In what looks like a real-life fairy tale gone wrong, Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Snow White” has taken quite the tumble at the box office, underscoring the perils of letting political messaging take center stage over entertainment. Rachel Zegler, who portrayed the iconic princess, seems to have learned a costly lesson: telling half your audience to ‘unfollow’ might not be the best strategy for winning hearts and filling theater seats.
Rachel Zegler’s enthusiastic endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, coupled with her call to vote blue, came with a glaring warning to those who disagree: she’d be happy to part ways. Well, the audience seemed to have taken her up on her offer, leading to an unfortunate box office reality. It turns out, moviegoers don’t particularly like being told their patronage isn’t needed, and the numbers reflect that sentiment loud and clear.
With “Snow White” struggling to reach the $100 million mark domestically, Disney must be feeling a bit like Cinderella at midnight – except they’re grappling with sour pumpkins instead of magical coaches. The production and marketing cost a pretty penny, yet it’s getting trampled at the box office by smaller-budget films with far fewer dwarves and just as many allegories. Sometimes, simpler is better, especially when fairy tales are traditionally about, well, tales and not politics.
As if box office disappointment wasn’t enough, tech-savvy internet users have found a new muse in Zegler, creating memes that rival any Disney dwarf in number. Using AI, they’ve reimagined scenes from the film, turning them into humorous satirical pieces that circulate faster than you can say “magic mirror.” When the internet latches onto a trend, it’s a whirlwind barely anyone can escape, and this seems to be the case for Zegler’s portrayal of Snow White.
And here’s the poetic irony: while countries like Lebanon banned the movie, asserting their own stances, it looks like everyone from the internet meme maestros to conservative commentators are echoing similar bans of disapproval. It’s a clear message for Hollywood: mixing heavy-handed politics with childhood nostalgia might not produce the fairy tale ending studios are hoping for. In this world of constant political play, maybe it’s time Disney and others take a step back and remember that sometimes, entertainment should just be entertainment.
