When the Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It-Ralph 2 trailer was released, it almost lived up to its name and broke the internet when an image of fan favorite Disney princesses dressed in casual clothing went viral. Vanellope von Schweetz (voiced by Sarah Silverman) can be seen geeking-out in the center, wholly aware of the Disney princess royalty she’s encircled by including Cinderella, Moana, and Mulan, to name a few, all featured in their pajama-party glory.
However, what seemed to be an image celebrating Disney’s steps towards inclusion, featuring princesses from all backgrounds and ethnicities coming together, has inadvertently drawn criticism for the very thing it boasts: representation.
Not every Disney fan was pleased with the fan favorite depiction of Princess Tiana in the new film. Princess Tiana, who is known for being Disney’s first black princess and the protagonist of the Disney film The Princess and the Frog, is seen in the image appearing very different from how she looked in the 2009 film, with curlier hair and Eurocentric features.
Upset by the beloved character’s depiction, some Disney fans took to Twitter to voice their concerns. One Twitter user had this to say:
“Y’all don’t understand how important Princess Tiana is to Black girls. We finally had a Disney princess that looked like us, and now, she doesn’t. They gave her Eurocentric features and turned her into a racially ambiguous woman. It’s a no from me, dawg.”
C. Spike Trotman, an author and cartoonist, also commented on Tiana’s hair through Twitter stating, “Black hair is complicated, political, and not something one thread on Twitter can explain.” She provided a “cheat sheet” for Disney animators to reference with information and tips on how to depict black women’s hair in order to prevent another controversy from arising in the future. Her thread of tweets can be seen here.
Ralph Breaks the Internet hits theaters on November 21st!