Kristen Bell Causes Stir Over Opinion About 'Snow White'

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Kristen Bell Causes Stir Over Her Opinion About Messages In 'Snow White'

I don't think I know a single person from my generation who didn't grow up watching Disney movies.

We were able to get lost in the fairy tales, and not only did they provide entertainment for the whole family, they taught us important lessons about life, family, kindness, courage and of course, love.

It's a part of our childhoods that we will never forget, and many of us now have the chance to help our children live the same experience.

However, these days, not everyone is as excited about playing classics like Cinderella or Snow White for family movie night.

A few days ago, actress Keira Knightly revealed that she has banned certain Disney movies in her house because she doesn't want her three-year-old daughter, Edie, to be exposed to some of the films' messages.

"Cinderella: banned. Because she waits around for a rich guy to rescue her. Don't! Rescue yourself, obviously," she told host Ellen DeGeneres while appearing on the talk show.

Knightly also doesn't allow her daughter to watch The Little Mermaid because even though "the songs are great," Ariel gives up her voice for a man, and Knightly doesn't see that as empowering.

Mere days after The Imitation Game star's interview aired, another celebrity is speaking out about another classic Disney flick and why she isn't entirely comfortable with its message.

Kristen Bell, who famously voiced Anna in the hit Disney film Frozen, was recently interviewed discussing her concerns about the message that Snow White sends to her children.

The 38-year-old, who shares two daughters, Lincoln, 5, and Delta, 3, with comedian Dax Sheppard, admits that she is especially uncomfortable about the fact that Snow White took an apple from a stranger (the witch) and eats it.

"Everytime we close Snow White I look at my girls and ask 'Don't you think it's weird that Snow White didn't ask the old witch why she needed to eat the apple? Or where she got the apple?' I say, 'I would never take food from a stranger, would you?' And my kids are like, 'No!' And I'm like, 'OK, I'm doing something right,'" she explained to Parents magazine.  

But that's not the only part of the story that bothers the Good Place star whenever she watches the movie or reads the book with her girls. Bell also took an issue with the prince kissing Snow White, who fell into a year-long deathless sleep, without asking for permission.

"Don't you think that it's weird that the prince kisses Snow White without her permission? Because you cannot kiss someone if they're sleeping!" she said.

Bell's opinion has divided the internet and caused quite the stir.

Bell has since responded to some of the false information spreading on Twitter, clarifying her position. She reminded people that she did not forbid her daughters from watching the film, she just makes sure to ask them the important questions after the movie is done.

She added, "I find the outrage annoying and misplaced as well. I'm a mom who wants my girls to possess critical thinking and ask a ton of questions. So that's what we do when we read books."

Since the rise of the #MeToo movement the topic of consent has taken precedence over many other parenting issues.

Every parent has their own way of handling the matter, and there is no wrong or right approach. While some, like Knightly, go to extreme measures, others, like Bell, hope that having a discussion is enough.

Do the children your family watch Disney movies? Let us know in the comments!

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.