Sexuality and The Little Mermaid
In what Snopes.com calls a hoax, keen eyes have spotted what seems to be a large phallus in the center of the underwater castle in the background of that movie poster and the cover of the original VHS version. Allegedly, the image was snuck into the advertising by a disgruntled Disney employee. In interviews, the artist claimed he was not disgruntled and had only inadvertently created the phallic shape (Mikkelson 1998). Given the nature of the Hans Christian Andersen version of the tale, a bit of phallocentricism is not unexpected. However, the fervor over the image also reveals a tide of sexuality that accompanies the animated film, even though it is wrapped in Disney innocence and marketed primarily to younger children.