Why it’s okay to wish on a prince charming

I wrote an article about the live-action film adaptation of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. And boy, oh boy, did you have much to say about it:

Frankly, I’m also very concerned about the film adaptation – but not because of Snow White’s skin color. It doesn’t matter much to me.

What bothers me and why Disney just didn’t understand what feminism and true love have to do with each other? Here’s an attempt to organize my thoughts:

Disney is making a remake of Snow White. Snow White is played by a half-Colombian woman, the dwarves have been dropped and replaced by seven magical creatures played by people of color and women. The prince is left out altogether because Snow White is meant to be a leader and does not dream of love.

Many criticize this and strongly condemn Disney. You can read the article about this here.

Two quick notes:

1. When I speak of the “original” in the following text, I do not mean the fairytale version as noted by the Brothers Grimm, but the Disney versions from 1937 onwards.

2. I will be here No racism debate. As a white, privileged woman, I have never been a victim of racism in my life. So all I can say is that I think Rachel Zegler is a very fitting Snow White. If her skin color hadn’t been an issue online, I wouldn’t have even realized she wasn’t “fair enough” for the part.

But what I want to talk about is the story that will be promoted in the new Disney Princess movies. It says time and time again that women are all difficult They are leaders and see men as gross stalkers. Because love is so scary, waaaah!

Do not get me wrong. It is great and extremely important to show young women that they can be leaders, if you want this. But currently the subject is increasingly tilting towards the fact that as a woman you are not a feminist until you hold a CEO position and rule the world. So you place the women from the housewife box in the leader box, where they can only be one again. That’s neither several still feminist.

This is sexism. Just repackaged.

I think feminism means women are free to choose who they want to be and what they want to do. Be it mother or CEO. Or CEO who is mother.

So it doesn’t really make sense to make Snow White a leader. If a script were well written, Snow White would also become a feminist role model as a housewife.

But if she really has to be a leader, why not with the traits that have made the character so popular for decades? Namely: love, honesty and connection with all beings. Why shouldn’t she be a leader who rules with love and fairness? How about showing that compassion is not a weakness and that an incredible amount can be achieved through honesty?

(I am well aware that in our society it is almost impossible to live without it toughness to become the boss. However, Disney should not further amplify this story, but rather point out the shortcomings of this system.)

Before now comes: “The movie isn’t out yet, just watch it first.” Yet I have every reason to believe that Snow White will not reign with love. It wouldn’t be the first time a Disney protagonist has stripped away and gone through her “feminine” traits toughness to be replaced. For example: Mulan.

Mulan stars in the 1998 original Disney movie a clumsy, caring and impulsive young woman who pretends to be a man to go to war for her father.

In the 2020 remake Will Mulan all her quirks that make her so human and recognizable make, removed. She is given magical powers and is, as it were, untouchable. She is a – rather callous – strong woman who fights for her country. This not only makes the story boring, but also robs the character of any chance to develop further.

I assume the same will happen with Snow White. If not, all the better. Rachel Zegler has already referenced it:

One of Disney’s biggest mistakes, in my opinion, is with something different. The new stories are stripped of what makes them so magical and still relevant today: true love.

Both Mulan and Snow White’s love affairs have been put on hold. A decision that, to put it nicely, I think is nonsense. Disney conveys that with that difficult Women don’t need love and men are superfluous in their lives. That’s just not true.

Again, don’t get me wrong: I also think today’s love movies still need improvement. For example, many stories still tell that the woman must be saved by the man and that a woman without a man often has no purpose in life. However, Disney did the latter even before the ‘verwokefication’ not transferred. In the original Snow White, the prince can be seen for two minutes. The original ‘Mulan’ is largely about saving China.

And even if love were central to the stories: love stories are a good thing and should be told! Everyone needs affection and a lot of people want romantic affection. My life often revolved around men. I love having a partner by my side and I’m not willing to be ashamed of it just because Disney doesn’t see it as #girlboss enough. It does not mean that I have no interests of my own or that I am merely an appendage of my partner. To quote Cher’s iconic lines here:

I don’t need men to survive, yes But I just want love and tenderness in my thoroughly feminist life. And my Prince Charming gives me just that, as long as it’s not Shrek’s. Although …

Finally: Of course I’m aware that Disney makes such remakes “diverse” because the company knows what a stir it’s causing. He gets free promotion and I also play with my articles. Not #girlboss of mine at all, sorry.