Why This Mom Is Okay With ‘Woke’ Disney And The New Snow White

Art reflects the age and society it comes from, says The Atlantic.

This is what comes to mind whenever Disney releases a new live-action movie based on one of its classic tales—the most recent of which is the classic and beloved Snow White.

The original animated Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937 and based on the Snow White story by the Brothers Grimm. It became the highest-grossing film of that year and is considered among the top-ten performers at the North American box office. Its earnings remain at the top of the worldwide animation list (adjusted for inflation). While it is a well-loved classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs very much reflected and answered the needs of the society from which it was born—an American society looking for an escape from the struggles of the Great Depression and women slowly building opportunities in the workplace but still confined by societal limitations. The animated Snow White gave its society a fairy tale escape from everyday struggles while still reflecting women of the era—yes, you can survive Great Depression-level poverty or an evil stepmother out to murder you. However, a prince is still very much a requirement for a happy ending, even if it’s one you’ve just met.

'Woke Disney'

In the last few years, Disney movies have become a polarizing topic among parents, specifically with what the internet calls “Woke Disney.”

According to Merriam-Webster, woke is a slang term typically used to refer to a person who is “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social justice.” In recent years, Disney movies tagged as “woke” include Lightyear–since it featured one character, Commander Alisha Hawthorne, in a same-sex relationship with her wife, Kiko. Turning Red was tagged as woke with its exploration of puberty, menstruation, and teen rebellion. Among its “redefined” classics, people have tagged the Little Mermaid live-action film starring Halle Bailey as woke, with critics saying that the casting of a Black actress as Ariel is a form of political correctness. The movie’s updated themes of Ariel’s self-discovery, purpose, freedom, and her life over her desire to be with a man in the original film were also a sore point for critics, who said these changes were a disservice to the original story.

The new Snow White

Along with Ariel, some parents and critics marked the Snow White movie as woke. This was on top of the controversies early on—with lead actress Rachel Zegler’s “not white enough” skin tone, her comments that the original movie was outdated, the issues surrounding it, and the “politically incorrect " seven dwarves.

Of course, critics also took issue with the new movie’s updated themes, portraying Snow White as a princess discovering her worth, power, and strength, on top of kissing her hero—this time a bandit on a quest for justice, rather than a prince going about his way into the forest.

This is the reason why Disney is “woke…”

I understand why parents take issue with some of Disney’s themes in its new movies—I know that our concern comes from a place of love and concern for their children. We worry that LGBT themes are “normalized” when it’s portrayed as a normal thing on screen (for less than a minute). We worry that children are “radicalized” because conversations where generational trauma is acknowledged and processed are portrayed on screen. We worry that children will grow up not seeing the color of a person’s skin just because their childhood is filled with multi-racial heroes and heroines.

These are just some of the reasons some people consider Disney these days “woke.” But, as I quoted earlier, art reflects the society it comes from. Disney is woke because, whether we’d like to admit it or not, our society today is “woke.” Our society today is working hard to acknowledge and respect the differences between each one of us—whether in our sexual preferences, mental health conditions, or even skin color.

The original Snow White served its society well. The fairy tale gave 1930s kids and adults alike the strength and hope of a “wish,” whether to escape from the reality of the Great Depression, to find their true love, or to have a generally better life.

The new Snow White fits our society well, too. It shows a young woman coming into her strength, just like modern young women discovering their purpose, talents, and careers (which is currently more than what 1930s young women had). It shows a young woman slaying her villain and achieving her goals with the support of people who loved her instead of a prince rescuing her, just like modern young women overcoming challenges to reach their goals. And perhaps, more importantly, it shows that we can achieve change peacefully as long as we stay true to our values and what we are fighting for.

What's more important for me is that my kids enjoyed the aforementioned “Woke Disney” movies, totally clueless to the "issues" adults have. In Lightyear, they only saw the love of family. In Turning Red, they only saw a pre-pubescent teen, and it gave me and my tween a springboard to discuss our issues when her uh “time” came. In Snow White, my kids saw a heroine who does not wish to find her true love but hopes to be the person her parents raised her to be—a fearless, fair, brave, and true woman.

Nowadays, it's a disservice to our daughters to limit their potential—rely on a prince to save them or only dream of finding their true love. What's wrong with self-discovery and self-growth? What's wrong with wanting to be the leader your parents raised you to be?

Perhaps it’s time to accept that fairy tales or stories are ever-evolving, just like our societies are. After all, fairy tales—as the Grimm Brothers intended—document folk traditions and typically have cautionary themes. The original Little Mermaid cautions kids not to go against their parent's wishes, or else they’ll turn into seafoam. Disney did parents and kids a favor over the years by giving our generation the power to dream and hope for a happy ending. Disney has again done us a favor these past few years, allowing us to tackle relevant issues with our children and ingrain in them a few truths: We don’t need a prince to achieve our happy ending. And that love, in any form, is always worth having.

Read here for a guide to Disney Adventure.