In a recent lecture for my JOUR 4250 class, we dived into the issue of the media erasing people with disabilities. This discussion led me to think about the ongoing controversy surrounding Disney's live-action remake of Snow White. This project has been in development for a few years now and is set to hit theaters in 2024. However, since its initial announcement in 2021, Disney has faced numerous controversies along the way.
One particular aspect of this controversy revolves around the
casting of Rachel Zegler, a talented Latina actress. This casting decision
caught the attention of famous actor Peter Dinklage, who himself has
achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. In a podcast episode on WTF With Marc
Maron, Dinklage expressed his frustration regarding the Snow White live-action
project. "You're progressive in one way and you're still making that
f***ing backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the
f*** are you doing, man?" he said. Dinklage suggested he would support the
film if it took a more progressive approach.
In response to these concerns, a Disney spokesperson responded,
"To avoid perpetuating stereotypes from the original animated film, we are
approaching these seven characters differently and have been consulting with
members of the dwarfism community." However, Dinklage's call for a more
progressive spin did not necessarily mean the complete exclusion of people with
dwarfism from the project.
Another incident arose when a photo from the New York Post was
published under the headline "Disney's live-action Snow White takes
wokeness to absurd new low." Initially, Disney claimed that the photo was
fake, only to later backtrack and admit that the photo was indeed real but not
an official promotional image. When I saw this photo, I too was upset. I
questioned why Disney had chosen to include just one little person among the
other six characters. Given the existing challenges that actors with dwarfism
face in booking roles, this decision was taking opportunities away from them.
*Photo from the New York Post
To wrap up this blog post, I'd like to share another quote from
Dinklage during the same podcast episode. It raises questions about Disney's
intentions with this remake. Are they striving too much to be "woke,"
or is their approach justified? Dinklage asks, "Have I done nothing to
advance the cause from my soapbox?" It's disheartening to witness talented
individuals being overlooked simply because a corporation is apprehensive about
casting people with disabilities. Disney is facing a lose-lose situation, so it may be time for them to take the leap and reconsider their casting choices.
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