Fans Petition Against Disney Depicting Stepmoms as Evil

[The Deadman]

https://insidethemagic.net/2021/04/d...ampaign=buffer

Now it seems that there are Disney fans who want that stereotype of the wicked stepmother such as Lady Tremaine or the Evil Queen to change. A Change.org petition was created by Kelsea Laegreid, and a year later, the petition is continuing to gain traction. The petition is for The Walt Disney Company and wants Disney to “Feature a stepmother in a positive role in a major animated Disney film”.

The petition reads:

Even though it’s 2020 and families of all shapes and sizes are accepted by most, stepmothers are still portrayed as cruel, evil villains in popular culture. Stepmothers are characterized in movies and books as willfully ignoring their stepchildren in the best case or denigrating and abusing them in the worst case.

Recently, I sat down with my cuddly 5yo stepson to watch a classic Disney movie that was one of my favorites from childhood. Five minutes in, it occurred to me that I would be introducing my son to an evil stepmother character and quickly changed movies. In response to my answer as to why I changed the movie, my son replied something to the effect that “stepmothers can be mean in movies.” It broke my heart that there was no similar movie I could turn to to reinforce the message that stepmothers can also be nice and loving in movies.

Walt Disney Pictures (“Disney”) has perpetuated this stereotype in countless movies over the past 80 years – including several since 2010.

Disney is the only film studio to regularly portray the “evil stepmother”, they should be the first to promote stepmothers in a positive light. Disney movies and stories have set the tone throughout recent history by creating iconic characters that live for decades and beyond. Children are typically introduced to Disney movies at a young, impressionable age and these movies inform fundamental beliefs that can last a lifetime. Disney could help stem negative stereotypes and help support children’s understanding of blended families.

Please join me in asking Disney to produce a major animated film that we can enjoy with our (step) kids that includes a supportive stepmother role. Thank you!

Oh....oh boy

[Allio]

It’s been awhile since I watched films, but isn’t the only evil stepmom is in Snow White and Cinderella? I see they have tangled, but that was just a kidnapper.

[Coola Yagami]

Let's hope Disney rolls up that petition and have their CEO smoke it live on air. They've stopped depicting stepmoms as evil for decades now.

[neatoman]

Not any evil stepmothers outside of Cinderella and Snow White.

Pete's Dragon has a boy living with an abusive family, same with James and the Giant Peach. The Sword in the Stone has a stepfather who isn't exactly evil but still kind of a dick. That's about as close as it gets.

For more... I guess I have to look into pure live-action movies, TV shows and those that are retroactively Disney movies like from the Fox catalogue or something.

[superstaff]

Originally Posted by Allio

It’s been awhile since I watched films, but isn’t the only evil stepmom is in Snow White and Cinderella? I see they have tangled, but that was just a kidnapper.

Yeah, Gothel was NOT a stepmother. She tried to pass herself off as Rapunzel's biological mom. At best, she was an 'adoptive mother', but even then, she kidnapped her child.