More than 200 years have passed since the Grimm brothers were inspired by European folklore to write “Little Snow-White.” But it was Disney’s release of the first full-length animated feature film—“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”—on February 4, 1938 that etched this fairy tale into popular culture. Seventy years later, the American Film Institute ranked the movie among the 100 greatest American films and the greatest American animated film of all time.
So how does the film and its’ progeny rank among 21st century dwarfs? Thanks to members of the Dwarfism group on Facebook, my question—“if and how ‘Snow
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White and the Seven Dwarfs’ has affected your life”— was answered with many comments that meshed with my own experience. For several little people who had seen the movie or a pantomime as a child, it was our first time seeing other dwarfs. Some of our parents explained that when we grew up we would be short just like the dwarfs in the play; others figured this out on their own. But we all felt like we weren’t alone in the world.
Several little people reported simply enjoying the movie for what it was—a fairy tale, a humorous cartoon. They never gave it another thought. My husband Robert enjoyed his kiss on the cheek from Snow White when she spotted him, a dwarf, in the crowd at a Disney parade. Another fellow has fun watching people’s reactions when he wears shirts that have Grumpy on them with various slogans.
For others, the movie has bad memories attached to it: ridicule; name-calling; singing or whistling “Heigh-Ho” as they walk by; being tagged with one of the dwarf names; or hearing smart remarks like, “I didn’t know Snow White had eight dwarfs.” When our average sized friend Carol walked into a restaurant with several little people including her husband and son, she overheard patrons saying, “Who does she think she is, Snow White?”
The stereotypes associated with the seven dwarfs is also damaging. The notion that true life dwarfs are destined to be cast as one of the dwarfs in a pantomime performance of Snow White is insulting. This is especially a problem in the United Kingdom where panto is hugely popular at Christmas and little people are told about this job opportunity. Many assume our size makes us suited to this role regardless of whether we can act, sing, or clown. My husband Robert and I experienced something similar when we met for lunch in a restaurant and the maître d’ assumed we were part of the traveling Muppet Show entourage. He was appropriately embarrassed when Robert informed him that he was an engineer and I was a lawyer.
Performance is a viable choice for talented dwarfs, but dwarfs who qualify in a profession, trade or some other business don’t belong on stage and should not bow to such pressure.
How does this compare with your experience?
For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can subscribe to my weekly blog, find several retail links to my book—“Pass Me Your Shoes”—and anticipate the summer 2021 publication of book III—Always An Advocate—in my dwarfism trilogy.