Lyrics for 'The Little Mermaid's "Kiss the Girl" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" Changed To Include Consent
The Disney classics are getting a modern-day update.
Disney‘s forthcoming live-action of The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey has been reimagined to be more inclusive, and that consists of some changes to classic Disney songs. There have been updates to “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” as a way to include consent.
“There are some lyric changes in ‘Kiss the Girl’ because people have gotten very sensitive about the idea that [Prince Eric] would, in any way, force himself on [Ariel],” the film’s composer, Alan Menken, told Vanity Fair in a recent interview.
It’s quite possible Menken could be referring to the following lyrics. “Yes, you want her/ Look at her, you know you do/ Possible she wants you too/ There is one way to ask her/ It don’t take a word / Not a single word/ Go on and kiss the girl.”
He continued, “We have some revisions in ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ regarding lines that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn. Even though Ursula is clearly manipulating Ariel to give up her voice.”
The lyrics in “Unfortunate Souls” Menken could be talking about are the following: “Come on, they’re not all that impressed with conversation/ True gentlemen avoid it when they can/ But they dote and swoon and fawn/ On a lady who’s withdrawn/ It’s she who holds her tongue who gets a man.”
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26.
