<
https://theconversation.com/why-the-changing-representation-of-dwarfism-in-disneys-live-action-snow-white-remake-is-so-important-239275>
"The upcoming release of Disney’s live action remake of
Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs, currently scheduled for March 2025, has been surrounded by
controversy – so much so that the film’s trailer has received over 1 million
dislikes on YouTube. In particular, many fans have taken umbrage with the fact
that computer-generated imagery (CGI) will be used for the characters of the
seven dwarfs, now renamed the “miners”, rather than having them played by dwarf
actors.
To my mind, unless changes are made, it would be better not to release a live
action remake of
Snow White in the first place. My doctoral research has
shown that it’s common for people with dwarfism to experience mockery
influenced by the representation of dwarfism in
Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs. But if the film is to go ahead, CGI is a better choice than to cast
real people with dwarfism.
Fans lamenting on social media the fact that they will no longer be able to see
a film featuring “real dwarfs” ignore the parallels with the Victorian freak
show. Frequently their disappointment is masked as supposed concern for the
welfare of “actors” with dwarfism who will lose the “opportunity” to play these
characters.
But people with dwarfism who play these characters are rarely seen as serious
actors. Alice Lambert, an actress with dwarfism, was interviewed for a chapter
in my new book,
Dwarfism Arts and Advocacy (2024). In it, she recalls that
during her time in pantomime, people “would come to the stage door after the
show, but I realised that they just wanted to meet ‘a dwarf’ … you are not
being represented as a performer, but rather your dwarfism is being paraded for
the amusement of others”."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
