Does kissing a sleeping young woman count as a "true love's kiss"? This question has ignited heated debates on social media following the reopening of Disney's Snow White attraction at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.
The iconic finale features Prince Charming kissing a sleeping Snow White, drawn from the classic tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Reopened to the public on Friday, April 30, after 400 days of closure, the ride delighted many visitors—but also drew sharp criticism from cancel culture advocates over the "non-consensual" kiss.
Columnists Katie Dowd and Julie Tremaine from the San Francisco Chronicle, one of California's leading newspapers, voiced outrage while covering the park's reopening. In their article, they praised the attraction's "stunning new imagery"—dating back to 1955—but slammed Disney for perpetuating what they called "retrograde" ideas through scenes shown to children.
"He kisses her without her consent while she's asleep—that can't be true love unless she knows what's happening," they wrote. "Haven't we agreed that consent was a major issue in early Disney films? Teaching kids that kissing without mutual agreement is acceptable is not okay."
They concluded: "It's hard to fathom why Disneyland in 2021 would add a scene promoting such retrograde notions about what men can do to women, especially as the company removes problematic elements from other rides."
This backlash comes amid the post-#MeToo era, which has amplified victims' voices and sparked vital societal discussions. Disney has faced prior scrutiny for content in its films, including studies highlighting character hypersexualization, sexual innuendos, and racism.
At the end of 2020, Disney+ introduced parental controls for four classics—Peter Pan, The Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp, Dumbo, and The Jungle Book—due to the racist prejudices they conveyed. A disclaimer notes "dated portrayals and/or negative treatment of people and cultures."
Now, consent is the focal point, stirring passions across U.S. social media and even in France. Critics demand Disney address the sexual violence obscured by consent issues, while others, like Jean Messiha and Eric Naulleau, decry it as cancel culture overreach targeting even Snow White. The debate rages on.
