Kristen Bell thinks Disney's 'Snow White' sends bad messages to girls
Kristen Bell helped bring a Disney princess — Frozen‘s Anna — to life, but she has issues with another one: Snow White.
The actress said that while doing nightly story time with her two daughters, Lincoln, 5, and Delta, 3, she’ll still read the classic tale, which was released as a Disney film in 1937 (based on the Brothers Grimm story published in 1812), but she makes a point of calling out the parts she finds antiquated and misogynistic.
“Every time we close Snow White I look at my girls and ask, ‘Don’t you think it’s weird that Snow White didn’t ask the old witch why she needed to eat the apple? Or where she got that apple?'” Bell, who is married to Dax Shepard, said to Parenting. “I say, ‘I would never take food from a stranger, would you?’ And my kids are like, ‘No!’ And I’m like, ‘OK, I’m doing something right.'”
And sometimes she asks the tougher questions. For instance, she also says, “Don’t you think that it’s weird that the prince kisses Snow White without her permission? Because you cannot kiss someone if they’re sleeping!”
And not every book they read needs to have a happily-ever-after ending that Disney is known for. Bell, who has been candid about suffering from depression and anxiety, also said there’s a book called Grumpy Monkey that they love because it “allows the monkey to be grumpy, even at the end. Other characters give him solutions but he decides he’s still grumpy. I’ve had that feeling, and I want my girls to know that you’re allowed to feel it. Figure out ways to pick yourself up when you are ready. I really like that message.”
Bell’s comments about Snow White — mostly about consent — have Twitter buzzing.
Kristen Bell might have a point about Snow White.
#ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/B5t2ToAS05
— Cameron Grant (@coolghost101) October 18, 2018
But others thought Bell was making too much of the issue.
Don't you think it's weirder, that another woman poisoned snow white with an apple so she could steal all her shit? How #Feminist of you to still blame man, for problems a woman created.
— Neo Fawkes – III – (@iiiogical420) October 18, 2018
The story has attempted murder, witchcraft, a magic mirror, poison…but the kiss is an issue.
— JGH (@Hubb57) October 18, 2018
Omg can we stop blaming disney films for people not understanding consent. I grew up with them but you dont catch me creeping round the local pond trying to kiss an actual frog 🤔 https://t.co/TCSel3jz2a
— Katrina (@Katrina_McC) October 18, 2018
@IMKristenBell you do know that if the prince hadn’t kissed Snow White she’d be in a coma forever rather than being alive happy and able to live her life so it seems you just advocated for her oppression and death pic.twitter.com/e3iS2u3Q7k
— Married Keith (@44marriedpunk) October 18, 2018
Kristen Bell & Keira Knightley saying Snow White sends the wrong message…
The story evolves around Attempted Murder by Poisoning, Witchcraft, Dwarfs with personality disorders & a talking mirror…
But a Kiss is the problem?OK, let’s change the ending…. pic.twitter.com/7RnWJ0XmIg
— LordScott (@LindquistLord) October 18, 2018
The story has attempted murder, witchcraft, a magic mirror, poison…but the kiss is an issue.
— JGH (@Hubb57) October 18, 2018
Katie- Would love to know you think about Kristen Bell and her conclusion that Snow White is teaching children bad things about sexual consent. Ugh. Not everything has to be a victim campaign, surely?! pic.twitter.com/pIH5dn13fZ
— Fiona Dodwell *Author* 🐦 (@Angel_Devil982) October 18, 2018
I am survivor of abuse and for me as a child who grew up with Snow White, the story made me remember that not all men are abusers. Thats just my personal view. Know the difference between abuse and affection. He kissed her for love & to break a spell. Dont ruin the story for kids
— 🌸 🙀 Teresa Cooper (@Teresacooper) October 17, 2018
This is why people hate Democrats.
— Dave Salvi (@DaveSalvi) October 17, 2018
Bell saw the criticism and addressed it. She said she finds “the outrage annoying and misplaced.”
Thank u Margot, I find the outrage annoying and misplaced as well. I'm a mom who wants my girls to possess critical thinking and aks a ton of questions. So that's what we do when we read books. https://t.co/wptcM2DfLt
— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
She responded to several of the comments directly.
It's cute that you guys are making jokes about something that I feel is very important. I'd be happy to send you copies and snow white and frozen, and you can see the differences. How far the example set for women has come. It might enlighten your point of view.
— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
You'll not give me CPR if I was dying bc I have a different point of view of a fairy tale? Harsh. Your bio say youre trying to make the world a better place. I wanna do that too. I just think thier are better ways to do it than threatening ppl on social media. Have a good day.
— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
actually, everything IS a message to our children, because they are sponges that soak up everything and are learning how to be adults through what they see. I want my girls to see and practice critical thinking and respectful behavior.
— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
Who said I dont let me children watch Disney movies? That's untrue..so libel, maybe?
I can fact check for u now: after reading/ watching snow white, I ask my girls if they would take food from a stranger, or feel uncomfortable if someone was kissing them while they were sleeping.— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
Cool use of sarcasm here.
Nope, just trying to be a good mom, and believe me, they get plenty of visuals of chivalry every day when they see how @daxshepard treats me and all the women in his life.— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
She concluded it must have been a slow news day.
Thank u for a bit of sanity. I feel like eveyone has gone really crazy about this, maybe noone has anything better to do today?
— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
It’s been a rough week for Disney princesses. A few days earlier, Keira Knightley — star of the upcoming Disney flick The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (as well as Pirates of the Caribbean and others) — said she banned her 3-year-old daughter from watching Cinderella and The Little Mermaid because she doesn’t want her to grow up thinking she needs to be saved by a man.
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