Disney's upcoming live-action version of Snow White has somehow managed to become controversial despite the fact that it hasn't come out yet—and if you're wondering why, fair warning. You're about to enter an entire discourse.
The short version: old videos of Rachel Zegler talking about Snow White have resurfaced on TikTok, and people are taking issue with her comments. This has lead to a larger and somewhat exhausting conversation—with conservatives complaining that Disney movies are becoming "too woke" (🙄), and fans of the original Snow White voicing concern over Disney's "pseudo-feminism." There's also backlash to the backlash as fans defend Rachel from the mess, so yeah...it's a lot! But if you feel like engaging in the discourse, here's a quick breakdown.*
*Will come in handy next time a friend texts you "wait, can you explain this Rachel Zegler thing to me."
First Up, Rachel's Interviews
In an old interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rachel said the original Snow White is "extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power and what a woman is fit for in the world." (Reminder: Snow White premiered nearly 90 years ago in 1937.)
And in a separate old red carpet interview, Rachel noted that in the original Snow White, “There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her....weird, so we didn't do that this time.” She also said the new version is “really not about the love story at all” but focuses on Snow White’s “inner journey that she goes on to find her true self.”
At this same red carpet event, Rachel also said her Snow White is "not going to be dreaming about true love, she’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be."
More recently, Entertainment Tonight published a video of Rachel expressing gratitude for her movie roles.
So Why Are People So Upset About Rachel's Quotes?
Fans of the original Snow White feel like Rachel has misunderstood the movie and are wondering why she took the role if she herself wasn't a fan of the original. And again, some people feel like re-writing an iconic Disney Princess to be someone "dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be" is "pseudo feminism."
Here's that take expanded upon via TikToker @cosywithangie, who said, "Not every woman is a leader, not every woman wants to be a leader, not every woman wants or craves power, and that's okay. It is not anti-feminist to want to fall in love, to want to get married, to want to stay at home, to want to be a homemaker. None of these things make you less valuable as a person or a woman."
People Have Been Coming to Rachel's Defense
While the representation of Disney Princesses in live-action remakes is certainly worthy of nuanced discussion, a lot of people have pointed out that attacking Rachel for her comments is completely unnecessary and unhelpful. Some points are being made below:
Rachel Kinda-Sorta Responded
While she didn't address the backlash directly—which BuzzFeed says could violate SAG-AFTRA strike rules—Rachel hopped on Twitter and wrote, "i hope the world becomes kinder" followed by "i love you very much. forever and ever. remember to be kind. treat each other with patience and empathy. remember that you are loved unconditionally, no matter your mistakes, no matter your misunderstandings. you deserve it. you deserve love. you deserve to live without fear. x"
Annnnd that brings us up to date. Excited to see Snow White in theaters and not overthink it, tbh!
