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Credit: DisneySnow White is under fire, despite its apt use of the subject based on the “Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” a composite of European folklore and story.
Snow White Under Fire: Where Are the Dwarfs?
Snow White is under fire, and the reason couldn’t be stranger. There is much ire surrounding the removal of the classic seven dwarfs. Yet the arguments against live-action production seem to focus more on fear of being “woke” rather than the value of the metaphor.
The irony of a “woke” argument on Snow White goes without saying. But it’s still worth mentioning that the fairy tale is entirely a metaphor. Many argue that the Dwarfs represented the seven deadly sins/seven holy virtues. It depends on the interpreter.
Snow White Under Fire for Modern Messaging
Snow White is under fire for replacing the seven Dwarfs with ‘magical creatures’ of all sizes and genders. But it’s a fairy tale. This type of story is meant to survive time by shifting its messaging to mirror the needs of society.
It was always magical. There is no way that Rachel Zegler’s skin color can detract from her value as “fair.” There is no way that the magical Dwarfs from a time-honored story can lose their magic by being quirkier or more unique.
These seven essential characters are the glue that holds the story together. And they are also the easiest way to track the virtues behind the fairy tale as it changes through time.
What Dwarfs Mean: Then and Now
In lore across Europe, the idea of a Dwarf was a magical creature who was also the ultimate builder. Shows like American Gods give ample shout-outs to the skill and workmanship of Dwarfs. And that’s their place in the original fairy tale.
In the Walt Disney version, the iconic cartoon that was also the production studio’s first full-length animation, the Dwarfs were miners. It mirrored the focus on mining and labor as a virtue, which makes sense for 1938 when production was in extreme demand.
Folklore is Supposed to Change
Do you remember that saying that if you can’t bend, you break? In one shape or another, you likely do. That’s because of the sheer power of fairy tales. They shift and change, passing through generations as song, story, or other art.
The modern Snow White is doing the sacred duty of storytelling. It’s matching societal change and holding a mirror up to it, revealing both the dark and the light. It’s 2023. Snow White doesn’t need a prince charming; she can lead.
Per Disney, it’s taking a “different approach” to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes” from the original film. It’s doing so much more by using the platform to represent what a 21st-century fairy tale would look like accurately.
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