Opinion: The ideal of being a leading woman results in anti-feminism.
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The feminist movement has come a long way since 1848. We gained the right to vote. President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963 (we’re still working on that). There was the declaration, and later overturning, of Roe v. Wade. And the rise of the MeToo Movement in 2017. Recently, we have acknowledged the intersectionality of feminism.
Yet in recent years, the movement has encountered a new issue: when feminism becomes anti-women. The controversy sparked after the publicity around the live-action “Snow White.” Stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot revealed how Disney decided to change the original story to make it more “modern and feminist.”
Zegler was set to play Snow White. “The cartoon was made 85 years ago and therefore it’s extremely dated when it comes to ideas of women being in roles of power and what a woman is fit for in the world,” Zegler said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
She continued on to say the prince was entirely cut from the story. Gadot, cast as the evil queen, added to Zegler’s comment. “She’s not going to be saved by the prince. She’s the proactive one,” Gadot said.
Disney fans quickly took to social media to express their opinions on the modern remake. TikTok user @reubenwoodall shared his distaste for the film, saying that Snow White wasn’t made to be a girl-boss leader. The reimagined film puts out an idea that a movie must have a woman in power or it’s not feminist.
“I don’t know why in order to make a film more progressive the woman can’t have a focus on love or finding true love. They act like it’s almost something to make fun of,” Woodall said.
The remake was set to release in 2024, but was postponed
The controversy opened a door to what feminism means and looks like today. With the #Girlboss trend circulating on social media, the definition of a strong woman has blurred. There’s now an expectation that feminine strength looks like a career-oriented woman with corporate success.
Though it may have the opposite intention, the standard ends up hating women rather than uplifting them. To start, the trend discriminates against social classes, ethnic groups and sexual identities. Not every woman is provided the tools or privileges to achieve their professional goals. To value a woman’s strength based on her financial success inevitably promotes white feminism.
Aside from identity discrimination, the #Girlboss trend forces women into a small box. The new guidelines say that we all must crave climbing the ladder in the workforce. We must be strong leaders who never rely on others. We must reject the idea of falling in love.
The Snow White publicity projected this misconception. To rewrite it in a feminist light, Disney removed the romance aspect. But by doing this, they suggested that women who desire love are weak. They aren’t a feminist icon. We must only admire women who are in strong, leadership positions.
I think most women and female-identifying individuals have experienced these pressures. Sometimes I feel like I can’t be an independent woman and also desire love. I feel that it’s best for me to just focus on my career path. And I’ve also had my moments of side-eyeing women who only want love or a simple life.
Ultimately, feminists sometimes lose sight of their movement’s initial purpose: to allow women to live any life they wish. One woman isn’t deemed stronger or more admirable than another. We’re all “girlboss, feminist icons” because we choose for ourselves.