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.
I am survivor of abuse and for me as a child who grew up with Snow White, the story made me remember that not all men are abusers. Thats just my personal view. Know the difference between abuse and affection. He kissed her for love & to break a spell. Dont ruin the story for kids
— 🌸 🙀 Teresa Cooper (@Teresacooper) October 17, 2018
Omg can we stop blaming disney films for people not understanding consent. I grew up with them but you dont catch me creeping round the local pond trying to kiss an actual frog 🤔 https://t.co/TCSel3jz2a
— Katrina (@Katrina_McC) October 18, 2018
Kristen Bell says Snow White sends the wrong message about "consent." Seriously? It's a fairy tale. This is getting out of hand. I grew up watching Tom & Jerry but I didn't run around trying to kill. There are bigger issues.#SnowWhite #KristenBell https://t.co/dNGQnnFqPX pic.twitter.com/iEFSUDvBVw
— Fiona Dodwell *Author* 🦠(@Angel_Devil982) October 18, 2018
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.
Who said I dont let me children watch Disney movies? That's untrue..so libel, maybe?
— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) October 18, 2018
I can fact check for u now: after reading/ watching snow white, I ask my girls if they would take food from a stranger, or feel uncomfortable if someone was kissing them while they were sleeping.
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.