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| A Disney Princess with a difference | A Disney Princess with a difference |
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| The film has already created a buzz throughout the United States By Helena Merriman BBC News | The film has already created a buzz throughout the United States By Helena Merriman BBC News |
| Over the past 70 years, Disney has given the world eight princesses. | Over the past 70 years, Disney has given the world eight princesses. |
| Snow White was the first - and this week, Disney's latest film, The Princess And The Frog, opens in New York and Los Angeles, bringing us the ninth. | Snow White was the first - and this week, Disney's latest film, The Princess And The Frog, opens in New York and Los Angeles, bringing us the ninth. |
| But this princess is different from those who went before. | |
| Her name is Tiana and, for the first time in Disney's history of animation, she is African-American. | Her name is Tiana and, for the first time in Disney's history of animation, she is African-American. |
| FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service | FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service |
| The voice of Tiana is provided by Tony Award winning singer and actress, Anika Nonie Rose, who says that this new princess will have a big impact on children. | The voice of Tiana is provided by Tony Award winning singer and actress, Anika Nonie Rose, who says that this new princess will have a big impact on children. |
| "It's a really wonderful thing for children to be able to look at this princess and say, 'it looks just like my friend - she's a princess too,'" she says. | "It's a really wonderful thing for children to be able to look at this princess and say, 'it looks just like my friend - she's a princess too,'" she says. |
| "It's a long time coming but I'm glad it's here." | "It's a long time coming but I'm glad it's here." |
| The bottom line | The bottom line |
| Bonnie Greer, the African-American writer and broadcaster, says that while this is an important symbolic step for Disney, this step also has commercial motivations. | Bonnie Greer, the African-American writer and broadcaster, says that while this is an important symbolic step for Disney, this step also has commercial motivations. |
| "Since Disney is always looking at the bottom line, they figured it's about time," she told the BBC World Service. | "Since Disney is always looking at the bottom line, they figured it's about time," she told the BBC World Service. |
| "It's probably a combination of our new president, a feeling that change has swept the land and thinking about how they can get involved in this change. | "It's probably a combination of our new president, a feeling that change has swept the land and thinking about how they can get involved in this change. |
| Anika Nonie Rose says Tiana is intelligent and independent | Anika Nonie Rose says Tiana is intelligent and independent |
| "Also there is a huge market for this type of film.". | "Also there is a huge market for this type of film.". |
| Princess Tiana is the heroine in The Princess and the Frog and, like her predecessors, she has to learn a few of life's hard lessons before she can fulfil her dreams. | Princess Tiana is the heroine in The Princess and the Frog and, like her predecessors, she has to learn a few of life's hard lessons before she can fulfil her dreams. |
| Born to a seamstress, Tiana is gifted with great cooking ability and dreams of owning her own restaurant. | Born to a seamstress, Tiana is gifted with great cooking ability and dreams of owning her own restaurant. |
| Her story is set in New Orleans and celebrates Mardi Gras with a series of larger-than-life images - from a jazz-loving alligator to a voodoo villain. | Her story is set in New Orleans and celebrates Mardi Gras with a series of larger-than-life images - from a jazz-loving alligator to a voodoo villain. |
| Talk show host Oprah Winfrey even has a cameo as Tiana's mother, Eudora. | Talk show host Oprah Winfrey even has a cameo as Tiana's mother, Eudora. |
| Studio fears | Studio fears |
| But finalising the film's tone, plot and characters has not been a simple process, says Disney. | But finalising the film's tone, plot and characters has not been a simple process, says Disney. |
| The company says it consulted with a wide range of prominent black individuals and organisations to make sure that it did not offend people. | The company says it consulted with a wide range of prominent black individuals and organisations to make sure that it did not offend people. |
| The consultations resulted in a change in film title and a new name for the heroine from Maddy - which some criticised as sounding similar to Mammy, with echoes of the Deep South - to Tiana. | The consultations resulted in a change in film title and a new name for the heroine from Maddy - which some criticised as sounding similar to Mammy, with echoes of the Deep South - to Tiana. |
| Even before the film's release, blogs and chat forums have been full of discussions about the film, not all of them positive. | Even before the film's release, blogs and chat forums have been full of discussions about the film, not all of them positive. |
| Disney should be ashamed. This princess story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most devastating tragedies to beset a black community William Blackburn, Columnist | Disney should be ashamed. This princess story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most devastating tragedies to beset a black community William Blackburn, Columnist |
| On one site, someone complains that the prince's skin is too light. | On one site, someone complains that the prince's skin is too light. |
| Others, such as William Blackburn, writing in the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina, criticised the setting. | Others, such as William Blackburn, writing in the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina, criticised the setting. |
| "Disney should be ashamed," he says. | "Disney should be ashamed," he says. |
| "This princess story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most devastating tragedies to beset a black community." | "This princess story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most devastating tragedies to beset a black community." |
| Whether or not people take offence to the film once they have seen it, the Disney machine has already generated huge amounts of publicity. | Whether or not people take offence to the film once they have seen it, the Disney machine has already generated huge amounts of publicity. |
| Scott Mendelson, a film critic based in California, says this will be crucial in helping the film in the crowded pre-Christmas market. | Scott Mendelson, a film critic based in California, says this will be crucial in helping the film in the crowded pre-Christmas market. |
| "For better or worse this will be a film that people are going to be talking about. | "For better or worse this will be a film that people are going to be talking about. |
| "This is especially important for a film during the brutal holiday season. Any publicity is good publicity." | "This is especially important for a film during the brutal holiday season. Any publicity is good publicity." |
| In fact, the film is also notable for rekindling the art of hand-drawn animation and hand-painted backgrounds, dropping the more contemporary reliance on computer generated imagery. | In fact, the film is also notable for rekindling the art of hand-drawn animation and hand-painted backgrounds, dropping the more contemporary reliance on computer generated imagery. |
| But this aspect of the movie is inevitably receiving fewer column inches. | But this aspect of the movie is inevitably receiving fewer column inches. |
| Whatever the debate surrounding the film, for Bonnie Greer, it still sends out an important message. | Whatever the debate surrounding the film, for Bonnie Greer, it still sends out an important message. |
| "When you are a child, what you are shown does affect you and I can remember when I was growing up not wanting to play with black dolls," she says. | "When you are a child, what you are shown does affect you and I can remember when I was growing up not wanting to play with black dolls," she says. |
| "It's a great thing and hopefully it will make some little black girls smile as well as some little white girls." | "It's a great thing and hopefully it will make some little black girls smile as well as some little white girls." |
| Now get ready for the avalanche of Princess Tiana dolls, costumes and cards coming to shops near you. | Now get ready for the avalanche of Princess Tiana dolls, costumes and cards coming to shops near you. |