When it comes to anti-Black racism in film and television, it can be found in the least expected places, including animated children’s shows. A YouTube channel with content for children has become to subject of controversy for this very reason.
In a scene from the popular kids’ content channel MyPinguTV’s Dina and the Prince Story, the titular character of Dinah becomes a fictional prince’s object of affection. However, Dina is forbidden to speak to him because if she does, she loses her beauty. It appears that she doesn’t heed the warning.
When we next see Dina encounter the Prince, her appearance has drastically changed. No longer a Caucasian woman, the character is depicted as no longer possessing her beauty and youth when she becomes a woman with Black skin and darker hair.
Users on social media have been quick to call out the racism:
White supremacy is able to teach our children to hate themselves because anti-Blackness is normalized at every level of this racist society. This YouTube cartoon called “Dina and the Prince” depicts a white woman turning into a Black woman after she‘s cursed to be “ugly.” pic.twitter.com/UfyoAHeEtv
— The Cali Nerd (@TheCaliNerd) July 22, 2019
1/2
So this YouTube cartoon called “Dina and the Prince Story” is insinuating that Black/Brown women are ugly.Dina (a “beautiful” angel) loves a Prince, is forbidden to see him unless she loses her “beauty,” for which she does, and resulted in her having darker skin pic.twitter.com/nqxT9xebPE
— Joyeux Hendrickson (@JoyeuxH) July 23, 2019
Watch “Dina And The Prince Story | Bedtime Stories for kids | My Pingu Tv” on YouTube https://t.co/ubHPZN9VPX
Wow we’re doing blatant racism in 2019.
— blowing kisses (@esther_esti) July 19, 2019
saw that dina and the prince thing on twitter, thinking “god how bad is this gonna be” and after watching my mouth was literally agape for like, a good solid minute, that is so fucked
— patty @ FF7 REMAKE OWNS MY ASS (@ultimacannon) July 23, 2019
#Racism and #antiblackness are taught. Watch your children. #mypingutv pic.twitter.com/u97I3L1PCQ
— FletcherMartial (@FletcherMartial) July 25, 2019
100s of people have flooded the comments sec. underneath MyPinguTV’s “Dina & The Prince Story” w/furious complaints.A Prince fallsnlove w/a beautiful character, Dina who isnt allowdto speak to him becuz she’s an angel.Seeing hes sad she then speaks to him but that means; pic.twitter.com/byAZnesmKW
— Southern Rootz (@Earlyrizah) July 25, 2019
french twitter has bought this to my attention so i’m tweeting it here, this is just awful so now if you don’t have eurocentric features you’re automatically ugly? and to think that this is a kid show how do you think little black girls will feel after watching this? pic.twitter.com/BfL3PxHXaC
— marieme, ELBOW’S DAY (@thedayacure) July 22, 2019
Watch a snippet of the controversial scene below.
READ MORE:
The New Blackface Minstrelsy: When White Actors Voice Black Characters In Animation
Seth Rogen Apologizes For Use Of Blackface On Set Of The Film ‘Good Boys
Photo: YouTube
