The new Little Mermaid film is changing song lyrics after the original was deemed 'problematic'.

The Little Mermaid was a staple film in so many childhoods. But when looking back, some have uncovered the original storyline's 'problematic' moments. Now, with a live-action movie around the corner, there are set to be some changes. 

The new film will star singer and Grownish actor Halle Bailey as the new Ariel, Awkwafina will play Scuttle the seagull, Jonah Hauer-King will be Prince Eric and Melissa McCarthy will play Ursula.

But ahead of its release, the new film's creators have made some major lyric changes.

"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 explained to Vanity Fair this week.

And it appears the same goes for the iconic 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' song too that Ursula sings. 

"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," Menken confirmed. "Even though Ursula is clearly manipulating Ariel to give up her voice."

Watch the trailer for The Little Mermaid live-action movie. Post continues below.

Looking back from a 21st Century context, some have pointed out the perhaps questionable lyrics in 'Kiss The Girl' — where Prince Eric and Ariel are on a date in a canoe on a very pretty lake where lots of singing fish jump around them. 

"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," the soulful crab Sebastian sings. 

But Ariel — who is without a voice — doesn't appear to give affirmative or verbal consent for the kiss. 

And one can only assume the "sensitive" original lyrics that Menken was referring to 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'...

Ursula drawls: "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 On a lady who's withdrawn.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."

Ahhh the feminism. 

Considering the songs were written in the late 1980s, it's understandable that they don't translate well to a modern context.

It's a similar conversation that was had not that long ago when it came to Roald Dahl's books. 

For a minute there, publisher Puffin Books said they had hired sensitivity readers to remove offensive language and replace or update old-fashioned terminology in Dahl's books, which included reference to words "fat" and "ugly", anything racist or too gendered or sexist. 

There was quite a bit of backlash from that, some fans feeling as though the publishers were trying to "airbrush" and censor historical fiction. 

Some then suggested that instead of a complete edit, a reference at the start of the book could acknowledge the societal context in which the book was written in and that it's different to today.

The scene and song in question. Image: Disney.

The Little Mermaid isn't the only Disney classic to be questioned from a pro-verbal consent lens.

The same conversation is being had with the iconic film Snow White — which is receiving the same live-action treatment, with a new movie coming out next year. But some have been calling for the famous scene where Snow White is kissed when she is asleep to be modified to show her give affirmative consent. 

Recently Consent Labs, an Aussie not-for-profit collective of passionate young people, was petitioning the Classification Board to add a new classification called "(C) — Lack of Consent" across Australian television, streaming and movie content.

It comes after Consent Labs commissioned a study where more than 1,000 Australians aged 18 to 44 were shown a variety of intimate scenes from popular movies and TV shows. 

The results show that three in five Australians are still unable to recognise consent when seen on screen.

As Angelique Wan, CEO, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Consent Labs, told Mamamia recently: "What we see on screen has the potential to trickle into your real life. It's about education and awareness. We're not about 'cancelling' anyone or anything. The classification isn't meant to detract or draw away from the media we consume for entertainment purposes — it's just about being able to identity consent and non-consent when it is depicted."

Feature Image: Disney/Mamamia.

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