Mena Massoud Cancelled? Little Mermaid Controversy Explained

Mena Massoud Cancelled Little Mermaid Controversy Explained

In the last weeks before its premiere, the debate over Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake has reached unprecedented heights. The focus of attention right now is on Mena Massoud, the star of Aladdin, and the controversial comments he made.

Disney Live-Action Remakes

Star of Disney’s live-action Aladdin remake, which unexpectedly broke the billion-dollar wall at the box office, Massoud found himself in the middle of the stir after making a seemingly innocent comment about the Little Mermaid’s possible box office success.

He tweeted: “Our film was unique in that audiences went to watch it multiple times. It’s the only way we reached the billion dollar mark with our opening. My guess is TLM doesn’t cross the billion mark, but will undoubtedly get a sequel.”

Massoud Deactivated his Twitter Account

The backlash was swift and fierce. Massoud was harassed, bullied, and labeled racist and anti-black by ardent Little Mermaid supporters. The intensity of the response was such that Massoud ultimately chose to deactivate his Twitter account. This action has ignited further debates about the nature of online discourse.

Mena Massoud Deactivates Twitter
Courtesy of Twitter
  • While online harassment is unfortunately commonplace, the circumstances surrounding Massoud’s departure from Twitter are particularly noteworthy.
  • Had he been targeted by individuals protesting the infusion of identity politics into mainstream entertainment? The narrative might have been portrayed as a toxic attack on a person of color.

But it seems that Egyptian-Canadian actor Mena Massoud was forced to quit social media after a comment he made about The Little Mermaid’s box office potential was taken the wrong way and interpreted as an attack on the film’s leading lady.

Beyond the Initial Comment

It’s a reminder of the perils of public commentary and the power of social media outrage. Had Massoud’s tweet been derogatory or explicitly racist, the backlash could have been understood. However, his comment was merely an opinion on the film’s potential box-office success.

  • A closer look at the controversy reveals a deeper issue. Some of the criticism Massoud has received comes from a tweet he posted last year.
  • Massoud ranked the percentage of different minority groups represented in the entertainment industry as follows: black artists, Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, and North Africans.

In the end, Massoud’s escape from Twitter showcases the potential for both voices to be amplified and silenced via social media. It makes us wonder where the line is between appropriate and inappropriate language online and how easily we can be led astray.

The Little Mermaid’s Potential Success

Although Disney’s live-action remakes, like Aladdin, have been panned for lacking passion and originality, they remain colossal box-office successes. Time will tell if The Little Mermaid achieves the same level of success, but one thing is sure: its box office projections have become highly debated.

The hypocrisy of Massoud’s situation is blatant. If the roles were switched, the story could have taken a different direction. This incident serves as a warning that in the age of identity politics, even the most innocent remark can cause an uproar.

Double-Edged Sword of Social Media

Can celebrities like Mena Massoud engage in open discourse without fear of sparking a social media wildfire? And most importantly, how do we navigate the complex waters of representation and identity politics in an increasingly interconnected world?

  • Mena Massoud’s decision to quit Twitter has continued to generate headlines as the premiere of The Little Mermaid draws near. What happens at the box office to Disney’s The Little Mermaid is still in the air.
  • However, the debate over it shows how influential social media can be and how much is at risk in the court of public opinion. As for Mena Massoud, he has become a living example of the dangers and drawbacks that accompany fame in the modern digital age.

Ultimately, the debate around Mena Massoud’s tweet concerns more than just one actor’s point of view. It shows our society’s more significant problems and is a rallying cry for more sensitive discussions of subjects like identity politics, media bias, and the influence of social media.

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