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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there issues with other dwarves in lit/entertainment like Lord of the Rings?

Would it offend anyone to make a change from dwarves to 7 assorted outcasts?

This isn't a reasonable comparison. You explain why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s. A. Fairy tale.

This. Another manufactroversy.

😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yet he has played into those exact stereotypes in past roles.

I'm not familiar with all his roles but Tyrion is a complex character and, some say, THE main character of GOT. Ground breaking work on Dinklage's part.

So true. What an amazing casting decision. He was amazing as an actor.

[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.

You are being intentionally stupid. No one other than straight up white people were being employed to do anything in Hollywood other than fetching coffee or dying in the first 15 minutes of a movie. But you're offended Hollywood is opening that up? Are you brain damaged?

[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

I always assumed the were helpless because they were single men.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Little people are not disabled.

[Anonymous]

I think the reason that Hollywood is making Snow White is because they feel like the fairy tale needs to be redeemed…..updated for generations to come & so forth.

Am not sure how I feel about this.
Haven’t really thought much about it until I read online what Peter D. (not Peter Davidson!) had to say.

Just my perspective.
I loved this movie as a kid + just thought of the seven drarfs as little old men.
At the time while I knew they were smaller than Snow White in stature - I never thought too much else regarding their height.

The same mindset to the present day.
I have never walked in Peter D.’s shoes so I cannot comment on his remarks.
I seriously doubt he will be canceled due to his thoughts on this issue.

I just never assumed that people of shorter statures were any different than other people.
Just never even felt a particular prejudice or stereotype one way or another……

[Anonymous]

Maybe this is a bad take, put isn’t part of the issue one of semantics?

We have the same word with two meanings. There are dwarfs that are humans with dwarfism, and then there are dwarfs of folklore like in Snow White, a humanoid mountain dwelling species. I feel like if we didn’t use the same word this would be a non-issue, or less of an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

I have a feeling you didn't listen to the interview.

This was not a coming for Disney moment. In fact, I feel like all of this was pulled out of context. He mentioned that he specifically doesn't advocate on behalf of any group (little people, those with Dwarfism, etc.) and only that it was funny Disney was so proud of their non-white snow white when they still had 7 dwarfs living in a cave. He wasn't wrong.

[Anonymous]

They don't work in the mine they own the mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this is a bad take, put isn’t part of the issue one of semantics?

We have the same word with two meanings. There are dwarfs that are humans with dwarfism, and then there are dwarfs of folklore like in Snow White, a humanoid mountain dwelling species. I feel like if we didn’t use the same word this would be a non-issue, or less of an issue.

I agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this is a bad take, put isn’t part of the issue one of semantics?

We have the same word with two meanings. There are dwarfs that are humans with dwarfism, and then there are dwarfs of folklore like in Snow White, a humanoid mountain dwelling species. I feel like if we didn’t use the same word this would be a non-issue, or less of an issue.

I agree that if they were gnomes it might be less of an issue.
But idk why some can’t take a moment to realize it’s literally the same word and why that could cause problems for some people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yet he has played into those exact stereotypes in past roles.

I'm not familiar with all his roles but Tyrion is a complex character and, some say, THE main character of GOT. Ground breaking work on Dinklage's part.

So true. What an amazing casting decision. He was amazing as an actor.

PP is just wrong about Dinklage’s career—he really has avoided playing stereotypical roles his whole life. Watch the Station Master—his breakout role—which was not written for a person of small stature but he was so amazing they had to cast him.

[Anonymous]

I propose they change it to Snow White and the 7 Dorks and then make it a college romcom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They don't work in the mine they own the mine.

Best response ever.