This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews dig into the controversies surrounding Disney's live-action Snow White, an adaptation of the 1937 animated classic.
The film stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. As far back as 2021, when the casting was announced, critics accused Disney of being overly politically correct for hiring a Latina actress to play Snow White.
Enas and Farah also talk about the backlash against both actresses for their political views. Gadot, who served in the Israeli army, has been vocal about her support for her country. Zegler has publicly voiced her support for Palestinians, posting “free Palestine” on her social media.
The hosts also discuss controversy around the film’s CGI portrayal of the seven dwarfs. They look at the impact all this has had on the film’s ratings and ask whether movie adaptations of classics can appeal to successive generations.
With Eid on the horizon, Enas and Farah talk about eidiyah, the custom of giving money during the holiday, and fond childhood memories of dressing up for the occasion. They highlight Gulf artists who are bringing Eid traditions to the world through their work, including Abdulla Lutfi who is teaming up with Amazon to design Eid gift cards.