Friday, July 22, 2011

PERPETUATING A STEREOTYPE: ONE WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVE




"Snow White Hits Comic Con" Melissa Silverstein writes and she is none to happy with the image presented by one of them. 

Silverstein who writes about 'Women in Hollywood' appears to have a problem with Lilly Collins' version of 'Snow White', in particular, how she describes her character.

In Silverstein's Indie Wire article she writes:

Firstly, I know that in some ways I should be glad that there will be two films starring young women (Kristen Stewart will play the other Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman), but I can’t help but be pissed that this is what gets rolled out at comic con—a picture of a doe eyed girl looking like she has been lobotomized.


And the description that Collins gives makes me cringe: “a joyful person who lights up a room and maintains grace at all times…She’s very much that fairy tale princess we’ve all read about in books. She’s been modernized in a way that she becomes a fighter in the end.”


She better fight a lion or demon with her bare hands to get over that incredibly passive description of her character. We so don’t need another princess type movie that will give girls false role models.

Ouch. 


Stewart's version of 'Snow White' and with Collins' version, girls will have a choice indeed.

SWATH Producer Palak Patel provides a tremendous description of what Stewart's 'Snow White' will  entail.  It is featured in a Script Magazine podcast EB posted here  - "Patel & Daugherty Discuss the Origins of SWATH".  

Stewart's 'Snow White' may be right up Silverstein's alley.  In EB's profile article, "Kristen's Choices", SWATH Producer Joe Roth is quoted providing his perspective as to why Stewart was chosen: " [Stewart] is someone who has some piss and vinegar in her".  Doesn't quite sound like Collins does it? 

The 'Snow White' in Snow White and the Huntsman will learn the "art of war" as the Huntsman teaches her how to fight.

Is Silverstein saying that it is time to modernize 'Snow White'?  Update her into reality?  Director Bill Condon of 'The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn' provided a delightful description of how he received word during the first day of filming that Twilight fans were let's say...LIVID with the fact that Edward was not wearing a wedding ring.  The thought process was that in "Edward's era", men did not wear rings so he did not receive one at the wedding.

The fans won the argument.  They immediately fixed the problem and Edward now wears a ring.  You can watch Condon describe the amusing ring process in the video below beginning at 2:16.  If you want to see the beginning of the interview, you can see part 1 here.






If 'Twilight' was a period piece, it would be understandable, however, it is not and the fans were not having any of it. He will wear a ring.

Edward was modernized which is what Silverstein appears to be stating.  Women have come a long way on screen and maybe it's time to update 'Snow White'.

Now no one can judge what Collins' version of 'Snow White' will be like until it is seen. Every little girl loves a fairly tale or maybe not in Silverstein's case.

What ever the case may be, Silverstein clearly has no patience for the mundane or the stereotypical when it comes to women in Hollywood.

You can read the rest of her article here.

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