Girls, Should Snow White be played by a white actress?

[Anonymous]

First of all I completely agree that all ethnicities should be represented in fairytales. But some of them are just supposed to stay as they are - which is white.

In german speaking TikTok the currant actress is a hot topic for following reasons:

1. It is a known fact that Snow White is a German Fairytale.

2. „Haare schwarz wie Ebenholz, Haut so weiß wie Schnee“ which translates to "Hair as black as ebony, skin as white as snow" - It is Snow Whites white skin that got her this name.

3. Nowadays naturally pale people are seen as sick, ugly and pasty. With Snow White having darker skin they take a source of comfort from us. What disney princesses are we supposed to show our children for comfort if they're harrassed for being to pale?

4. It seems like white people are losing representation in fairytales that come from OUR culture yet everyone yells out "cultural appropriation" when we use pieces of other cultures.

I already hear that "blanca nieves" is a popular fairytale in Spanish speaking countries but it is and will always be a GERMAN fairytale!

What are your opinions?

She should be played by a white actress!

She should be portrayed by an actress of color!

[DaisyM23]

I mean her whole thing is skin as white as snow so yeah, have you seen mirror mirror with lily collins? I think that was pretty well casted
for disney films where skin colour would have some kind of context it's worth to keep it as that skin colour then, if that makes sense? so snow white should be white, ariel can be anything as long as she has red hair, mulan set in china so chinese, pocahontas is a native American, jasmine is middle eastern, cinderella, sleeping beauty, belle, rapunzel could be anyone really

[Anonymous]

Snow White is a fairytale, not an autobiography or documentary. She’s a fictional woman surrounded by seven dwarfish men and can attract all the forest animals with her song for goodness sake lol not to mention the endless death sleep she was in until a magical kiss woke her up. So I get that the story was written by a German man but it is fantasy, so she can be whatever color another writer imagines her as.

[Asker]

If this is your argument it would also not be a problem if all fairytale princesses were portrayed by white people 🤔

[Opinion Owner]

Not exactly. For instance, Milan and Pocohantas are actual, factual women of color in history, not fairytales. So making them white wine is inaccurate, correct?

[Opinion Owner]

*Mulan

[Opinion Owner]

*white women, the autocorrect is amazing

[Asker]

Snow White literally has her name from her White skin.

I am not speaking about non-fairytale movies. But about movies like Arielle for example.

[Opinion Owner]

Well that’s fine, but the story in itself is a fairytale, so for me it doesn’t matter what shade she is. Ariel, like the little mermaid? Yes it’s a danish story, but still mythical.

[Opinion Owner]

Also, your whole argument about little pale skinned girls not having an example to look up to falls right in line with the argument that little red headed girls won’t have anyone to look up to. As if we didn’t all grow up with pale skinned princesses and the ones that currently exist just get wiped off the map. Pale skinned Snow White and menstrual red haired Ariel are still relevant to children in current time, and will continue to be staples in their lives. But it is ok to reimagine a fantastical story so that a little colored girl can, for once, see herself in her favorite princess.

[Opinion Owner]

I guess you’ve got nothing else to say, and maybe that’s for the better because your argument sounds very racist and close minded.

[7Phoenix7]

I think she should be played by a pretty white actress... she's one of my favorite Disney princesses by the way.

[DevikaButts95]

I mean I guess it's no big deal, but I would actually prefer Disney match their fairy tale origins as they have always done, but the actress here I think could make a good Snow White despite not being white.

[purplepoppy]

Germany gives us so many of our fairy tales. The "white" part was never about racial supremacy and was just a name so why change it. Even black kids expect to see white snow white.

[Poliker]

I don't think it'd make sense to see her played by a non-white actress unless the actress was really K-Pop pale.

[LazerBean]

Am I crazy or was she not names snow white because her skin was white as snow?