By AJ Mun
Correspondent
With the recent release of the live action adaptation of “Snow White” starring Rachel Zegler, Disney has once again faced backlash over its decision-making skills. Now, don't get me wrong; Zegler deserves her flowers, as she is one of the brightest rising stars I see in the constellation of new-gen actors.
That being said, this movie was definitely doomed from the minute it reached the storyboard stage.
From the costuming, to the hair and makeup, to the CGI dwarves, “Snow White” was one of the most heinously mishandled pieces of work that Disney has put together, and it's no one's fault but its own.
The internet has expressed its opinions regarding Disney’s consistent push for inclusivity through modern-day race swapping, and in my opinion, it’s usually acceptable. For example, in Halle Bailey’s case in the live action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” Ariel’s original design is that of a fish. Considering the fact that mermaids don’t exist, I figured it was okay to make her a Black woman who desires more out of life than what she’s been given.
With that acknowledged, there are some stories you simply cannot switch. Tiana must be Black, as her story depends on it. Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray” must be white, as her story depends on it. Snow White is described as “hair as black as ebony, lips as red as the rose, and skin as white as snow.” This description then makes audiences wonder if she should have been portrayed by a fair-skinned white woman.
Additionally, what I find interesting is that Disney would never reverse the roles and make Princess Jasmine a white woman, because they are determined to protect the few roles of color that they have. Yet, instead of expanding that list and adding more stories, they choose to rework existing ones.
Could Zegler not have had an opportunity to showcase her acting and voice in an original story? One that could have highlighted Latina women and given young girls a new princess to look up to?
Let’s not forget that Disney has a Latina princess, “Elena of Avalor,” but instead of giving her a feature film debut, she was confined to a Disney Jr. television show.
In some ways, this could be seen as both a positive and a negative, as it primarily makes an impression on the youth — allowing them to grow up in a world where a strong Latina princess exists — but it also creates a barrier for anyone above the age of 7 to digest her story, or take her seriously as a piece of representational media.
If we want to analyze Disney's true representational media, we have to look to the ‘90s, with releases like “Pocahontas,” “Mulan” and “Aladdin.”
While “Pocahontas” may not be the most accurate telling of a story, we can still appreciate the beautiful artwork of the film. “Mulan” and “Aladdin” both showcased strong women who didn’t need the help of a man to make it in their world, but were still able to find love in the right places and have a softer side to them.
Back then, Disney was less worried about meeting the quota and more concerned with making art and magic. That was true representation.
However, while Disney has made its fair share of mistakes when it comes to representation, the lack of praise for the films that are actually inclusive is entirely the audience's fault.
To expand upon this, I want to acknowledge Disney Pixar’s 2023 film “Elemental.” While, at its base level, the film is about the elements, it is very easy to see that Wade, a boy made of water, is designed to behave like the average white American male. Ember, the other lead, is designed after a first-generation Asian-American immigrant.
Stories like these, which are easy to understand and imbue great lessons and cultural representation, are exactly what should be receiving praise. Unfortunately, it had the worst opening of any Pixar film but went on to become a sleeper hit, grossing $300 million with a $200 million budget.
While the stats aren't great, “Elemental” was one of my favorite films that the studio had produced.
Is it because I, myself, can relate to Ember? Maybe. But when all is said and done, it is up to us, the audience, to digest and praise media that does marginalized communities justice, instead of boosting hate toward the films that don't.
After all, if we don't create the stories, then who will?
