‘Political correctness gone mad’: Disney’s offensive new movie

I grew up in the ‘80s, in Disney’s peak era, so I was beside myself over the new Snow White, until I realised they got a fundamental part of the film very wrong, writes Nikki Osborne.

Rachel Zegler in Snow White with the CGI dwarves. Picture: Disney

Recently I was having an Apple scroll and a Disney trailer popped up on my feed. Now, I’m a child of the ’80s, so I grew up in Disney’s peak era.

The Little Mermaid transported nine-year-old me into a magical world of dreaming big, and the songs give me goosebumps to this day.

I often hum Part of that World to myself as I drive my tinny past a super yacht.

The only difference is usually the people on super yachts are legless, so Ariel would have been fine.

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And let’s not forget The Lion King. When I first saw it I was just a middle- class white girl in a goal defence netball bib in Redcliffe, and yet this movie somehow gave me an affinity with Africa – like I, too, was part of the Pride Lands.

Two two-dimensional cartoons that made me feel everything and more. Brilliant.

Fast forward to last week, when I saw the new trailer for Snow White. It opened on a beautiful girl, played by Rachel Zegler. The shots were beautiful. She sparkled on camera.

I thought to myself, “Aaawwww, well played, Disney – you’ve nailed it.”

I was sucked right in. Disney’s signature orchestral strings were playing and giving me a nostalgic buzz.

Disney’s promotional art for the film Snow White. Picture: Disney via AP

Cue the bad guy, played by none other than Wonder Woman Gal Gadot. She was stunning and evil, in all the right ways.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Phew – Disney hadn’t stuffed a classic.

The trailer built and the music built, and Snow White bit into the apple and collapsed.

I was frothing. This was going to be the magical moment where we were introduced to the Seven Dwarfs.

Who was it going to be? Would Peter Dinklage lead the charge? Would we be introduced to seven brilliant new actors who would become the new sensations of the silver screen?

Nikki Osborne

“I can’t wait to hear their stories on The Graham Norton Show,” I thought to myself. This was to be the most exciting reveal of the whole film. Alas, no.

Disney. Stuffed. It. The dwarfs were CGI! What were they thinking? Not only did they deny the audience the opportunity to witness great new talent, but they had also denied actors with dwarfism seven guaranteed dream roles – and for what?

You can’t tell me Disney didn’t have the budget to employ them. So why, in a film with human actors, would they choose to use animation for these roles? Is it political correctness gone mad? Were they so concerned about offending the people with dwarfism that they removed them altogether?

Disney promotional art for the film Snow White. Picture: Disney via AP

This is the modern day irony we keep seeing, where people and companies keep advocating for minorities, which inadvertently isolates them further. It’s insanity. Did they even try? Did they hold auditions? Or has someone gone, “Hey, this could trigger some bullying here, so let’s just keep their community out of it altogether.”

I went straight to the online comments and saw my sentiments being echoed loudly. “Even if I was watching this on a plane I’d still walk out,” one person wrote.

Disney, it’s not too late. Do a revised edit and give the people what they want, not what you think we can handle.

Or have they done the right thing? Would employing actors have been validating stereotypes?

Originally published as ‘Political correctness gone mad’: Disney’s offensive new movie