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Grace White, a longtime blogger for Extra Inning Softball’s “Inside Pitch” series, finished her college career this spring as a senior for her Division II Union University Bulldogs and received her diploma after she majored in Journalism.
She is now “entering the big girl world!” as she puts it after also being the Sports Editor for the Cardinal & Cream, the school’s student publication, and has a younger sister who plays in the Virginia Unity club organization.
Today’s “Inside Pitch” spotlight waxes sentimental as Grace looks back on a favorite movie and song of hers and why she won’t be running to see the newly released updated version anytime soon!
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On May 26, 2023, Disney’s live action version of “The Little Mermaid” swam into theaters. (Didn’t you love that pun?) I’m going to be honest and say I haven’t seen it, nor do I plan to see it.
Here’s a preview of the new version if anyone is interested:
The main reason for me not seeing the new version is because the original Ariel is my favorite princess, and I don’t want the magic of the original film to be ruined for me.
I also don’t want other people to forget how great the 1989 version of “The Little Mermaid” is.
The voice cast is phenomenal, featuring Jodi Benson as Ariel, Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian, Pat Carroll as Ursula, and Buddy Hackett as Scuttle, just to name a few.
The film is also full of relatable characters, fun moments, and of course, timeless songs.
Benson’s version of “Part of Your World” and Wright’s renditions of “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” will always live on my Mount Rushmore of Disney songs. However, the song that holds the No. 1 spot in my heart is the song sung by Carroll, “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”
Before I go into the reasons why I love the song, here’s a video so that you can refresh your memory on this Disney classic:
First, Ursula is one of the most iconic villains in Disney history.
With her purple skin and octopus-like tentacles, it would be hard to confuse her with the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, or Cruella de Vil. I definitely wouldn’t want to run into her on a trip to the ocean or anywhere besides a TV screen for that matter, but during the song and her interaction with Ariel, Ursula shows a sarcastic side as well.
The delivery of the line:
“That’s right…but you’ll have your man,” is one of my favorites to mimic—just ask my sisters.
Second, I think about the consequences of this song for Ariel in her life beyond the first film. “The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea,” a sequel to the original, was released direct-to-video in 2000.
In this movie, Ariel becomes the first Disney princess to have a child, a daughter named Melody. Everything seems to be perfect for Ariel as she has her whole family there to celebrate Melody’s birth, until Ursula’s sister Morgana shows up and tries to take Melody.
Ariel makes the difficult decision to cut off all contact with the sea in order to protect her daughter. As I watch the conversation that Ariel has with her father King Triton, I can’t help but see Ariel replaying the scenes from “Poor Unfortunate Souls” in her head.
Third, the lyrics and tune are so catchy. I know all the words without having to watch the sing-along video:
“I admit that in the past I’ve been a nasty/
They weren’t kidding when they called me, well, a witch/
But you’ll find that nowadays/I’ve mended all my ways/
Repented, seen the light, and made a switch/
To this? True? Yes.”
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the men responsible for the songs in “The Little Mermaid,” will definitely be remembered forever for their work on one of the greatest soundtracks of all-time.
Some people might think this is an odd choice for my favorite Disney song, especially with the other songs that are in this movie, but somewhere along the way, I was just drawn to it because of the characters, because of the intensity, and because of the lyrics. Maybe someday I’ll give in and watch the remake, but I’m not holding out much hope.
I’m a person who doesn’t do well with change whether it be in my real life or in movies and TV shows. I’ve been struggling recently with being “on my own.”
During the summer, I’m usually at home or going to travel tournaments with my family. Instead, I’m living in a dorm at Union University and working full-time for the Jackson Rockabillys, the local Prospect League team.
It’s definitely not terrible by any means. The people I work with are great, and getting to meet fans and hangout at the ballpark is fun. But I’m homesick. I’m having to learn how to embrace the change even when I don’t want to, and it’s frustrating.
In the midst of this, I have to try to find constants to ground me and help me get through it.
I’ve been working on my relationship with God, watching tons of “Grey’s Anatomy,” and listening to my favorite songs. I just don’t think I’m ready for my view of “The Little Mermaid” to change, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be read.
I’m just going to be content to live in my own little bubble and sing Pat Carroll’s rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” at the top of my lungs.
— Grace White, Extra Inning Softball correspondent
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