Current Events > Anne Hathaway Apologizes for Disability Portrayal in The Witches

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54838201

The Witches star Anne Hathaway has promised to "do better" following the criticism the film has received for its portrayal of limb difference. The actress acknowledged that many people "are in pain" over the way her Grand High Witch character is depicted. "I owe you all an apology," she wrote on Instagram. In the new adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1983 book, the witches are revealed to have three elongated fingers on each hand and toe-less feet. Comedian Alex Brooker and others with hand and arm impairments have accused the film of being insensitive towards disabled people. "To me It sends out a message that we should be scared of people with missing fingers," Brooker told the BBC earlier this week. But he added he does not blame Hathaway for this situation, and feels that more awareness and education is needed.

Hathaway said she "did not connect limb difference with the GHW [Grand High Witch] when the look of the character was brought" to her. "If I had, I assure you this never would have happened," continued the star, who won an Oscar for her role in Les Miserables. "I particularly want to say I'm sorry to kids with limb differences," she went on. "Now that I know better I promise I'll do better. "And I owe a special apology to everyone who loves you as fiercely as I love my own kids: I'm sorry I let your family down." The actress described herself as "someone who really believes in inclusivity and really, really detests cruelty". Hathaway's message followed the apology Warner Bros issued earlier this week over the portrayal of the witches in the film, which varies from the one in Dahl's original. The studio said it was "deeply saddened" to learn Robert Zemeckis's film "could upset people with disabilities". "In adapting the original story, we worked with designers and artists to come up with a new interpretation of the cat-like claws that are described in the book," its statement continued. "It was never the intention for viewers to feel that the fantastical, non-human creatures were meant to represent them."


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outrage culture

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I love people
people are so stoopid

Companies need to stop catering to this stupid behavior.

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the witches are revealed to have three elongated fingers on each hand and toe-less feet. Comedian Alex Brooker and others with hand and arm impairments have accused the film of being insensitive towards disabled people. "To me It sends out a message that we should be scared of people with missing fingers,"

Oh, fuck off, dude.

These ridiculous apologies make Warner Bros and Hathaway look like colossal spineless morons. Some random jackass called our movie insensitive. Better bend over backwards to appease them!

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This seems kinda silly ultimately.

It is a story about fictional creatures having fictional abnormalities.

Should we get mad that Dwarves being the brunt of short jokes are making fun of Dwarfism?

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wonder what that guys comedy is like

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EmbraceOfDeath posted...

Companies need to stop catering to this stupid behavior.

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They have to do that to avoid getting canceled

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She's a beautiful idiot who's heart is in the right place. She's said a lot of dumb shit that comes off as virtue signaling, but I think she might just be dumb.

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ledbowman posted...

wonder what that guys comedy is like

He wasn't only one it was a trending topic on twitter/social media that led to this apology.

https://twitter.com/luckyfinproject/status/1323460769627934720

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And people say SJWs don't exist

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Yea this is stupid

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Lebronwon posted...

He wasn't only one it was a trending topic on twitter/social media that led to this apology.

https://twitter.com/luckyfinproject/status/1323460769627934720

That's just dumb.

Nobody thinks you're evil or scary just because your hand is fucked up. Maybe if you had a menacing hook attached to it.

My nephew has ectrodactyly hands and feet. He has always had to deal with stares and bullying, of course, but he has also had complete strangers tell him some really off the wall shit about his condition being punishment for sins in a past life, marks of the devil, etc. He's had to deal with a lot of harsh, dehumanizing treatment from adults since he was little.

My sister is not a mentally or emotionally healthy person, so she did a horrible job of getting him help he needed and instead instilled a "boot straps" mentality that has honestly gotten him far in life but the repression has caught up with him in the form of drug and alcohol abuse. He's in his 30s and just started reaching out to support groups for other people dealing with it because of the issues stemming from the abuse and mistreatment he's experienced.

As far as pop culture portrayal goes and the impact it has, I think it prudent to listen to the people who stand to be affected by it and see things from their perspective.


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Grand High Witch sounds like a Klu Klux Klan title.
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TheLiarParadox posted...

My nephew has ectrodactyly hands and feet. He has always had to deal with stares and bullying, of course, but he has also had complete strangers tell him some really off the wall shit about his condition being punishment for sins in a past life, marks of the devil, etc. He's had to deal with a lot of harsh, dehumanizing treatment from adults since he was little.

My sister is not a mentally or emotionally healthy person, so she did a horrible job of getting him help he needed and instead instilled a "boot straps" mentality that has honestly gotten him far in life but the repression has caught up with him in the form of drug and alcohol abuse. He's in his 30s and just started reaching out to support groups for other people dealing with it because of the issues stemming from the abuse and mistreatment he's experienced.

As far as pop culture portrayal goes and the impact it has, I think it prudent to listen to the people who stand to be affected by it and see things from their perspective.

you know I just looked up the three fingered witches and it actually does look like ectrodactyly so I can see what point they're trying to make

I've worked with patients with deformed arms and people do indeed treat them with an immediate lack of respect. Thanks for changing my perspective

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I heard the movie sucks so she should actually apologize for that instead
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I imagine most people wouldn't connect the two, but the reality is that many people do have similar disfigurement and if in "popular culture" they are figures of ridicule it can't do much for their self esteem and helps make people think they are acceptable targets to mock.

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So acting is not allowed anymore?

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Another point: the witches being white women sends a message that we should be afraid of white women.

Such a misogynistic movie.

this is all that happens now lol
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TheLiarParadox posted...

My nephew has ectrodactyly hands and feet. He has always had to deal with stares and bullying, of course, but he has also had complete strangers tell him some really off the wall shit about his condition being punishment for sins in a past life, marks of the devil, etc. He's had to deal with a lot of harsh, dehumanizing treatment from adults since he was little.

My sister is not a mentally or emotionally healthy person, so she did a horrible job of getting him help he needed and instead instilled a "boot straps" mentality that has honestly gotten him far in life but the repression has caught up with him in the form of drug and alcohol abuse. He's in his 30s and just started reaching out to support groups for other people dealing with it because of the issues stemming from the abuse and mistreatment he's experienced.

As far as pop culture portrayal goes and the impact it has, I think it prudent to listen to the people who stand to be affected by it and see things from their perspective.

I find this sentiment agreeable.

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IShall_Run_Amok posted...

I find this sentiment agreeable.

Same, it was a good post.
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TheLiarParadox posted...

He has always had to deal with stares and bullying, of course, but he has also had complete strangers tell him some really off the wall shit about his condition being punishment for sins in a past life, marks of the devil, etc.

Sorry about your nephew. Those people are delusional and cruel. It reminds me that Ive only met a handful of people who have publicly said something similar and I was speechless every time. But I think I will literally laugh out loud at them, if they ever try saying that nonsense around me.

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what a fucking bitch I hope they delete the movie!

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idgi. unless she was doing some offensive why is there outrage?

Poop2 posted...

idgi. unless she was doing some offensive why is there outrage?

We have to cater to the small % of people who are overly sensitive and easily offended.

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I thought it was her mouth that showers she was a witch. For fucks sake the original came out like 20 years ago

Smashingpmkns posted...

I heard the movie sucks so she should actually apologize for that instead

Robert Zemeckis hasn't made a good movie in like 20 years. His mocap CGI stuff since then hasn't aged well.

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Returning_CEmen posted...

I thought it was her mouth that showers she was a witch. For fucks sake the original came out like 20 years ago

In the book they had "cat claws for hands" and not the change the film made tbf

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Yo, it's just an apology. Calm the fuck down.