#wribio

What could be considered representative of Denmark:

The source material from which the movie is adapted

The title of the movie

Ariel’s red hair (to a degree I guess, but a lot of other countries also have people with red hair, so nothing special there)

The fact there is an ocean (like 100s of other countries)

The sand on the beach (like 100s of other countries)

The weather at times seemed pretty accurate (like 100s of other countries)

What is not representative of Denmark:

The water is too clear

Ocean looks to deep

We don’t have seahorses or what appeared to be pennant coralfishes

Neither do we have morays, turtles, pelicans, fireflies, flamingos, or sealions

Underwater grottos and canyons really aren’t a thing in Danish waters

You will be hard pressed finding large jagged rock protruding from the surface of the water

Cliff sides, mountains, and waterfalls

I didn’t know palm trees grew in Denmark

To me, all the environmental factors are more indicative of the Caribbean or Mediterranean then it is Denmark. Plus, throughout the entire 1h 20m there was not a single cultural reference to Denmark. So, anyone who laments a black woman playing Ariel in the live action remake of the Little Mermaid claiming it is “Danish” and “happening in Denmark” are just racists and know next to nothing about Denmark. 

And to be fair, H.C. Andersen himself doesn’t even specify where in the world the story takes place in the original fairy tale, or that it is even our world it takes place in. It is almost as if you can write stories set in another place that is not you own country.