There's a new movie coming out this summer. It's a Snow White parody apparently, and it's an animation aimed at kids. And the tagline on the movie poster reads: What if Snow White was no longer beautiful and the 7 Dwarfs not so short?
Here's where the problem lies; for a movie that claims to be empowering, the poster is sending mixed signals. It depicts a tall, slim, Disney Princess type opposite a short, chubby obviously meant to be unattractive (but look at that skin!) young lady. When the tagline is that, and the images are those, what are people supposed to think?
Tess Holliday, one of the leading plus sized models in the US, was first to point out the issue.
How did this get approved by an entire marketing team? Why is it okay to tell young kids being fat = ugly? ??@ChloeGMoretz pic.twitter.com/PVhgwluGTM
— Tess Holliday ? (@Tess_Holliday) May 30, 2017
Holliday's tweet has stirred up a lot of debate, with most (all) agreeing that the poster does nothing for anyone's self-esteem. Without knowing the plot of the movie - which, as it happens, is the oppostite of what the movie is trying to portray - anyone who sees it is bound to interpret it as that a chubby, short Snow White who doesn't wear heels isn't beautiful. And that's not right.
Chloe Grace Moretz is the voice behind Snow White in the film. Tess Holliday tagged her in the tweet that started it all, and she responded after a few hours, as appalled as the rest of us.
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I have now fully reviewed the mkting for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn't approved by me or my team
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017
Pls know I have let the producers of the film know. I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety https://t.co/IOIXYZTc3g
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017
The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offense that was beyond my creative control https://t.co/HZP2ydPCAX
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017
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The movie is actually about a young Princess who want to stay true to herself, but she doesn't fit the princess stereotype. Seven princes are transformed into ugly dwarfs (another problem?), and she has to kiss them, or something. The issue is not with the movie itself, though, it's with the marketing campaign. It's a shame that a movie that claims to empower young women does the exact opposite with its very first impression.
