MerMay X Pride Month 2020 MASHUP: Ursula is DIVINE

Whether you've got poor taste or a poor, unfortunate soul, there's one thing we can all agree on: Ursula is DIVINE! No, literally: did you know that Disney animators have cited the drag queen Divine as inspiration for Ursula's character design? Indeed, the queer backgrounds and voices that have influenced the tale of "The Little Mermaid" are innumerable, even dating as far back to the story's inception by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837 when he wrote it as a desperate love letter to his male friend and colleague Edvard Collin. When you think about it, "The Little Mermaid" is a subversive narrative in its entirety, which is undoubtedly why it resonates with such a wide audience. It subverts patriarchal norms by depicting a female lead chasing after her heart's desires; the Disney film subverts these norms even further when Triton finally allows Ariel to live the life she's always dreamed of. There are even interpretations that suggest it subverts cisnormativity, with the titular mermaid's desire to become human being a metaphor for the trans experience. Because of these myriad queer interpretations of the beloved tale, I thought this mashup would be the perfect way to transition from MerMay into Pride Month and to celebrate the strides we've made as a community, as well as consider the progress we're sure to make in the future. Happy Pride!