but in all truth, Triton just doesn't want his daughter to drop everything for a dude. Totally understandable.
Yet we think he could potentially do without destroying all of Ariel's favorite thingamabobs that she has worked years to find and collect. Point is, they've both got their issues, but we think the fact that Ariel changes into a human is partly due to the fact that she wants to rebel against her strict father. That's a little too far, sweetie. You could just steal your dad's car like a normal teen.
6. SEEMS LEGIT
Oh man, Disney. Oh, man. If a person were to have this reaction to someone they just met in real life, they would most likely wind up in jail for stalking charges. Just look at Lorna Morello from Orange is the New Black! She took the Disney romance approach, and now she is serving years behind bars. Plus, can we just quickly acknowledge the fact that Ariel is a child? She is sixteen for crying out loud! Marriage should be the last thing on her mind. Doesn't she have school or something? Damn, girl.
5. WHEN YOU MARRY SOMEONE YOU JUST MET
This meme is too accurate with pretty much all Disney couples. At least the newer Disney Princess films involving romance are gaining enough common sense to have the two characters get to know each other a bit before jumping into a longterm marriage with one another.
Oh, you guys shared a kiss? Must mean you should put down that forty-year mortgage! Getting married is a huge deal and it is one of the biggest commitments a person will make in their lifetime if they so choose to tie the knot. The moral of the story is to never marry a person that you've never talked to before.
4. DO YOU EVEN KNOW HIM?
This is more proof that Ariel is just doing this whole "marriage" thing in order to piss her dad off. Ariel wants to prove to her pops that she's right and that Eric is "the one" but unfortunately, she has never even met the dude before. If anything, that's slightly creepy of Ariel! Acting as though she *knows* someone because she's spied on them several times from afar makes things a little less like a Disney romance and a little more like an episode of Criminal Minds.
3. NOT THE BEST MORAL, DISNEY
Yikes! Not the best of morals to put out there for young children, Disney. One of the most sexist beliefs is that women should be "seen" and not "heard". Well, that's pretty much what this entire story is promoting, folks. Not cool, guys! Luckily, in more recent years, these Disney princesses have gone from quiet and submissive to fearless and loud. Perhaps it would've been nice to see Ariel and Eric interact with dialogue, but it just goes to show that we can't have nice things.
2. WHEN YOU RELATE WAY MORE TO THE VILLAIN
Why are we just coming to terms with the fact that Ursula is our straight-up spirit animal? Seriously, this woman is a representation of everything we've ever stood for. And honestly? We kind of dig it. It is definitely strange to grow up and discover you're way more like the sea witch than the little mermaid, but in all truth, Ursula was always just a successful businesswoman who was upfront with you about the potential outcomes of your agreements. What more could you really ask for in a human/sea witch?
Conclusion: Ursula is everything and we are unworthy.
1. DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DIDN'T SEE THE CONNECTION
We're starting to think that Ariel and Arthur Weasley should form some kind of club dedicated to muggle objects. Ariel desperately wants to understand the functions of a fork, Arthur Weasley is dying to know the functions of a rubber duck. It works out perfectly. Plus, they both have red hair. If they don't start a muggle fan club soon, what is the point of this so-called "life"? We want answers!
Are you excited for the live-action Little Mermaid movie? Let us know!