‘The Little Mermaid’ and debt ceiling deal

President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a tentative debt ceiling agreement Saturday.

And while it remains unclear whether the deal will gain congressional approval, I was glad to hear the news. The constant political wrangling over the debt limit and coverage of the constant political wrangling has been exhausting.

I sometimes pride myself on being way too interested in politics. But I didn’t expect the push and pull over the debt limit to go on this long. However, throughout all the pontificating over whether a debt crisis would be averted, some things opened my eyes to why the debt ceiling matters in some circles.

—Some people hoped that the 14th Amendment might be used (in a complicated way) to circumvent debt ceiling gridlock on Capitol Hill.

—Others mentioned how failing to raise the debt ceiling could delay Social Security checks and tax refunds, contribute to lower stock prices, and diminish retirement savings accounts like 401(k)s.

—Lawmakers on both sides seemed to be focused on work requirements for some government programs. (An interesting article poses the question of whether there should be some work requirements for the wealthy.)

—And I checked Twitter, CNN, Politico, and other sites way too often to see if there was any “breaking news” on the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on different sides held firm to their views, which of course, differed considerably from the views of some fellow lawmakers. In the end, though, a tentative deal has been brokered, and so far, two things are clear — not everyone will be happy with its terms, and representation matters.

On the bright side, the impending end to the debt ceiling situation allowed me to settle in for some holiday weekend fun. That brings me to Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”

Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Disagreement

As I wondered what previews might be shown for half an hour before the main feature, I had mixed feelings about whether to see the film. After all, since Disney’s 2023 “The Little Mermaid” project was announced, there has been controversy surrounding various aspects of the movie. (I loved the 1989 animated version of “The Little Mermaid” and am not ashamed to say that I still know most of the songs from the movie soundtrack by heart.)

But after watching the news and scrolling social media, I realized how much “The Little Mermaid” matters in some circles. What I discovered was people on different sides of “The Little Mermaid” debate holding firm to their views about the movie. Those, of course, differed considerably from the views of some fellow moviegoers.

—Some people hate having an Ariel who doesn’t look like the original animated character. (Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel in the live-action version of the movie, is a Black singer and actress. And Halle, as Ariel, doesn’t have the classic red hair from the original film.) Other people loved Bailey’s portrayal of Ariel.

—Others don’t love live-action remakes of any of the Disney classic films. Some childhood memories were “ruined.”