Sebastian from "The Little Mermaid"

Who doesn’t love Disney movies? Especially the old and classic ones that never grows old? The songs, the magic and happiness just make the youthful side of anyone come out. Taking a closer look at Sebastian in The little Mermaid, raises some questions. Sebastian is the red Jamaican crab in the 1989 Disney version of The Little Mermaid. He is the servant of King Triton and also under King Tritons demand to accompany and follw Ariel on land. The character, Sebastian was made only for the film, and was not from the original Hans Christian Andersen story. In the original story Sebastian was originally Clarence an English-butler crab. Howard Ashman, the songwriter proposed changing Clarence to a Jamaican Rastafarian crab. Doing so, the music was changed to fit the crabs’ nationality.

Specifically in Sebastian’s popular , Under the Sea song , Disney portrays something. Imagine a Red Jamaican crab persuading Ariel to stay under the sea because “the human world is bad” , “ a mistake”, she’d have to “slave on land” and altogether work. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the lyrics of the song…

 Up on the shore they work all day

Out in the sun they slave away

While we devotin'

Full time to floatin'

Under the sea!

If it takes a whole song to exaggerate a better life under the sea, Disney may be trying to highlight something bigger. Children see that this crab is funny, laid-back, musical and party-loving and will subject this to Jamaicans. But then they also will see that this crab is lazy, reluctant to work, unproductive, and subject that to Jamaicans as well. Sebastian loves being under water because he won’t have to work or get a job unlike live on land.

Disney may have added this character as inspiration from the highlight of the time the movie was being produced. The Rastafarian movement was becoming more publically known around the 1970s; especially gaining attention and new followers from the great, Bob Marley. Rastafarians have a loosely structured and liberal belief that would reflect Sebastian’s languor. The most controversial practice of Rastafarians is the use of cannabis, the religious use of marijuana, is the holy herb, Iley or callie, and is given by God. It is used in rituals called reasonings, when Rastas sit around and smoke the marijuana and discuss. Marijuana is believed to free the mind and soul. Other practices are the growth of dreadlocks and an ital diet. Hair is grown a dread to represent the roots of Africa, a lion’s mane and a lion strength and connection to Africa. Rastafarians are down to earth people that see Africa as the mother land and heaven on earth.

But despise their intention with Sebastian as a character or where they may of gotten their influence from nevertheless, there were only 2 “colored” character in the movie in including Sebastian. Kids learn no diversity but also the wrong impression of a certain races.