At this point in time, it’s a safe bet that anything Disney releases is going to flop hard. I’m not entirely sure what they expected by forcing politics on the audience that the audience didn’t want to buy into in the first place. It really doesn’t help when you’re trying to guilt the audience into watching that vomit by accusing them of racism and bigotry.
The upcoming Snow White live-action remake won’t be any different. We already have confirmation that this is going to be another boring cash grab injected with too much feminism and not enough heart. Just like the Little Mermaid remake, the film will feature the heroine doing all the work and rescuing herself, effectively making the Prince a useless character.
You don’t need to take my word for it. Here’s Snow White and the Queen telling you themselves.
So Snow White is no longer dreaming about true love, but about being the competent and decisive leader that her father told her she could be. It’s yet another story of a woman who starts perfect and the only flaw she has is realizing her perfection. I have no doubt that we’re going to get intercut clips of her being derided and laughed at by men for trying to be more than just a princess.
I’ll even bet we’ll see that, in the end, the Queen was also just misunderstood because she’s just angry about the treatment she got from men growing up and she’s now taking it out on Snow White.
I can make these assumptions with some confidence because, at this point, it’s a reliable Disney pattern. Classic stories are retold through a feminist lens and it loses its substance and heart, causing even the audience Disney tried to market it to, women and girls, to shrug it off and walk away.
Case in point, The Little Mermaid bombed so hard that Oppenheimer himself would have said it was a bit much.
But why do these feminist reboots keep bombing? In an age where the supposedly “modern audience” is demanding this kind of entertainment, why do feminist movies keep getting ignored?
First, we need to understand that feminism isn’t actually as popular as the corporate media and its “mainstream culture” like to pretend it is. According to Pew Research, 61 percent of women describe themselves as feminists but once you get into the details, you’ll see a sharp divide as to what women think feminism is or does:
But the public has mixed views on what feminism looks like today. A majority of Americans (64%) say feminism is empowering and 42% see it as inclusive. At the same time, 45% say it is polarizing and 30% say it’s outdated.
Notably, many of those who identify as feminist are critical of the feminist movement. For example, 43% of adults who say feminism describes them very or somewhat well also say feminism is polarizing, and 45% would not describe it as inclusive.
Feminism has become a divisive topic, especially over the last decade where it’s taken on more characteristics of a supremacist movement than a movement focused on equality. This isn’t going to fly with many women, especially those who have male relatives, especially sons that they’d rather not see grow up in a world where they’re considered “less.”
But then there’s the issue of daughters. I don’t know many parents who want their daughters to grow up to believe the modern feminist lie which includes looking down on men for being men and believing that all happiness can be found in self-reliance and selfish goals, which is exactly what modern feminism preaches. It pushes a lonely, shallow kind of life that often ends with bitterness and regret.
Hilariously, it should be noted that when it comes to their own protection and well-being, these same actresses rely on men to protect them.
(READ: Modern Feminism Was Never Going to Work for Women)
For the most part, women want relationships with successful, competent men that will romance them and ultimately take care of them. Studies bear this out all the time, with the latest one coming out of the University of Zurich which found that despite the student body being 60 percent women, 39 percent in “masculine” fields like computer science and engineering wanted to work full-time with children and 19 percent wanted the same if they worked in “feminine” fields like psychology or educational science.
Disney’s feminism fails because the women and girls it thinks it’s serving don’t actually agree with the product in their heart of hearts. They like the idea of a man coming to their rescue, sweeping them off their feet, and securing their future with a kiss. They want to be wanted by someone willing to swing a sword on their behalf. A man who can give them safety, security, and comfort.
It’s not “old fashioned,” it’s just nature. These qualities are just the groundwork for nature’s ultimate calling; procreation. It’s an instinct that decades of feminist indoctrination won’t erase.
If Disney had stayed true to the Snow White fairytale, it might have found a much wider audience. It could still keep in some elements of self-sufficiency, but if we’re being honest, Snow White wasn’t really in need of too much of a rewrite in that regard. This is the story of a woman who effectively became the matriarch of seven male dwarves who clearly needed her sophistication as a guide.
The film was a highlight of feminine strengths and male strengths, resulting in a great fantasy story that had roots in reality. Which brings us to why Disney’s feminist remakes are failing.
Disney’s feminism is asking for too much of a suspension of disbelief from its audience. Feminism is a fantasy that goes too far into the fantastical to be believable. Few can actually relate to it. There’s not much in the movie for them to identify with. No one wants to see Snow White get woken up by a sense of responsibility, and drag herself out of bed so she can do all the work. Too many women do that today already and the complaints are getting louder.
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(READ: There’s a Growing ‘Trad-Wife’ Trend That’s Making Feminists Furious)
They want romance, a handsome and courageous man willing to protect her. She wants work that’s ultimately appreciated by the people close to her. She wants stability and warmth in a home filled with love. She wants her feminine qualities to shine like a beacon to those around her, and have them seen and appreciated.
Perhaps that’s a fantasy in today’s world, but at least it’s a fantasy that people can relate to.