comment #1

dukedog says ...

Dear God, that firefly is offensive! I think the princess is very cute though. I don't understand why the name Maddy has people upset. I know several Maddys. It think it is a cute name. Just me. I will not take my daughter to this unless that firefly goes away. That is just awful.

comment #2

bdboudreaux says ...

Ok, as a full blood cajun (my name is Boudreaux for christ's sake and my momma grew up in Lafourche Parish speaking cajun french) who grew up in the New Orleans area I guess I'll add my expert opinion. The cajun fire fly voice is about on par for every other bad cajun accent in nearly any film or television show set in Louisiana. The only actor to ever truly nail the real thing is George Kennedy in Cool Hand Luke, other than that it's that fake Justin Wilson accent. As far as a true New Orleans accent, yeah right. The voice is not even close, it's just typical southern belle style here. The true New Orleans accent is closer to a Brooklyn accent, as pointed out in the opening pages of Confederacy of Dunces. I think the thing that'll probably offend me the most is that they'll do the cliche of the French Quarter next to the swamp. By far and away the stupidest New Orleans cliche ever. Perfectly lampooned by the Simpsons in the Skinner P.I. episode I must say.
And here is my last point that has nothing to do with it's New Orleans setting. If people get up in arms about every possible stereotype or perceived racism in a cartoon then what incentive do companies like Disney have to move away from the white princess cliche?

comment #3

bdboudreaux says ...

and yes I do realize I've used the word cliche about a dozen times in that post. Oh and one more point about the fire fly - why a fire fly? Honestly there aren't that many in Louisiana, much less New Orleans. I guess a talking Mosquito or cock roach or nutria rat didn't test well.

comment #4

JaySmack says ...

This sounds like the same crap you'd expect from a bunch of white guys from upper-middle class background who don't know any black people (and I'm sure don't want to know any) who make their decisions based on what amuses their thirteen year-old intellects, and who pride themselves on how clueless they are because they perceive this sheltered lifestyle as a type of "purity" from the "dirty masses."

So we have a cartoon about New Orleans but it takes place in the French Quarter, because, as we all know, that's al their is to New Orleans, right?
The princess is supposed to be black but her skin's about the same shade as Alladin. Well, we don't want to scare people by having a black lead character who's, I don't know, black?
And of course we need a lot of Steppin Fethit cliches, with blacks laughing uproariously, shucking and jiving, because as we ALL know, "that's what those people do."
I'd bet good money that was a pretty accurate summary of the meetings Disney held when putting this crap together.
This is the kind of arrogance that has ALWAYS typified the thinking of white movie execs. These movies don't get made as any accident. Their made as a statement of philosophy by the idiots who run the studios.

What's next a remake of that old racist WB cartoon Coal Black and the Sebbn Dwarfs?
Whoops, shouldn't have said that. Just count the days until some dumbass studio exec announces that one and lauds himself for not being "politically correct."

comment #5

Fien Print says ...

I honestly wonder if this was a test of the Disney Emergency Sensitivity Service, if they put this trailer out there to just to see if EVERYBODY would jump down their throats for utter idiocy.

It's unclear why they would have needed the public outcry to recognize that doing an Uncle Cajun Remus character in a movie that was supposed to be racially progressive might not be the wisest idea in the world. I mean, wasn't John Lasseter's presence as Disney's overall babysitter supposed to prevent mistakes this blatant and this obvious?

The movie won't be in theaters for a long time and who would be surprised if when the movie comes out, that pesky firefly has a lot more teeth and a much more refined accent?

Meanwhile, I continue to wonder why the songs and music of a black princess in New Orleans had to be written by a white guy from Los Angeles. Yes, I know that Randy Newman's New Orleans roots go deep, but I can't help but wish that Disney had had the nads to go a totally different direction here...

comment #6

JaySmack says ...

This idea was doomed from the start. I've already outlined why. I guess some people can't contain themselves when they see a chance to indulge some good old boy humor. Take notes folks, next time Hollywood says it doesn't have enough money to make a film starring blacks, remind them they waste it on crap on this.

Blacks won't have a movie about a black princess that treats the black characters with respect until blacks make it.

comment #7

Daviddb says ...

I just want to second/confirm what Boudreaux said. I'm a native New Orleanian who's spent many a day with cajuns. They do not talk that way...they do have a distinct patois, but it sounds NOTHING like the firefly...and what's up with the firefly anyway? I've never seen one here. Mosquitos, crawfish, cockroaches, nutrias, pelicans, couldn't they have come up with a different Jiminy Cricket character? As far as the Princess' skin color it looks more creole than "black"...BUT THAT HORRIBLE ACCENT!!!! I don't know any New Orleans women who talk that way...Note to Hollywood: People in New Orleans don't talk like they just stepped out of a community theater production of Gone With the Wind.

We have that Brooklyn/Bronx accent as Boudreaux reported...makes you wonder if any of these people hired a New Orleans consultant...or bothered reading Confederacy...or even bothered to visit here.

If you want a more refined accent, listen to Patricia Clarkson...she's also from here.

I love Randy Newman, but isn't that Dr. John singing the song on the teaser?

comment #8

Daviddb says ...

One more thing...the closest cajun accent I've seen is the late Brion James as the backwoods trapper in Walter Hill's Southern Comfort...okay, so Hill portrayed the peaceful cajuns as bloodthirsty revenge-seeking swamp psychos...OK it was just a Vietnam metaphor, but STILL...
that last scene where the "bad Cajuns" come after K Carradine and Powers Boothe has some brilliant editing in it...but I digress...

Whatever you do, don't watch the movie version of The Big Easy.. featuring Dennis Quaid and his multitude of accents all of which are horrendous...

Best New Orleans movie? I kinda like Hill's earlier Hard Times...but Panic in the Streets is the best New Orleans movie I've ever seen...not one stereotype in the lot.

comment #9

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comment #10

Rich S. says ...

I can't imagine that when Disney decided to do this film, they didn't focus group the living bejeezus out of it. Lasseter is smart enough to know that they don't want another Song of the South. I know they did an hellacious amount of research on Mulan.

So I must confess I don't get the firefly. Until he shows up, the trailer is very well done. It's puzzling.