Disney’s Snow White Is Further Proof of Hollywood’s Emphasis on Diversity Over

On Jul 20, 2023

Since the dawn of man, from cave paintings to oral traditions all the way to multi-billion-dollar blockbuster movies, human beings have craved stories. But while those of the past narrated the lives of great heroes of wars or catastrophes, today’s storytelling is marred by the infiltration of our woke culture.

Postmodernism pushes for the overturning of traditions, including societal structures, community roles, and even stories. The most recent victim of this woke culture is Disney’s Snow White. The newest remake features a Latina heroine, six racially diverse non-dwarves, and one little person. Damn the story, confound internal logic — we have a quota to fill! Postmodernism demands that all be overturned: Snow White must be dark-skinned, dwarves must become tall, and men must become women.

The Divine in Traditional Storytelling

To properly understand modern media and the destructive stories it sells, one must understand the history of the storytelling, an art that possesses a supernatural element.

In the days of ancient Greece, the poets or playwrights would call upon the Muses to aid them in their storytelling. It was understood that in telling a story, the writer, audience, and actors engaged in something connected with the divine. Thus, great stories have characters who do not exist in this world — but who must feel real to the audience. Every character must have flaws to overcome and virtues to aid them in their trials.

All fictional worlds reveal truths about the reality of this world, as the story’s author relates the narrative to the audience. This worldview is one, however, that is derived from that of the creator: A cynical author may produce something akin to George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones; an optimistic but clear-eyed author would craft a work like J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

In our current world, Hollywood and other sectors of narrative are consumed by postmodernism. This lens causes those producing art to be consumed by social justice and the faulty notion that human beings are innately uniform and good. They become artifice instead of flesh.

How Rings of Power Went Wrong

Take the Lord of the Rings saga and its modern remake, Rings of Power, Amazon’s multi-million-dollar failure. Tolkien’s work is compelling because it tells a human story of friendship, good against evil, and the lure of power. His main trilogy reflects the positive and negative aspects of human nature set in a world with conscious, supernatural elements. While Tolkien does not invoke the Muses, he was greatly inspired by the mythological — especially that of the Norsemen. The world of Middle Earth is rooted in a larger universe of a creator (Eru Illuvatar), the fallen angel (Morgoth), and the lingering evil (Sauron).

Tolkien’s hero, Frodo, relatable because he is neither a knight nor a punctual wizard, demonstrates a resilient spirit in the face of overwhelming evil. The One Ring — which makes the bearer invisible, akin to Plato’s “Ring of Gyges” — slowly corrupts whoever carries it. Although Frodo begins the story full of wonder and an innocence that at times becomes foolishness, many long months of bearing the Ring causes him to become colder and more rigid. It is his virtues — his humility, resilience to power, and his love of home and friends — that save him.

In stark contrast, not only does Rings of Power visit monstrous evil upon the lore of Tolkien’s world, but its characters also appear bland and artificial. Galadriel, the once graceful yet powerful figure in the original trilogy, becomes a peerless warrior. She triumphs both intellectually and physically over her enemies and her friends.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy also tells of strong warriors, like the great Boromir. But Boromir is imperfect; drawn to the power of the evil Ring, he attempts to steal it, driving Frodo away and breaking the Fellowship. Only later, when he lays down his life to protect Frodo’s two friends, is Boromir redeemed.

The Rings of Power Galadriel’s off-putting perfection stems from the progressive belief that a woman must be as capable, or more so, than men in every field. Reviewers such as Vox exclaimed, “In the Rings of Power, it’s not horrifying to be a woman.” Of course, the implication is that Tolkien’s work is misogynistic and dismissive toward women. Tolkien presents a beautiful, wise, and graceful character in the Lord of the Rings, but moderns must turn this “stereotype” upside down and transform Galadriel into the archangel Gabriel.

Modern Storytelling’s ‘Modern Audience’

Rings of Power’s approach reveals Hollywood’s need to adjust a story’s message to suit the “modern audience.” Characters who are traditionally white must become a minority to appeal, or feminine characters must become masculine to resonate — so we’re told, anyway. Today, the Muses are called upon to help Hollywood race-swap another character in an attempt to avoid an actual captivating story. Indeed, the diverse casts, rather than the actual narrative, are often put at the forefront of a production’s marketing material.

The encouraging news is that audiences are demonstrating their dislike for such movies at the box office. Silly remakes such as The Little Mermaid flopped at the box office, and Rings of Power collapsed early into its first season.

The stories of old are great because their characters endured. Hercules survived not because he was Greek or a man but because of his feats of strength and the vices and trials he had to overcome. Odysseus has remained in the hearts of man for thousands of years because of Homer’s ability to communicate the journey of a warrior in a desperate search for his home.

Storytelling influences culture and history in an extraordinary way. Let this be the generation of Americans that pushes for a revival in that art and refuses to continue down the trail of postmodern, progressive sludge.

Brayden Dean is a rising senior at the University of Georgia. He studies international relations and political science with a minor in law, jurisprudence, and state. A member of The American Spectator’s intern class of 2023, Brayden enjoys sipping a hot cup of coffee while reading a book.

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