Peter Dinklage and the hypocrisy of Disney (and woke culture today)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Snow White just did not need to be remade. The Disney original is a masterpiece and one of the hallmarks of animation. Countless other Snow White movies have been made. Disney isn’t doing this out of fidelity to art, but greed. There are so many wonderful books and stories and myths from other cultures that Disney can look to instead of yet another remake but they’d rather not take the risk.

So they should have to deal with any reasonable critique, and this is more than reasonable.

Furthermore, the name “Snow White” literally came from the idea that Snow White was so beautiful because her skin was as white as possible. Why do we need to remake this movie in 2022??? Just do something different already!!!

.

Needs to be retired along with Uncle Remix and Song of the South.

Uncle Remix is a pretty fabulous autocorrect though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't go through pages of this but OP you might want to start by stopping calling Dinklage a 'dwarf' the world is 'little people."

As someone who has a form of dwarfism you are incorrect. Dwarf is not generally considered offensive vs the M word. I don’t like the term “little person “
, it bothers me as it infers I’m not a full grown adult. I’m just me. Some people with dwarfism do not considered themselves to be disabled, it is just the condition of their physical state. Similar to how deaf people often don’t considers themselves disabled because to them being deaf isn’t a disability.

I’m assuming you don't have dwarfism. If you don’t, please don’t speak for those who do. And if you do, what do you prefer to be called?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the podcast it seems Dinklage is calling out Disney for one one hand promoting that Disney is so progressive because its going to do a new version of Snow White that is alternative and very progressive which Disney actively markets is evidenced by their hiring of the West Side Story actress to play Snow White. Disney is so woke, so diverse, so inclusive.

But what about the seven dwarves aspect of the story? If Disney is so progressive, how can it rectify the dwarf angle. Hence, Disney is not as progressive as it claims.

People can argue all they want that in the 1800s the 7 dwarfs were mythical creatures, but in 2022, people associate them with little people. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it's a duck. Period. GMAB with all the "it's no big deal". It is.

Do people in 2022 really associate them with little people? Or do we still associate them with mythical creatures? Please show me one person who truly associates them with little people - real humans instead of mythical creatures.

Are you freaking kidding me? Their medical condition is called “dwarfism.” Many call themselves “dwarves” (you’re about 15 years late on the idea that the only correct term is “little people”). The TLC channel made a lot of its money and built its fan base on *multiple* shows about people with dwarfism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we still make movies with elves?

Is “elfism” a medical diagnosis? (and no, before you bother, people with Williams syndrome do not have “elfism”)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't go through pages of this but OP you might want to start by stopping calling Dinklage a 'dwarf' the world is 'little people."

Nope. It’s both. Catch up.

[Anonymous]

This whole thing is a disaster. They should absolutely scrap it.

[Anonymous]

I find it interesting that Hollywood is chastised when a white or straight person plays an ethnicity or lgbtq. Yet, we’ve seen several instances where ethnic, trans, lgbtq are playing characters who are straight or written as white. I personally don’t care who is cast as what, if the production is quality. Just pointing out the feeding frenzy that seems to trend for everyone who feels slighted 24/7. The beauty of acting is that you can play anyone. There should absolutely be diversity but I don’t like the idea of militant quotas seeping into the Arts.

It’s also interesting that the same new standards don’t apply to 25 yr olds playing the wives to much older men on television. Ageism is still okay I guess.
Same goes for physically disabled/challenged. That slighted group doesn’t seem to care much for championing or increasing disabled roles.

So much woke hypocrisy in Hollywood.

[Anonymous]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10449549/Dwarf-actors-slam-Peter-Dinklage-canceling-seven-dwarves.html

Dwarf actors slam Dinklage for putting them out of work^^^

Perhaps Dinklage should reflect upon his own privilege having capitalized on his own dwarfism in Hollywood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the podcast it seems Dinklage is calling out Disney for one one hand promoting that Disney is so progressive because its going to do a new version of Snow White that is alternative and very progressive which Disney actively markets is evidenced by their hiring of the West Side Story actress to play Snow White. Disney is so woke, so diverse, so inclusive.

But what about the seven dwarves aspect of the story? If Disney is so progressive, how can it rectify the dwarf angle. Hence, Disney is not as progressive as it claims.

People can argue all they want that in the 1800s the 7 dwarfs were mythical creatures, but in 2022, people associate them with little people. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it's a duck. Period. GMAB with all the "it's no big deal". It is.

No, I do not associate them with little people. They are mythical creatures. I think people who would associate them with little people in 2022 are the problem. Why would you do that? It makes no sense to me.

No sorry, they aren't mythical creatures, they are small men. Based on REAL small men.

They are not based on real small men. Read up on German mythology and fairy tales.

I don't need to read up thanks. I've a PhD in folklore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Snow White just did not need to be remade. The Disney original is a masterpiece and one of the hallmarks of animation. Countless other Snow White movies have been made. Disney isn’t doing this out of fidelity to art, but greed. There are so many wonderful books and stories and myths from other cultures that Disney can look to instead of yet another remake but they’d rather not take the risk.

So they should have to deal with any reasonable critique, and this is more than reasonable.

Furthermore, the name “Snow White” literally came from the idea that Snow White was so beautiful because her skin was as white as possible. Why do we need to remake this movie in 2022??? Just do something different already!!!

.

Needs to be retired along with Uncle Remix and Song of the South.

Uncle Remix is a pretty fabulous autocorrect though.

I'm imagining a remix of Zip-a-dee-doo-dah and cracking up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it interesting that Hollywood is chastised when a white or straight person plays an ethnicity or lgbtq. Yet, we’ve seen several instances where ethnic, trans, lgbtq are playing characters who are straight or written as white. I personally don’t care who is cast as what, if the production is quality. Just pointing out the feeding frenzy that seems to trend for everyone who feels slighted 24/7. The beauty of acting is that you can play anyone. There should absolutely be diversity but I don’t like the idea of militant quotas seeping into the Arts.

It’s also interesting that the same new standards don’t apply to 25 yr olds playing the wives to much older men on television. Ageism is still okay I guess.
Same goes for physically disabled/challenged. That slighted group doesn’t seem to care much for championing or increasing disabled roles.

So much woke hypocrisy in Hollywood.

I think it's partly because, historically speaking, there weren't that many good roles for actors of color, and even those were often played by white people, further reducing the opportunities for POC. Whereas there are plenty of good roles for white people. Also, a lot of times, a role isn't written as white because that's important to the plot or necessary in anyway, but just because white is treated as the default. In a lot of cases, there's no reason that a particular character couldn't be non-white. I think that a good actor can portray experiences that they've not personally had, but I do get the criticism related to opportunities for roles for underrepresented groups.

And lots of people have criticized the shlumpy older man with hot young wife dynamic, for years. And there have been discussions around disability in roles and casting.

[Anonymous]

You can't be excited when hollywood casts a queer person in a queer role or a Latino person in a Latino role and then also be upset that they're going to cast LPs in a movie about dwarfs.

It would be an outrage if the cast anyone other than dwarfs in this movie!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been following this story for a few days with much interest probably because I am physically disabled myself and often seen very ablest posts here on DCUM. I was waiting to see if anyone else would post about it but surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly) no one has so I will.

On Monday a podcast called WTF published an interview session with the actor Peter Dinklage during which the conversation discusses Disney's announcement to remake Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Disney's promotion of casting Rachel Zegler (whose mother is Colombian) as Snow White as being evidence of Disney's commitment to diversity, inclusion and progressiveness. If you listen to the podcast (I have), the conversation starts around the 50-55 min mark. Dinklage makes the criticism of Disney for patting itself on the back as being so "progressive" with hiring Zegler but still even remaking the movie at all when the entire premise is discriminatory against little people and promotes a stereotype/connotation of dwarfs that is very negative.

“They were very, very proud to cast a Latino actress as Snow White, but you’re still telling the story of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ ” Dinklage said, adding, “You’re progressive in one way … but you’re still making that … backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave. What … are you doing, man?”

Disney responded with the following statement: To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community,” a Disney spokesperson told Variety in a statement. “We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.”

IMO, there is zero reason that this movie needs to be remade in 2022. There are many troubling issues with the storyline in addition to the seven dwarfs. But with regards to Dinklage's complaints in general, I am aghast at the online push back against a dwarf reporting what is discriminatory against dwarfs (including a story about seven dwarf men who are rejected by society so they have to live together in house and their job is to work in a diamond mine, they can't seem to clean or feed themselves until Snow White comes along, because dwarfs apparently are so childlike they need a non disabled person to take care of them). Do white people get to tell black people when something qualifies as racists against blacks? So why is this different? It's not. Diversity, equity and inclusion should ALWAYS include the disabled, otherwise it's none of those.

Do people understand the issues here? The ableism? The pushing of a narrative that is harmful towards a marginalized population?

Here is the WaPo article re it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/26/peter-dinklage-snow-white-dwarfism/

And another article whose author is a dwarf in support of Dinklage: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jan/27/peter-dinklage-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs-disablist-representation-disney

Dwarves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s. A. Fairy tale.

NP here, You really think that is a meaningful reply? It's bullsh*t. It's insulting to disabled people. That matters more than your desire for a stupid fairy tale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obviously touched a never with Dinklage. I doubt any of us can truly understand his feelings which are based on his experiences.

He's entitled to his opinion and his expression of it. I don't have to agree. Disney doesn't have to agree.

I think it's brave to speak out when he must realize cancel culture will be coming for him.

Cancel culture will be coming for Disney.