Keira Knightley, Kristen Bell say Disney princess stories give wrong message to kids

Actor Keira Knightley says she has barred her daughter from watching Disney films Cinderella and The Little Mermaid.

During her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the 33-year-old actor said she is not a fan of every Disney film.

Knightley said she has “banned” her three-year-old daughter, Edie Knightley Righton, from watching 1950 classic Cinderella because “she waits around for a rich guy to rescue her”.

“Don’t! Rescue yourself. Obviously!” she said.

“And this is the one that I’m quite annoyed about because I really like the film, but “Little Mermaid” (is banned, too). I mean, the songs are great, but do not give your voice up for a man. Hello! But the problem with The Little Mermaid is I love The Little Mermaid! That one’s a little tricky but I’m keeping to it,” she added.

Knightley, however, said Disney’s Finding Dory is not banned and added that the film is “a big favourite in our house”.

“Frozen is huge and Moana is totally fine,” she added.

Kristen Bell also feels similarly. She says the story of Snow White sends the wrong message about consent to children because she is asleep when the prince kisses her.

In an interview to Parenting magazine, the Frozen star spoke about her concerns after reading Snow White to her daughters Lincoln, five, and Delta, three, reports Dailymail .

“Every time 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 that apple?’” she said.

“I say, ‘I would never take food from a stranger, would you?’ And my kids are like, ‘No!’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m doing something right’.” she explained.

The actress also asks her daughters about the romance story line as she finds it offering the wrong view on consent.

“Don’t you think that it’s weird that the prince kisses Snow White without her permission?” she asks her girls.

“Because you cannot kiss someone if they’re sleeping.”

In the Disney classic, which was released in 1938, Snow White falls asleep after eating a poisoned apple from a witch who is jealous of her beauty. She remains in a deathless slumber for a year until a prince who fell in love with her previously comes and kisses her. She awakens and they live happily ever after in his castle.

Her character Anna from Frozen will make a special appearance in the upcoming Ralph Breaks the Internet. Knightley will be next seen in Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, where she plays Sugar Plum Fairy.

(With inputs from agencies)