March 19, 2025 • 24 mins
The controversy swirling around Disney’s live-action Snow White runs the gamut from casting backlash to political tension. Rachel Zegler’s modern spin on the iconic princess ignited debates over “wokeness,” while leaked photos of diverse actors playing dwarfs gave way to CGI stand-ins, triggering questions about authenticity. Meanwhile, Gal Gadot’s pro-Israel stance and Zegler’s pro-Palestine comments added extra fuel to the fire, turning a simple fairytale remake into a cultural flashpoint.
Disney’s cautious marketing approach suggests an attempt to manage the uproar, but critics wonder if transparency and proactive engagement might have quelled the blowback. The movie itself is drawing early praise, which raises the question: does good storytelling prevail over controversy, or do larger social debates overshadow the final product?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Molly McPherson (00:00):
This weekend, a once-blockbuster movie will
finally hit movie theaters, andthat's too bad, because the
reviews are pretty good.
One online reviewer wrote ofthe film, quote it is not only
one of their best live-actionremakes in years, but it's also
a film that recaptures the magicof the 1937 movie.
(00:22):
Rachel Zegler is Snow White andshe delivers such a magical
performance.
End quote.
But Rachel Zegler is one of themany reasons why this film hit
the skids well before itsrelease.
Rachel Zegler (00:35):
I just mean that it's no longer 1937.
And Penry absolutely wrote aSnow White that is not going to
be saved by the prince.
She's not going to be saved bythe prince and she's not going
to be dreaming about true love.
She's dreaming about becomingthe leader she knows she can be.
Molly McPherson (00:50):
Welcome to the PR Breakdown.
I'm your host, molly McPherson.
Today's episode topic comes toyou on the recommendation of one
of my listeners.
Thank you, artie.
Whether you are likely walkinglike Artie, driving your car or
listening to this podcast onYouTube at work, let's dive
headfirst into the whirlwind ofcontroversy surrounding this
(01:12):
movie.
The Snow White story touches oneverything that's on our minds
these days Political commentary,the whole wokeness debate.
What it should be focusing ononly is who is the fairest of
them all.
Let's jump right in to the hitlist.
Let's start with the casting.
Disney's decision to cast RachelZegler, a Latina actress, as
(01:34):
Snow White raised immediateeyebrows.
Traditionally, as you all know,snow White is described as
having skin as white as snow.
Fun fact, I played Snow Whitein my seventh grade vaudeville
show.
Was I good in the role?
Well, I fit the suit.
(01:55):
Kind of like that Brady Bunchmoment when Greg was chosen to
be Johnny Bravo and he thoughtit was because he was a Johnny
Bravo.
But it turned out.
He just fit the suit.
I was a 13-year-old, I believe,with dark hair, pasty Irish
white skin with freckles, and Icould sing the only hiccup I
(02:19):
couldn't white it the high notesof Someday my Prince Will Come.
That's the song that they chose.
I had to sit on a rock dressedin my costume, look out in the
audience, see my boyfriend, whoI was dating at the time
mortifying, just tragic.
Also watching my mother wince,I kid you not, mother wince, I
(02:51):
kid you not wincing.
If you remember the 1937cartoon and the part of snow
white, the song someday myprince will come, it starts at
the highest octave imaginableit's not a song that sounds like
someday my prince will come.
No, no, no.
It starts, my prince will come.
(03:11):
It is so high even at 13.
Oh, it was just a nightmare.
You can imagine poor Molly justsitting on that rock, mortified
.
Oh, the drama, the drama.
But back to the other SnowWhite, the film and the actress
cast in the film, who is afabulous singer.
(03:32):
The reviews on her areabsolutely tremendous.
But for some conservatives theSnow White role was meant to go
to a white actress.
Very similar backlash.
That echoed the uproar over thecasting of Ariel in the Little
Mermaid.
That actress, Halle Bailey, wasblack and she had legs.
(03:53):
The conservatives had problemswith her in the role.
It's not just the castingthat's a problem.
Zegler decided to make it clearon many red carpets that her
version of Snow White is so muchmore than the romance.
Rachel Zegler (04:09):
She's dreaming about becoming the leader she
knows she can be, and the leaderthat her late father told her
that she could be if she wasfearless, fair, brave and true,
and so it's just a reallyincredible story for, I think,
young people everywhere to seethemselves in.
Molly McPherson (04:21):
That did not resonate well with a lot of
people on social media.
Critics argued that she wasundermining the classic fairy
tale, which sometimes, rightlike a fairy tale, is a fairy
tale.
I found this take on TikTokwell.
Wasn't that difficult.
It has over nine million views,but this take explains it well.
Bob Iger (04:40):
Criticizing Disney princesses is not feminist.
Not every woman is a leader,not every woman wants to be a
leader, not every woman wants orcraves power, and that's okay.
It is not anti-feminist to wantto fall in love, to want to get
married, to want to stay athome, to be soft, to want to be
(05:01):
a homemaker.
None of these things make youless valuable as a person or a
woman.
Molly McPherson (05:07):
I like that.
Take honestly.
Now next up, the depiction ofthe seven dwarves.
Even before the final CGIdecision of making all the
dwarves CGI, there were leakedphotos of a group of diverse
actors well, a group seven whowere set to portray the dwarves,
(05:28):
and these photos were from 2022.
Now we don't know who thoseactors are, so they likely, more
than likely, signed an ironcladnon-disclosure.
They cannot say who they were,but in the photos it included
individuals of varying races,sizes and genders playing the
seven dwarves, but these actorswere replaced by now, these CGI
(05:52):
characters.
Following all the criticism andthe backlash about
representation Actor PeterDinklage everyone loves him from
Game of Thrones.
He did not hold back on thisissue.
Rachel Zegler (06:03):
They're very proud to cast a Latino actress
as Snow White?
Yeah, but you're still tellingthe story of Snow.
Bob Iger (06:10):
White, still Snow White.
Yeah, seven dwarves.
Sure, take a step back and lookat what you're doing there.
Molly McPherson (06:16):
Disney's response was a little muted.
The studio reimagined thedwarves as magical creatures,
while retaining some originalnames like Doc and Grumpy, but
the decision did spark mixedreactions.
Many actors and advocatesexpressed disappointment,
feeling that the CGI erasedopportunities for authentic
(06:39):
representation.
Like Dinklage said Other people, like the actor who played
Grumpy, he defended the move,appreciating the chance to
contribute as a voice actor.
I'm sure had something to dowith it, but the controversy is
a reminder that evenwell-intentioned, progressive
changes need to be backed bygenuine inclusive engagement.
(07:01):
Stakeholder engagement isn'tjust for show.
When it comes to roles thatmatter, like those for little
people, genuine inclusivedialogue is essential.
The Little People of America,the LPA, provide guidelines for
inclusive language andrepresentation.
Just in case you were wonderingI know you were because I was
the recommended descriptors forthese actors would have been
(07:26):
short stature, little person orsomeone with dwarfism.
Those terms are consideredrespectful and accurate when
referring to individuals withdwarfism.
And remember, context doesmatter.
No matter which type ofinclusive language you are
referring to, that needs to berelevant.
They should ask how they shouldbe referred to because you want
(07:47):
to highlight theirindividuality and
accomplishments.
That's what's encouraged overfocusing solely on physical
characteristics or race orgender or their ability.
That's a really importanttakeaway.
This applies to everyone.
When you're referring to anytype of inclusivity, when
(08:07):
possible, ask individuals howthey prefer to be described.
Some people may preferperson-first language like
person whatever it is, ask.
The next issue the wokeness andaccusations and political
(08:35):
tensions.
Beyond casting andrepresentation, the film has
also been slammed as quote too.
Woke Critics claim that Disneyis twisting traditional elements
.
So we know what type of criticsare saying this, altering both
the character of Snow White andthe Seven Dwarfs to cater to
modern sensibilities, I wouldadd, probably conservatives, but
(08:56):
maybe True hardcore Disneyadults likely wanted it to be as
close to Snow White as possible.
All of these Disney productionsmight ultimately end up in
Disney World, disneyland intheir parks parents and you were
(09:23):
bringing kids.
My kids went to Disney for years, the first time bringing our
daughter, rory, when she was twoyears old.
And then my mother said yes,the cringer back when I was in
seventh grade, why would youbring a two-year-old to Disney,
which Nate Bargatze the comedianhas in one of his bits?
The first time I heard it Isaid, yes, nate Bargatze, I got
the same amount of grief.
But how many of you went toFantasyland first and stopped at
Snow White first, hand raised?
(09:45):
I would be one of them.
In addition to that, there was alot of political tension.
Gal Gadot, who plays the evilQuinn and she's quite good in
this in the clips that I saw,she has been very outspoken in
her pro-Israel stance, whileRachel Zegler, snow White, has
expressed pro-Palestiniansentiments.
That's a difficult one topredict.
(10:07):
Filming set to take place in2020.
Fast forward to 2021,.
Gal Gadot described thesituation as a quote vicious
cycle and expressed heartbreakover violence, and stating that
quote Israel deserves to live asa free.
Quote vicious cycle and expressheartbreak over violence, and
stating that quote Israeldeserves to live as a free and
safe nation.
Our neighbors deserve the sameend.
(10:28):
Quote.
She was discussing peace andcoexistence, particularly due to
her mandatory military servicein the Israeli Defense Forces.
So clearly as a Hollywoodactress, it's not surprising
that she would come out instrong defense of Israel.
But Rachel Zegler, on the otherhand, has been outspoken in her
(10:48):
support for Palestine, and sheused free Palestine.
And that was following therelease of a Snow White trailer
which, no surprise, sparkedsignificant online debate.
(11:10):
She also was a criticism ofviolence against children in
October 2024.
So this is at the height of theconflict, she stated quote I
can't watch children die.
End quote.
She was referencing thehumanitarian crisis in Gaza.
I stated earlier that therewasn't any way that Disney could
have predicted what was goingto happen in the fall of 2024
(11:32):
with the conflict.
But you're casting twoactresses on two different sides
OK, but they both have beenvocal about each side.
They knew this was going to bea problem even without the
conflicts of 2024.
So the mix of casting andpolitical commentary only served
(11:54):
to deepen the controversy andit turned this simple remake
into a cultural battleground ata time when there were no easy
answers for both sides.
There were no easy answers forpeople who just saw it as a
massive humanitarian conflict.
That was a difficult one Disneyabsolutely should have seen
(12:15):
that coming.
This resulted in reducedmarketing of the premiere.
Amid all the controversy,disney pulled a classic PR move.
I mean, what do you think theydid when this started to blow up
?
They scaled back the premiereon March 15th the Ides of March,
the day of backstabbing.
The debut was stripped of thered carpet rollout.
(12:39):
They did have press, but pressaccess was tightly controlled.
Actors were on tightlycontrolled talking points.
They only talked about what itwas like making the movie, why
it was so magical, all thewonderful things about the movie
.
They were clearly instructednot to discuss the controversy.
I mean, after all, bob Iger,the Disney CEO, has largely
(13:02):
avoided directly addressing thecontroversies surrounding this
live action remake During aNovember 2024 earnings call.
He didn't even mention SnowWhite while promoting the 2025
film slate for Disney, and thatwas a notable omission.
In other words, people pickedit up.
It was a high budget film.
(13:23):
It was a film that people wereexcited to see, but this
suggested a very deliberateeffort to distance Disney from
the ongoing controversysurrounding the project.
Take a listen to the keymessage.
The Disney company can have apositive impact on the world
whether it's you know, fosteringacceptance and understanding of
(13:43):
, you know, people of alldifferent types Great, but
generally speaking, we need tobe an entertainment-first
company.
Entertainment-first, bob Iger,you're saying entertainment only
.
Despite the flood of negativepublicity, the early reviews
have praised the film.
(14:04):
That makes it interesting.
Disney scales back, which meansit scales back from a lot of
the social media rebuke, but itleaves a bunch of positive
reviews because the movie,despite the controversy, is
well-received, but begs thequestion can critical acclaim
(14:25):
and a well-made movie outweigh amountain of controversy?
What can we learn from all this?
What's the crisis communicationlesson?
I thought about it and here'smy answer.
First, proactive engagement onsensitive representation issues.
Engagement on sensitiverepresentation issues critical.
You have to know this going in,no matter what it is.
(14:46):
If you are filming, producing amovie, if you are rolling out a
campaign, if you are hiring aspokesperson, if your CEO has a
particular take a value, astance, particular take a value,
(15:06):
a stance, you have to preparefor it.
If your CEO is going to take amore controversial stance or a
more liberal stance on something, you, as a communicator, you
have to prepare for that, andhow you prepare for that is you
let leadership know we're goingto get blowback for this.
We need to be prepared.
What are we going to say aboutit?
And then maybe, just maybe,your CEO might think differently
about what they're saying orthe choices that they're making.
(15:28):
Disney's casting choices andcommunication strategies needed
to speak clearly to allaudiences from the start, and
that is a good takeaway.
When you are rolling out anycampaign and when you're rolling
out any initiative and thereare numerous stakeholders, you
have to speak clearly to all ofthe stakeholders all of them
(15:50):
because stakeholder engagementisn't just for show when it
comes to stakeholders thatmatter.
And third, managing publicstatements is key.
The polarizing political viewsof key figures in this case for
Disney, the actors only addedfuel to the fire.
They absolutely should haveseen that coming.
My goodness, that one was aneasy one.
(16:10):
They could have supported theirstances.
They could have asked them totone it down.
Whatever it was, they allshould have been on the same
page.
They all should have been onthe same page.
And lastly, while scaling backmarketing may control the
narrative short term, it canstill signal deeper issues that
need addressing withtransparency.
Always remember transparency.
(16:32):
It's a controversy killer.
In the end, disney's Snow Whiteremake is anything but a fairy
tale.
It's a real-world case study onthe challenges of honoring
tradition while embracingmodernity, as well as navigating
the.
My God, the minefield doesn'twork.
I was thinking of the sevendwarves in the mine, but that
doesn't work.
(16:53):
It's not a minefield.
I could say the mines oftoday's cultural and political
debates.
No, that doesn't work either.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What do you think is moreimportant staying true to the
original or reinventing thestory for today's audience?
There's more than just one SnowWhite out there.
Let me know what you think.
You can reply to my socialmedia posts or my PR breakdown.
(17:14):
Take on Substack.
You can find me thereprbreakdownmedia that's the
website or you can find me,molly McPherson, on Substack.
Thanks for tuning in this weekto the PR Breakdown.
Until next time, son, untilnext time someday, my prince
(17:37):
will maybe not come ever.
Maybe they will come, or maybewe don't want them to come, or
maybe, if they come, we sit downand, I don't know, have apple
pie.
It's time for me to go.
All right, everybody.
All right, everybody.
I know.
Here's to everyone somedayfinding their love.
(18:01):
Right Bye for now.
When this started to blow up,they scaled back.
So the premiere on March 15th,the Ides of March, the day of
backstabbing you might want tocheck out your history, all
about that one.
But the debut was stripped ofthe red carpet rollout.
(18:23):
They did have press, but pressaccess was tightly controlled.
Actors were on tightlycontrolled talking points.
They only talked about what itwas like making the movie, why
it was so magical, all thewonderful things about the movie
.
They did not.
They were clearly instructed tonot get into.
(18:43):
They were clearly instructednot to talk.
They were clearly instructednot to discuss the controversy.
I mean, after all, bob Iger, theDisney CEO, has largely avoided
directly addressing thecontroversies surrounding this
live action remake During aNovember 2024 earnings call.
He didn't even mention SnowWhite while promoting the 2025
(19:07):
film slate for Disney, and thatwas a notable omission.
In other words, people pickedit up.
I mean, it was a high budgetfilm, it was a film that people
were excited to see, but thissuggested a very deliberate
effort to distance Disney fromthe ongoing controversy
surrounding the project.
(19:29):
Iger's reactions to the andwhich is very, very different
from Bob Iger jumping into thecontroversy with the writer's
strike.
Bob Iger, sitting in Idaho atthe billionaire's summer camp,
dug right in and blamed thewriters and boy did he pay for
(19:50):
that.
So maybe that could be a reasonwhy he's stepping back.
I mean, take a listen, take alisten.
What do you think of Iger'sstance?
Take a listen.
What do you Take a listen tothe key message Despite the
flood of negative publicity.
But despite the flood ofnegative publicity, but despite
(20:14):
the flood of negative publicity,the early reviews have praised
the film.
So that makes it interesting.
It makes it interesting.
Disney scales back, which meansit scales back from a lot of
the social media rebuke, but itleaves a bunch of reviews and a
(20:35):
bunch of positive reviewsbecause the movie, despite the
controversy, is well-received.
So it begs the question cancritical acclaim and a well-made
movie outweigh a mountain ofcontroversy?
So what can we learn from allthis?
What's the crisis communicationlesson?
(20:55):
I thought about it, I've beenthought, I thought about it and
here's my answer.
First, proactive engagement onsensitive representation issues
critical.
You have to know this going in,no matter what it is.
If you are filming, producing amovie, if you are rolling out a
(21:18):
campaign, if you are hiring aspokesperson, if your CEO has a
particular take, a value, astance, you have to prepare for
it.
If your CEO is going to take amore controversial stance or a
more liberal stance on something, you, as a communicator, you
(21:39):
have to prepare for that and howyou prepare for that is you let
leadership know we're going toget blowback for this.
We need to be prepared.
What are we going to say aboutit?
And then maybe, just maybe,your CEO might think differently
about what they're saying orthe choices that they're making.
Disney's casting choices andcommunication strategies needed
(22:01):
to speak clearly to allaudiences from the start, and
that is a good takeaway.
When you are rolling out anycampaign and when you're rolling
out any initiative and thereare numerous stakeholders, you
have to speak clearly to all ofthe stakeholders, all of them,
because second stakeholderengagement isn't just for show.
(22:22):
When it comes to stakeholdersthat matter.
Perhaps it's actors, littlepeople.
Genuine, inclusive dialogue isessential.
The little people of Americaprovided guidelines for this,
(22:45):
provided guidelines forinclusive language and
representation.
Had they and maybe they didwork with them, but had they
communicated that they workedwith them?
That's how you stop theblowback.
This has been in consultationand in collaboration with the
LPA.
We're using the referred terms,we're using the recommended
(23:07):
terms and these terms areconsidered respectful and
accurate when referring toindividuals with dwarfism.
We cast these actors withdwarfism for these reasons and
with early and with those photoscoming out that they were cast,
that Disney casted actors withdiverse backgrounds, race and
(23:29):
gender.
They could have easily spokento that and they would have
given seven actors roles, butthey chose to go with CGI, which
I'm even just looking in theclips.
I think it was a poor choice.
Live action is live action.
And third, managing publicstatements is key.
The polarizing political viewsof key figures, in this case,
(23:51):
for Disney, the actors onlyadded fuel to the fire.
They absolutely should haveseen that coming.
My goodness, that one was aneasy one.
They could have supported theirstances.
They could have asked them totone it down.
Whatever it was, they allshould have been on the same
page.
(24:11):
And lastly, while scaling backmarketing may control the
narrative short term, it canstill signal deeper issues that
need addressing withtransparency.
Always remember transparency.
It's a crisis killer.
It's a controversy killer.
That all should have beenplanned out in advance for this
film.
The filming started in 2020.
(24:31):
The Israel-Gaza conflictstarted in October 2023.
The filming started in 2020.
The Israel-Gaza conflictstarted in October 2023.
So, in the end, disney's SnowWhite remake is anything but a
fairy tale.
It's a real-world case study onthe challenges of honoring
tradition while embracingmodernity, and on navigating the
minds of today's cultural andpolitical debates.
(24:54):
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What do you think is moreimportant staying true to the
original or reinventing thestory for today's audience?
There's more than just one SnowWhite out there.
Let me know what you think.
You can reply to my socialmedia posts or my PR Breakdown.
Take on Substack so you canfind me there prbreakdownmedia
that's the website.
Or you can find me, mollyMcPherson, on Substack, so you
(25:14):
can find me there.
Prbreakdownmedia.
That's the website where youcan find me, molly McPherson, on
Substack.
Thanks for tuning in this weekUntil next time.
I hope you find your prince ornot.
Maybe you don't want a prince,maybe you want a princess, or
maybe you just want to be leftalone.
You want to sit there with yourapples and you want to cook an
apple pie.
Maybe you want to bake agluten-free apple pie.
(25:35):
Whatever it is you want, I hopeyou enjoy it.
I think it's time for me to goBye for now.
This weekend, a once-blockbuster movie will
finally hit movie theaters, andthat's too bad, because the
reviews are pretty good.
One online reviewer wrote ofthe film, quote it is not only
one of their best live-actionremakes in years, but it's also
a film that recaptures the magicof the 1937 movie.
(00:22):
Rachel Zegler is Snow White andshe delivers such a magical
performance.
End quote.
But Rachel Zegler is one of themany reasons why this film hit
the skids well before itsrelease.
Rachel Zegler (00:35):
I just mean that it's no longer 1937.
And Penry absolutely wrote aSnow White that is not going to
be saved by the prince.
She's not going to be saved bythe prince and she's not going
to be dreaming about true love.
She's dreaming about becomingthe leader she knows she can be.
Molly McPherson (00:50):
Welcome to the PR Breakdown.
I'm your host, molly McPherson.
Today's episode topic comes toyou on the recommendation of one
of my listeners.
Thank you, artie.
Whether you are likely walkinglike Artie, driving your car or
listening to this podcast onYouTube at work, let's dive
headfirst into the whirlwind ofcontroversy surrounding this
(01:12):
movie.
The Snow White story touches oneverything that's on our minds
these days Political commentary,the whole wokeness debate.
What it should be focusing ononly is who is the fairest of
them all.
Let's jump right in to the hitlist.
Let's start with the casting.
Disney's decision to cast RachelZegler, a Latina actress, as
(01:34):
Snow White raised immediateeyebrows.
Traditionally, as you all know,snow White is described as
having skin as white as snow.
Fun fact, I played Snow Whitein my seventh grade vaudeville
show.
Was I good in the role?
Well, I fit the suit.
(01:55):
Kind of like that Brady Bunchmoment when Greg was chosen to
be Johnny Bravo and he thoughtit was because he was a Johnny
Bravo.
But it turned out.
He just fit the suit.
I was a 13-year-old, I believe,with dark hair, pasty Irish
white skin with freckles, and Icould sing the only hiccup I
(02:19):
couldn't white it the high notesof Someday my Prince Will Come.
That's the song that they chose.
I had to sit on a rock dressedin my costume, look out in the
audience, see my boyfriend, whoI was dating at the time
mortifying, just tragic.
Also watching my mother wince,I kid you not, mother wince, I
(02:51):
kid you not wincing.
If you remember the 1937cartoon and the part of snow
white, the song someday myprince will come, it starts at
the highest octave imaginableit's not a song that sounds like
someday my prince will come.
No, no, no.
It starts, my prince will come.
(03:11):
It is so high even at 13.
Oh, it was just a nightmare.
You can imagine poor Molly justsitting on that rock, mortified
.
Oh, the drama, the drama.
But back to the other SnowWhite, the film and the actress
cast in the film, who is afabulous singer.
(03:32):
The reviews on her areabsolutely tremendous.
But for some conservatives theSnow White role was meant to go
to a white actress.
Very similar backlash.
That echoed the uproar over thecasting of Ariel in the Little
Mermaid.
That actress, Halle Bailey, wasblack and she had legs.
(03:53):
The conservatives had problemswith her in the role.
It's not just the castingthat's a problem.
Zegler decided to make it clearon many red carpets that her
version of Snow White is so muchmore than the romance.
Rachel Zegler (04:09):
She's dreaming about becoming the leader she
knows she can be, and the leaderthat her late father told her
that she could be if she wasfearless, fair, brave and true,
and so it's just a reallyincredible story for, I think,
young people everywhere to seethemselves in.
Molly McPherson (04:21):
That did not resonate well with a lot of
people on social media.
Critics argued that she wasundermining the classic fairy
tale, which sometimes, rightlike a fairy tale, is a fairy
tale.
I found this take on TikTokwell.
Wasn't that difficult.
It has over nine million views,but this take explains it well.
Bob Iger (04:40):
Criticizing Disney princesses is not feminist.
Not every woman is a leader,not every woman wants to be a
leader, not every woman wants orcraves power, and that's okay.
It is not anti-feminist to wantto fall in love, to want to get
married, to want to stay athome, to be soft, to want to be
(05:01):
a homemaker.
None of these things make youless valuable as a person or a
woman.
Molly McPherson (05:07):
I like that.
Take honestly.
Now next up, the depiction ofthe seven dwarves.
Even before the final CGIdecision of making all the
dwarves CGI, there were leakedphotos of a group of diverse
actors well, a group seven whowere set to portray the dwarves,
(05:28):
and these photos were from 2022.
Now we don't know who thoseactors are, so they likely, more
than likely, signed an ironcladnon-disclosure.
They cannot say who they were,but in the photos it included
individuals of varying races,sizes and genders playing the
seven dwarves, but these actorswere replaced by now, these CGI
(05:52):
characters.
Following all the criticism andthe backlash about
representation Actor PeterDinklage everyone loves him from
Game of Thrones.
He did not hold back on thisissue.
Rachel Zegler (06:03):
They're very proud to cast a Latino actress
as Snow White?
Yeah, but you're still tellingthe story of Snow.
Bob Iger (06:10):
White, still Snow White.
Yeah, seven dwarves.
Sure, take a step back and lookat what you're doing there.
Molly McPherson (06:16):
Disney's response was a little muted.
The studio reimagined thedwarves as magical creatures,
while retaining some originalnames like Doc and Grumpy, but
the decision did spark mixedreactions.
Many actors and advocatesexpressed disappointment,
feeling that the CGI erasedopportunities for authentic
(06:39):
representation.
Like Dinklage said Other people, like the actor who played
Grumpy, he defended the move,appreciating the chance to
contribute as a voice actor.
I'm sure had something to dowith it, but the controversy is
a reminder that evenwell-intentioned, progressive
changes need to be backed bygenuine inclusive engagement.
(07:01):
Stakeholder engagement isn'tjust for show.
When it comes to roles thatmatter, like those for little
people, genuine inclusivedialogue is essential.
The Little People of America,the LPA, provide guidelines for
inclusive language andrepresentation.
Just in case you were wonderingI know you were because I was
the recommended descriptors forthese actors would have been
(07:26):
short stature, little person orsomeone with dwarfism.
Those terms are consideredrespectful and accurate when
referring to individuals withdwarfism.
And remember, context doesmatter.
No matter which type ofinclusive language you are
referring to, that needs to berelevant.
They should ask how they shouldbe referred to because you want
(07:47):
to highlight theirindividuality and
accomplishments.
That's what's encouraged overfocusing solely on physical
characteristics or race orgender or their ability.
That's a really importanttakeaway.
This applies to everyone.
When you're referring to anytype of inclusivity, when
(08:07):
possible, ask individuals howthey prefer to be described.
Some people may preferperson-first language like
person whatever it is, ask.
The next issue the wokeness andaccusations and political
(08:35):
tensions.
Beyond casting andrepresentation, the film has
also been slammed as quote too.
Woke Critics claim that Disneyis twisting traditional elements
.
So we know what type of criticsare saying this, altering both
the character of Snow White andthe Seven Dwarfs to cater to
modern sensibilities, I wouldadd, probably conservatives, but
(08:56):
maybe True hardcore Disneyadults likely wanted it to be as
close to Snow White as possible.
All of these Disney productionsmight ultimately end up in
Disney World, disneyland intheir parks parents and you were
(09:23):
bringing kids.
My kids went to Disney for years, the first time bringing our
daughter, rory, when she was twoyears old.
And then my mother said yes,the cringer back when I was in
seventh grade, why would youbring a two-year-old to Disney,
which Nate Bargatze the comedianhas in one of his bits?
The first time I heard it Isaid, yes, nate Bargatze, I got
the same amount of grief.
But how many of you went toFantasyland first and stopped at
Snow White first, hand raised?
(09:45):
I would be one of them.
In addition to that, there was alot of political tension.
Gal Gadot, who plays the evilQuinn and she's quite good in
this in the clips that I saw,she has been very outspoken in
her pro-Israel stance, whileRachel Zegler, snow White, has
expressed pro-Palestiniansentiments.
That's a difficult one topredict.
(10:07):
Filming set to take place in2020.
Fast forward to 2021,.
Gal Gadot described thesituation as a quote vicious
cycle and expressed heartbreakover violence, and stating that
quote Israel deserves to live asa free.
Quote vicious cycle and expressheartbreak over violence, and
stating that quote Israeldeserves to live as a free and
safe nation.
Our neighbors deserve the sameend.
(10:28):
Quote.
She was discussing peace andcoexistence, particularly due to
her mandatory military servicein the Israeli Defense Forces.
So clearly as a Hollywoodactress, it's not surprising
that she would come out instrong defense of Israel.
But Rachel Zegler, on the otherhand, has been outspoken in her
(10:48):
support for Palestine, and sheused free Palestine.
And that was following therelease of a Snow White trailer
which, no surprise, sparkedsignificant online debate.
(11:10):
She also was a criticism ofviolence against children in
October 2024.
So this is at the height of theconflict, she stated quote I
can't watch children die.
End quote.
She was referencing thehumanitarian crisis in Gaza.
I stated earlier that therewasn't any way that Disney could
have predicted what was goingto happen in the fall of 2024
(11:32):
with the conflict.
But you're casting twoactresses on two different sides
OK, but they both have beenvocal about each side.
They knew this was going to bea problem even without the
conflicts of 2024.
So the mix of casting andpolitical commentary only served
(11:54):
to deepen the controversy andit turned this simple remake
into a cultural battleground ata time when there were no easy
answers for both sides.
There were no easy answers forpeople who just saw it as a
massive humanitarian conflict.
That was a difficult one Disneyabsolutely should have seen
(12:15):
that coming.
This resulted in reducedmarketing of the premiere.
Amid all the controversy,disney pulled a classic PR move.
I mean, what do you think theydid when this started to blow up
?
They scaled back the premiereon March 15th the Ides of March,
the day of backstabbing.
The debut was stripped of thered carpet rollout.
(12:39):
They did have press, but pressaccess was tightly controlled.
Actors were on tightlycontrolled talking points.
They only talked about what itwas like making the movie, why
it was so magical, all thewonderful things about the movie
.
They were clearly instructednot to discuss the controversy.
I mean, after all, bob Iger,the Disney CEO, has largely
(13:02):
avoided directly addressing thecontroversies surrounding this
live action remake During aNovember 2024 earnings call.
He didn't even mention SnowWhite while promoting the 2025
film slate for Disney, and thatwas a notable omission.
In other words, people pickedit up.
It was a high budget film.
(13:23):
It was a film that people wereexcited to see, but this
suggested a very deliberateeffort to distance Disney from
the ongoing controversysurrounding the project.
Take a listen to the keymessage.
The Disney company can have apositive impact on the world
whether it's you know, fosteringacceptance and understanding of
(13:43):
, you know, people of alldifferent types Great, but
generally speaking, we need tobe an entertainment-first
company.
Entertainment-first, bob Iger,you're saying entertainment only
.
Despite the flood of negativepublicity, the early reviews
have praised the film.
(14:04):
That makes it interesting.
Disney scales back, which meansit scales back from a lot of
the social media rebuke, but itleaves a bunch of positive
reviews because the movie,despite the controversy, is
well-received, but begs thequestion can critical acclaim
(14:25):
and a well-made movie outweigh amountain of controversy?
What can we learn from all this?
What's the crisis communicationlesson?
I thought about it and here'smy answer.
First, proactive engagement onsensitive representation issues.
Engagement on sensitiverepresentation issues critical.
You have to know this going in,no matter what it is.
(14:46):
If you are filming, producing amovie, if you are rolling out a
campaign, if you are hiring aspokesperson, if your CEO has a
particular take a value, astance, particular take a value,
(15:06):
a stance, you have to preparefor it.
If your CEO is going to take amore controversial stance or a
more liberal stance on something, you, as a communicator, you
have to prepare for that, andhow you prepare for that is you
let leadership know we're goingto get blowback for this.
We need to be prepared.
What are we going to say aboutit?
And then maybe, just maybe,your CEO might think differently
about what they're saying orthe choices that they're making.
(15:28):
Disney's casting choices andcommunication strategies needed
to speak clearly to allaudiences from the start, and
that is a good takeaway.
When you are rolling out anycampaign and when you're rolling
out any initiative and thereare numerous stakeholders, you
have to speak clearly to all ofthe stakeholders all of them
(15:50):
because stakeholder engagementisn't just for show when it
comes to stakeholders thatmatter.
And third, managing publicstatements is key.
The polarizing political viewsof key figures in this case for
Disney, the actors only addedfuel to the fire.
They absolutely should haveseen that coming.
My goodness, that one was aneasy one.
(16:10):
They could have supported theirstances.
They could have asked them totone it down.
Whatever it was, they allshould have been on the same
page.
They all should have been onthe same page.
And lastly, while scaling backmarketing may control the
narrative short term, it canstill signal deeper issues that
need addressing withtransparency.
Always remember transparency.
(16:32):
It's a controversy killer.
In the end, disney's Snow Whiteremake is anything but a fairy
tale.
It's a real-world case study onthe challenges of honoring
tradition while embracingmodernity, as well as navigating
the.
My God, the minefield doesn'twork.
I was thinking of the sevendwarves in the mine, but that
doesn't work.
(16:53):
It's not a minefield.
I could say the mines oftoday's cultural and political
debates.
No, that doesn't work either.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What do you think is moreimportant staying true to the
original or reinventing thestory for today's audience?
There's more than just one SnowWhite out there.
Let me know what you think.
You can reply to my socialmedia posts or my PR breakdown.
(17:14):
Take on Substack.
You can find me thereprbreakdownmedia that's the
website or you can find me,molly McPherson, on Substack.
Thanks for tuning in this weekto the PR Breakdown.
Until next time, son, untilnext time someday, my prince
(17:37):
will maybe not come ever.
Maybe they will come, or maybewe don't want them to come, or
maybe, if they come, we sit downand, I don't know, have apple
pie.
It's time for me to go.
All right, everybody.
All right, everybody.
I know.
Here's to everyone somedayfinding their love.
(18:01):
Right Bye for now.
When this started to blow up,they scaled back.
So the premiere on March 15th,the Ides of March, the day of
backstabbing you might want tocheck out your history, all
about that one.
But the debut was stripped ofthe red carpet rollout.
(18:23):
They did have press, but pressaccess was tightly controlled.
Actors were on tightlycontrolled talking points.
They only talked about what itwas like making the movie, why
it was so magical, all thewonderful things about the movie
.
They did not.
They were clearly instructed tonot get into.
(18:43):
They were clearly instructednot to talk.
They were clearly instructednot to discuss the controversy.
I mean, after all, bob Iger, theDisney CEO, has largely avoided
directly addressing thecontroversies surrounding this
live action remake During aNovember 2024 earnings call.
He didn't even mention SnowWhite while promoting the 2025
(19:07):
film slate for Disney, and thatwas a notable omission.
In other words, people pickedit up.
I mean, it was a high budgetfilm, it was a film that people
were excited to see, but thissuggested a very deliberate
effort to distance Disney fromthe ongoing controversy
surrounding the project.
(19:29):
Iger's reactions to the andwhich is very, very different
from Bob Iger jumping into thecontroversy with the writer's
strike.
Bob Iger, sitting in Idaho atthe billionaire's summer camp,
dug right in and blamed thewriters and boy did he pay for
(19:50):
that.
So maybe that could be a reasonwhy he's stepping back.
I mean, take a listen, take alisten.
What do you think of Iger'sstance?
Take a listen.
What do you Take a listen tothe key message Despite the
flood of negative publicity.
But despite the flood ofnegative publicity, but despite
(20:14):
the flood of negative publicity,the early reviews have praised
the film.
So that makes it interesting.
It makes it interesting.
Disney scales back, which meansit scales back from a lot of
the social media rebuke, but itleaves a bunch of reviews and a
(20:35):
bunch of positive reviewsbecause the movie, despite the
controversy, is well-received.
So it begs the question cancritical acclaim and a well-made
movie outweigh a mountain ofcontroversy?
So what can we learn from allthis?
What's the crisis communicationlesson?
(20:55):
I thought about it, I've beenthought, I thought about it and
here's my answer.
First, proactive engagement onsensitive representation issues
critical.
You have to know this going in,no matter what it is.
If you are filming, producing amovie, if you are rolling out a
(21:18):
campaign, if you are hiring aspokesperson, if your CEO has a
particular take, a value, astance, you have to prepare for
it.
If your CEO is going to take amore controversial stance or a
more liberal stance on something, you, as a communicator, you
(21:39):
have to prepare for that and howyou prepare for that is you let
leadership know we're going toget blowback for this.
We need to be prepared.
What are we going to say aboutit?
And then maybe, just maybe,your CEO might think differently
about what they're saying orthe choices that they're making.
Disney's casting choices andcommunication strategies needed
(22:01):
to speak clearly to allaudiences from the start, and
that is a good takeaway.
When you are rolling out anycampaign and when you're rolling
out any initiative and thereare numerous stakeholders, you
have to speak clearly to all ofthe stakeholders, all of them,
because second stakeholderengagement isn't just for show.
(22:22):
When it comes to stakeholdersthat matter.
Perhaps it's actors, littlepeople.
Genuine, inclusive dialogue isessential.
The little people of Americaprovided guidelines for this,
(22:45):
provided guidelines forinclusive language and
representation.
Had they and maybe they didwork with them, but had they
communicated that they workedwith them?
That's how you stop theblowback.
This has been in consultationand in collaboration with the
LPA.
We're using the referred terms,we're using the recommended
(23:07):
terms and these terms areconsidered respectful and
accurate when referring toindividuals with dwarfism.
We cast these actors withdwarfism for these reasons and
with early and with those photoscoming out that they were cast,
that Disney casted actors withdiverse backgrounds, race and
(23:29):
gender.
They could have easily spokento that and they would have
given seven actors roles, butthey chose to go with CGI, which
I'm even just looking in theclips.
I think it was a poor choice.
Live action is live action.
And third, managing publicstatements is key.
The polarizing political viewsof key figures, in this case,
(23:51):
for Disney, the actors onlyadded fuel to the fire.
They absolutely should haveseen that coming.
My goodness, that one was aneasy one.
They could have supported theirstances.
They could have asked them totone it down.
Whatever it was, they allshould have been on the same
page.
(24:11):
And lastly, while scaling backmarketing may control the
narrative short term, it canstill signal deeper issues that
need addressing withtransparency.
Always remember transparency.
It's a crisis killer.
It's a controversy killer.
That all should have beenplanned out in advance for this
film.
The filming started in 2020.
(24:31):
The Israel-Gaza conflictstarted in October 2023.
The filming started in 2020.
The Israel-Gaza conflictstarted in October 2023.
So, in the end, disney's SnowWhite remake is anything but a
fairy tale.
It's a real-world case study onthe challenges of honoring
tradition while embracingmodernity, and on navigating the
minds of today's cultural andpolitical debates.
(24:54):
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What do you think is moreimportant staying true to the
original or reinventing thestory for today's audience?
There's more than just one SnowWhite out there.
Let me know what you think.
You can reply to my socialmedia posts or my PR Breakdown.
Take on Substack so you canfind me there prbreakdownmedia
that's the website.
Or you can find me, mollyMcPherson, on Substack, so you
(25:14):
can find me there.
Prbreakdownmedia.
That's the website where youcan find me, molly McPherson, on
Substack.
Thanks for tuning in this weekUntil next time.
I hope you find your prince ornot.
Maybe you don't want a prince,maybe you want a princess, or
maybe you just want to be leftalone.
You want to sit there with yourapples and you want to cook an
apple pie.
Maybe you want to bake agluten-free apple pie.
(25:35):
Whatever it is you want, I hopeyou enjoy it.
I think it's time for me to goBye for now.
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