Race and LK Characters

We were talking about race in my communication class, and it made me reflect on race in TLK movies: specifically the choice of voice actors for the movies.  The protagonists in both movies, cub and adult, are played by white voice actors.  In the first movie, Mufasa, Sarabi, Rafiki, and Shenzi are all played by African-American voice actors, but the rest are predominantly white (Banzai is played by Cheech Marin).  But the main protagonist, his love interest, and the main antagonist are all very white.  In Simba’s Pride, the ratio is worse…the only major credit belonging to a black actor is Robert Guillaume reprising his role as Rafiki.

Now this is likely the result of the “Disney syndrome”, since it is a corporate Caucasian-based power (though since the late 90s it’s made an effort to increase diversity in its films and television work).  But the Broadway musical features a black cast and protagonists.  The main argument when you compare these two productions seems to be:  “it’s voice work; you can’t hear skin color”.

But I think it’s a result of Disney tailoring to its predominantly white U.S. audience.  They cast Jonathan Taylor Thomas (if you’re from my generation, you remember him being everywhere in the early 90s) to play young Simba, and then Matthew Broderickas the adult.  Yet they make sure to cast his parents as African American actors, and the African shaman character, Rafiki, as well.  If voice acting is truly “colorblind”, then why this peculiarity?  Why can the peripheral characters be closer, culturally, to the setting and the protagonists can’t?

When I think about humanizations of the main characters, as drawn by fanartists, a majority are Caucasian.  This is no accident – if you look at the character designs there is a distinct Anglo edge to them. I would argue that only Shenzi’s character design physically reflects African facial characteristics.  Simba and Nala in particular reflect white standards of beauty.  A specific example: look at Simba’s mane…and then look at a character like Thomas from Pocahontas.  Simba is essentially a lionized white man.

Now, it’s pretty obvious that Disney inevitably Anglicized everything up until they made that conscious effort to switch in the late 90s (Pocahontas was the frontrunner, then see Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Brother Bear, etc.) and there is much in TLK that develops from white European culture, i.e. the patriarchal monarchy which comes straight from Europe royal systems.  And the movie was created for an American culture in which the majority of people are white (changing in the present day).  But what I’m interested in, as a fanartist, is the spirit of the story and the work.  How might fanartists look differently at these characters if this was made with protagonists voiced by people of color such as those in The Princess and the Frog?  Would the movies have the same effect? If race doesn’t matter, there should be no change…and so why not draw humanizations as reflective of the African setting?

I have seen fanart go this way.  I believe AnnieHyena had a small series where she drew the humanized characters as African.  And the Broadway play did a brilliant job of both incorporating pieces of African cultures into the production, and casting fairly true to the natural setting of TLK.  My personal opinion, if you haven’t gathered by this whole massive blog post, is that the native cultures of the grand African setting that inspiredThe Lion King should be celebrated as part of that setting, and to view that setting through only one cultural/racial perspective is incredibly limiting to a fanartist’s vision.

You might have a different opinion, but this is mine.  And hey, this is my blog, so I can blather on about pretty much anything I want. ;)