Disney's Snow White 2025 - What's with the Dwarfs ... oops sorry, the 'Magical Creatures'?

Well, here I am again, writing about another movie that just doesn't hit the mark. Another movie that's gone too woke. Another movie where disabled and different actors should be playing roles but aren't.

 What movie am I speaking about? It's the latest instalment from Disney ... Snow White.

A couple of months ago, a large billboard in my hometown displayed the Snow White movie promo. I got excited. I love Disney films and I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale. I pointed it out to my partner. 'I want to go and see that,' I said, a smile spreading across my face. 
He turned his eyes from the steering wheel. 'I don't think you'll like it.'
My smile vanished. 'Why?'
'Well, for starters, the dwarfs are CGI.'
My eyes opened like UFO flying saucers. 'What?!'
He nodded. 
'No, not again!' A ball of fiery-hot magma immediately formed in my gut. The same feeling from when I heard that Auggie Pullman in Wonder would not be played by a child with a facial difference, and when I heard The Greatest Showman was going to be a musical. Who made musicals about freakshow circuses and men just interested in making money from misfits and people with disabilities and differences?

My outrage continued, but sometimes I can be melodramatic, so I watched the trailer then Googled 'Snow White 2025'  to see what was being said about the movie out there in media land. 

The first article I read was by Sky News: Very surprising reviews roll in for new Snow White adaptation following widespread criticism over 'woke' take on the classic Disney tale | Sky News Australia

If you read it, you'll see Disney spent $264.9 million on the live-action film ... a remake of Snow White. It stars American (Colombian descent) Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Israeli Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. 

'The film has been criticised for prioritising 'wokeness' over authentic storytelling. Fans have noticed traditional romance was dumped for being too 'sexist', and the Seven Dwarfs were now seen as a diverse group of 'magical creatures' of all heights, races and gender,' says Sky News Australia. 

Next, I read: The Anti-Woke Critics Aren’t Completely Wrong About ‘Snow White’ | Thought Catalog

Written by Evan Lambert, he states the five woke elements of the film are:

* Snow White is not fair-skinned with raven black hair

* The CGI non-dwarfs

* Zegler's early criticism of the classic 1937 animated Snow White film

* No true love's kiss 

* Why another remake, Disney?

I kept going, reading the BBC's commentary: Will Snow White be a 'victim of its moment'? How the Disney remake became 2025's most divisive film

In this article, the BBC identifies various issues with the film, from Zegler's political statements to the dwarfs. 

The Forbes article then caught my eye. Did Disney Make The Right Decision About The 7 Dwarfs For ‘Snow White’ Movie?

After reading the Forbes article, I scanned my Google search, and the headlines were all very similar, so I decided to stop there. Basically, the same issues were being identified, and it was obvious that people living with dwarfism were up in arms about the CGI magical creatures ... and there was a whole tribe of general haters. (There were also some people who liked it.)

After taking time for reflection, for I know my thinking can be black and white, and always turned towards the rights of people with disabilities, I've penned some thoughts on Snow White. 

1) Fairy tales are to be used for change ... not be changed
I love fairy tales and am a staunch supporter of leaving fairy tales as the originals. Why? Because I love the nostalgia of them. I love seeing how society was at the time they were made - the good and the ugly. I love the hidden messages fairytales normally have ... the morals and positive values that are dearly needed today. 
Now, I am a realist and agree that they often portray sexism, racism and ableism, which is why Disney is trying to modernise them (though I had never thought of the huntsman as a 'stalker' - quoted by Rachel Zegler). So what to do about these -isms? Instead of erasing these issues, like they never existed in the past, why can't we use fairy tales as vehicles for discussions with our children? Schools do this with literature. Why can't we use them for conversations on society and people and relationships? 

2) Snow White's skin isn't fair 
Now, even though I would have preferred Disney left Snow White with her pearly white skin, I'm a big girl and can cope with the change in skin colour. It's already happened in other films such as The Little Mermaid live action movie 2023. To be honest, I don't agree with it and see this as woke. Why is it filmmakers are trying to eliminate white people from movies? I also wonder what the reasoning behind Snow White's name now is. She was originally named after her fair skin. It was snow white in colour. Maybe now she was named after her snow white teeth (which babies don't have) or she was born in the snow (rather silly suggestions).

3) The seven dwarfs have been called magical creatures 
When I watched the trailer, the dwarfs did not look like magical creatures to me. They looked like a modern-day take on the original animated dwarfs. In the Forbes article, I read that the magical creatures are called Bashful, Doc, Sneezy etc. These are the original dwarf names. 

So what's happened here? According to what I've read, a little person named Peter Dinklage, complained about the 1937 film as being, 'a backwards story of seven dwarfs living in a cave together.' So Disney, wanting to distance itself from this stereotype, used CGI and called the dwarfs magical creatures. But in taking this route, maybe without really thinking it through, or speaking to little people about the impact the film would have, they have angered a whole heap of people. Me included. 

Why are people up in arms about the CGI magical creatures?

I think it's pretty apparent, but by taking this route in Snow White, there are seven actors with dwarfism who missed out on playing a part and being seen on screen. They missed out on career opportunities. In Did Disney Make The Right Decision About The 7 Dwarfs For ‘Snow White’ Movie? pro wrestler Hornswoggle said, 'roles for people within the community are few and far between already, and Disney's decision to take away 'dream roles literally made for our community' ultimately hurt the community.'

Second, it can be seen as discrimination. In another BBC article, Snow White: Disney holds small-scale European premiere amid controversy, performer Choon Tan said the decision to use CGI was, 'absolutely absurd and discriminating in a sense. There really is nothing wrong casting someone with dwarfism as a dwarf in any given opportunity. As long as we are treated equally and with respect, we're usually more than happy to take on any acting roles that are suitable for us.'

Here is Zach Roloff's take on the use of the CGI magical creatures:

In my opinion, as well as the loss of employment for people living with dwarfism, this is such a missed opportunity for Disney to make a positive impact on the world. Disney has so much power and influence and like Zach says in the video, it's like they are erasing dwarfism ... sending them back into the Greatest Showman era. Bring dwarfism into the light - show the diversity and differences in our human race. Disney's missed the opportunity here to show children that living with dwarfism is nothing special or something to be scared of - it's just another way people are different. And Snow White could have been a conduit for making the world a better place for people living with dwarfism. So, children don't stop, stare and point when they see a little person. When people in pubs don't stay dumb stuff that's downright offensive.

Oh, Disney, I've loved your movies since I was a toddler, but where are you going now? We need movies showing diversity and we need movies with disabled actors. How about you create a new fairy tale instead of rehashing the old?

Be Weirdly Wonderful! Embrace your differences

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©Jenny Woolsey 2025

International Women's Day 2025 - Gender Equality in Action & Domestic Violence

I've been sitting here at my laptop as the lights flicker, the winds howl outside and the rain beats at the door. Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred who pirouetted and spun out in the ocean before making landfall last night, is saying, 'I haven't gone yet!'

My daughter Jess, now nearly an adult, has just gone to bed. For the last half an hour she's been making her opinions known about domestic abuse. Why domestic abuse? Well, she was witness to the domestic violence in our household and knows that she's not to have a boyfriend who treats her badly ... and the TV was airing Queen Camilla's documentary around her endeavours to shine a light on domestic abuse in the UK. 

Queen Camilla speaks to domestic abuse survivors in 'powerful and emotional' ITV documentary | ITV News

I am guessing this documentary was planned to be screened today because it is International Women's Day and this year's theme is 'Let's Accelerate Action for Women's Equality'. We can't accelerate action if we're unaware of where action is needed. Domestic violence against women definitely needs more accelerated action. 

Before I delve into domestic violence, I feel it's worthwhile taking a few moments to stop and think about the state of equality of the sexes in Australia. How far has equality come? From the colonial and church ordained roots, to the different ways that religious and ethnic groups treat women. If we look at the general state of affairs in Australia, yes, we have drawn closer to our male counterparts ... We can vote. We can work. We've burnt our bras and don't have to wear one if we don't care to. Generally, our pay is the same, though there is disparity with lack of representation of women in senior positions and lower rates of superannuation due to child-rearing leave (Prime Minister Anthony Albanese brought in the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gap) Bill 2023 to address these issues). We can choose our career, wear what we want, decide if we get married or have children, spend money on whatever takes our fancy and live where we desire. The world is our oyster. 

But if we dig deeper than the surface, what do we find?

The 2025 International Women's Day theme is here: 'March Forward'

Well, we find a high rate of domestic violence. In fact, 20% of partners have experienced partner violence since the age of 15 in Australia. That's millions of people. Domestic Violence Figures Australia | Safe Life And domestic violence affects both women and men. 

When we look deeper at the incidence of domestic violence statistics, we find:

* 2 in 5 women (39%) have experienced violence since the age of 15

* 1 in 2 women (53%) have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime

* Violence affects all communities and cultures 

Oh my god! 2 in 5 women have experienced violence! These statistics are horrifying. 

So, why, if Australia has come so far in gender equality, does this violence towards women exist in our society at such high rates? 

On TV, at the moment, there are a couple of ads running ... one was just on. It was a consent ad - do we all know what consent is? The second is an advertisement aimed at boys and young men and focuses on disrespect towards women and that parents, particularly fathers, should be keeping an eye on what their sons are watching. 

In the year 2025, why is this happening? 

Why Australia’s domestic violence problem is complicated

From what I can find, there doesn't seem to be a clear cut reason why domestic violence is so high in Australia. Is it that men feel they are losing their power? Is it the rise in online pornography or other toxic graphic material? Is it society's general lack of respect for others? Is it the cost of living pressures?

One of the reasons that's been identified is the online world. The statistics report that 25% of teenage boys in Australia have accessed content from toxic social media personalities who perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. And they don't have to go far! On my Instagram feed, scantily clad women, with their genitals barely covered, bare themselves provocatively. I am disgusted that women feel they need to do this. It makes women into meat to be salivated at. Women are more than their bodies. They have minds and hearts and souls.

FDSV summary - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Another reason identified for the rise in domestic violence, is society's generally accepted attitudes towards women. Attitudes like these from the FDSV summary:

* 25% of people surveyed believed that women who do not leave their abusive partners are partly responsible for violence continuing

*23% believed domestic violence is a normal reaction to day-to-day stress

*19% believed that sometimes a woman can make a man so angry he hits her without meaning to

If our society believes these lies and many others, it is going to take a very long time for significant changes to occur. 

We have to take our heads out of the sand! We must keep on partitioning the government for greater laws to protect women; and we must talk to our girls, our teens, our young women, so they know what domestic violence and coercive control is and the warning signs. I certainly didn't know as a teen what a healthy relationship looked like. Girls and women must be taught how to get help. And most importantly, women need to know that they are valuable human beings. No one has the right to disrespect them, hurt them, control them ... abuse them. 

So, on this International Women's Day 2025, I count my blessings as I shut down my laptop and make my way to bed. My safe bed where I sleep soundly, with my dog curled up against me. In the bedroom where once I detested the man who lay beside me because of what he was doing to me and my family. 

This blog is not about my marriage, or the one before which was coercive control, or about my low self-worth that led me into their marriages. It's not about my three children who were victims and will carry visible and invisible scars with them for the rest of their lives. It's not about how I have educated the three of them on what domestic violence and coercive control are, and what a healthy relationship looks like... Or maybe this blog is,,,

I, Jenny Woolsey, on this International Women's Day 2025, do solemnly pledge that I will continue educating and sharing with women and men about what domestic violence and coercive control are, the cycle of abuse and how much better it is out of those relationships. Will you?

If you want to know more about domestic violence and strategies to lead your best life, check out my latest book, Be Weirdly Wonderful! Embrace your differences. Available from all good online bookstores and from me. 

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What is So Wrong with MP Tanya Plibersek Calling MP Peter Dutton Voldemort from Harry Potter?

 A few hours ago I saw on MSN the report that MP Tanya Plibersek had said on a radio interview that MP Peter Dutton looks like Voldemort from Harry Potter. 

She told the announcer, 'I think there'll be a lot of children who've watched a lot of Harry Potter films who'll be very frightened at what they're seeing on TV at night. That's for sure ' 

When the radio announcer asked for further clarification, Plibersek added, 'He looks a bit like Voldemort and we'll see whether he can do what he promised he'd do when he was last running for leader which was smile more.'

The West Australian newspaper got on the bandwagon and published an image of Peter Dutton as Voldemort on its front page because Mark McGowan, the premier of Western Australian, labelled Peter Dutton an extremist. 

Now this has hit a raw nerve with me! Why you may ask, as we know it's just politicians sledging each other, and putting each other down, as politicians are well known for? Well, because I was born with a craniofacial syndrome, called Crouzon syndrome, which meant that my face didn't form properly and I looked distinctly different growing up until my final reconstructive surgery in 1985. 

In 1977 someone like me, though milder in symptoms, was called 'grotesquely deformed' by the Australian Women's Magazine. 

Growing up, I was called names about my face on a daily basis - goggly eyes, Frankenstein, Elephant Man, Freddy Krueger and so on. I was also rejected, stared at, pointed at, ignored, physically bullied and thought of as being intellectually disabled. People didn't judge me on my personality or my achievements or my Christian faith - they judged me on my face - my outward appearance. 

Did this affect me? Damn right it did. I spent my childhood feeling rejected by society. Society told me that I wasn't good enough because I didn't have a normal face. Society told me that I must be a villain like the Hollywood movie characters. Society told me that I was less of value because I had a facial difference. And because of these negative messages I constantly received, I developed some very unhealthy traits and two personalities. I spent every day trying to prove to the world that Jenny Collins was a valuable human being who had the right to be alive and be out in society - not stuck away at home in the cupboard as was suggested to my parents. 

I went on to have two children in the 2000s who also have my syndrome, plus a child with Down syndrome, and I've had to watch the same negative stereotypes forced onto them all by society. A society that still likes to criticise and judge people's facial appearances. A society that holds facial beauty and a symmetrical face that smiles, in high esteem and on a pinnacle. A society that is shallow. 

Personality and being able to do a great job at running an organisation, or a country, is not derived by one's facial appearance. It is one's morals, one's values, one's treatment of others, one's integrity; and one's ability to respect, to lead, and to get along with others that is important. 

Tanya Plibersek was reprimanded by Anthony Albanese, our new prime minister and she apologised to Peter Dutton. This was great but the whole scenario has brought to the surface the issue of saying that people with facial differences or disfigurements are evil or villains. 

This whole comment of Plibersek's that Peter doesn't smile much has also angered me too.  I have friends who cannot smile due to facial palsy and Bell's palsy. Does that make them villains? There are people with autism who often do not smile. Are they villains? There are people who have been burnt and cannot smile. Are they villains? And if someone does look similar to Voldemort, does that make them a villain?

My goodness me. I am shaking my head and my blood is boiling. 

MP Tanya Plibersek is part of the newly formed Labor government who have promised to Australia that they are going to change politics in Australia and make it positive. They claimed they are going to be more inclusive and govern for everybody. Ha! What a pathetic start it has been with this personal slur. 

Wake up to yourself Tanya Plibersek and others who sledge people's facial appearances. We cannot help how our faces look and nor should it matter. 

Let us look past the outward face and into the important facts about a person. Are they nice? Are they kind? Do they respect others? Do they do a good job at their employment? Do they have integrity? Are they honest? Do they have good morals and values? Will they help someone in need?

We are in 2022 now and there are way way way more important things to judge a person on. Politicians it would be fantastic if you could lead the way!

For more about my life see these news stories:

The real-life Wonder: Living with Crouzon Syndrome (9news.com.au)

Jenny Woolsey recounts her experience of the rare genetic condition Crouzon syndrome | KidsNews

(c) Jenny Woolsey 2022

Be Weirdly Wonderful! Embrace your disability and differences

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How to stop racism and discrimination - Herman Munster's Wise Advice

At the moment there are race riots occurring across the world. The death of George Floyd in the US at the hands of a policeman has brought to the fore the history of racism and discrimination. In Australia our indigenous people are using this incident as an opportunity to bring to the fore the unnecessary deaths of their people in police custody. 

I wrote in my last blog how much I loved the Munsters and particularly Herman when I was growing up. No I wasn't a person of colour, but I was a person with a visible difference. I was born with a rare craniofacial syndrome, Crouzon syndrome. This made me stand out. This mutation in my genes, completely out of my control, meant many in society chose to not like me and let me and my family know. I experienced bullying, discrimination and prejudice. 

Over fifty years has passed since I was born and people are still not being treated equally. Today people still aren't allowed to have differences. We are all meant to fit in a couple of boxes and be content there. If we should be born with a visible difference, such as the colour of our skin or a disability, then our lot in life is to be treated as more unworthy and to suffer from judgements and discrimination.

I want to share with you this clip showing the wise words of  Herman Munster:

Do you love it as much as I do?

The lesson I want you to learn is it doesn't matter what you look like. 

You can be tall or short, or fat or thin, ugly or handsome like your father, 

or you can be black or yellow or white, it doesn't matter. 

What does matter is the size of your heart and the strength of your character. 

When you look at someone who you see as outwardly different, remember these wise words of Herman Munster. And if you are on the receiving end of bullying or racism or discrimination because you look different or act differently, then you too remember the wise words of Herman Munster. It's all about the size of your heart and the strength of your character. 

You must stay true to who you are. You must embrace your differences and rise above the haters. You were born the way you are for a purpose. Don't let the negative people in society stop you from achieving your greatness!

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How to look after your mental health - 12 Lessons from Herman Munster

When I was a child growing up with a craniofacial syndrome, it was incredibly hard. I was stared at, made fun of, pushed over and isolated. Home was my sanctuary where I was accepted and loved, and had those typical fights with my brothers. You could say it was 'normal'. A show that I loved was Munsters, and I have been watching reruns on TV and clips on YouTube to try to understand why. I was called Frankenstein and Herman was Frankenstein so why would I love the show so much when he looks the way he does? 

I quickly found the answers. Herman had heaps of great messages for me. He saw himself as the 'normal' one and the outsiders were the freaks. Marilyn was the one who didn't fit in, and she also saw herself as the 'freak' in the family. This whole flipped concept would have really helped me to cope with the nastiness of the world.

I found this YouTube video which is entitled 12 Life Lessons from Herman Munster and I love it so much that I wanted to share it here in my blog. Have a watch and tell me what you think.

I am going to list  Herman's 12 Life Lessons here:

12. Let your light shine - Bring a little happiness to others

11. Commune with nature - Go out in nature - it's good for you

10. Heroes are Zeroes - Lots of heroes are vain and good for nothings

9. Start that college 529  - Begin a savings bank account when your children are young

8. Catch more flies with honey - You'll get further with love and affection and understanding

7. Stay flea free  - Don't go with bad companions. He who lies down with dog, gets up with fleas

6. Serve and protect  - It's the duty of every citizen to protect the police

5. Respect the produce  - In the vegetable garden of life don't pinch the tomatoes

4. Target Marketing 101  - Don't start scratching until you know where the fleas are biting

3. Pay it forward  - Help people to succeed

2. Be kind - When we put kindness in we get kindness back - it's like putting money in the bank with interest

1. What matters most - It doesn't matter what you look like. What matters is the size of your heart and the strength of your character. 

Do you agree with me? The script writers were way ahead of their time. In the 1960s racism, hiding disabled children away in institutions, putting people who were considered too different in freak shows was rife. Basically if you weren't a neurotypical white middle class person you weren't a worthy citizen.

As a society we still have a long way to go as progress has been at a snail's pace. These life lessons are still relevant today and will improve our mental and make for a more inclusive society!

Please like, share and subscribe to me. I want everyone to Be Weirdly Wonderful! I date you to embrace your differences.

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What's with the Facial Scars and Subliminal Messaging in JOJO RABBIT?

Last weekend I was asked by a friend who has a facial difference, what I thought of the use of facial scars in the movie JOJO RABBIT. Now I hadn't seen the movie, as the trailer showing a child with Adolf Hitler as his imaginary friend, had instantly turned me off.

She then aroused my curiosity even more with her statement, that maybe the healing of the facial scars was a metaphor for JoJo's changing attitude towards the Jews. Anything facially related I have to see for myself - so of course I watched it - and in fact, three times.

If you are unfamiliar with JOJO RABBIT, here is a pretty good synopsis:

A World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

—Fox Searchlight Pictures

It is interesting that the majority of synopses I read, did not include a mention of the facial scars JoJo receives, and nor does the trailer.

I could tell straight away that JoJo Betzler was a fanatical 10-year-old Nazi youth. There were a few laughs at the Hitler Youth training camp, though Rebel Wilson's comedy did not come across well. I saw that JoJo's face was 'normal' so I was waiting on the edge of my seat for when the accident or incident would occur.

Spoiler alert!

The accident came soon after JoJo was told by the leaders to twist a rabbit's neck and kill it. He refused. They then killed the rabbit in front of him and bullied him about being weak... Now I must say I didn't see the funny side of this scene at all. It actually horrified me. JoJo ran off upset, had a chat to his buddy Adolf Hitler who pumped him up and sent him back to the throng feeling strong and courageous. JoJo grabbed a hand grenade and threw it. It hit a tree and ricocheted back to his feet, exploding.

The explosion affected the left side of JoJo's body from his face down to his leg (he limps).

Over the rest of the movie JoJo's face slowly heals and his limp recovers.

The story continues with JoJo, due to his injuries, not being able to join the troops and being put to work on jobs around the town e.g. putting up posters, collecting metal etc. After seeing a crack in the floor boards he finds a Jewish girl who's been hidden by his mother. Of course JoJo's mind is full of propaganda and lies about the Jewish people so he isn't very happy, but over time he gets to know Elsa and love her. I must say that JoJo has a well developed character arc. His mother is caught for her anti-Hitler advocacy and hung (I couldn't see the satire in that either).

I do wonder how a child becomes so brainwashed as JoJo was with a mother who was the complete opposite. How did JoJo become that way?

Anyway, back to the facial scars which is what I want to focus on.

The left hand side of JoJo's face is crisscrossed in scars. To me he looks okay - I've seen a lot worse, but I tried to put him in the context of the day.

In his bedroom, JoJo looks at his face and his mother comes in.

JoJo says, 'Your son is ugly like a monster.'

She replies, 'Hey you're no monster. Besides your scars will heal and you'll get most of the movement back in your leg.'

JoJo retorts, 'But I'll never be in Hitler's personal guards.'

And she responds with,  'Ah, you're fine as you are. I'm just happy to have you back home.'

I have no complaints whatsoever with this interaction. Rosie, his mum is comforting and loving.

In the next scene JoJo is dressed in his Hitler youth uniform to go outside. At the door he tells his mother, 'I don't want to go out there,.. I look stupid. People will stare.'

She replies, 'Enjoy the attention kid, not everyone is lucky enough to look stupid. I for one am cursed to look incredibly attractive. Now you're going to pluck up your courage, walk out that door and have an incredible adventure.'

This took me aback. I guess Rosie is trying to tell JoJo that facial scars are a good thing, but there was no denial in his thoughts that he looked stupid or that he would be stared at. Why did she agree with him? And to say she was cursed because she looked so incredibly attractive - what the???

As a child having grown up with a 'deformed' face as I was told, being stared at and pointed at, nasty comments made about me and trying to prove I wasn't stupid, on a daily basis, this hit me hard. I wasn't impressed.

I did though like Rosie's final words of telling JoJo to suck it up and go out into the world because she could have let him stay hidden at home which is more realistic of the time period.

Next when JoJo is at the rehab pool with other legless adults and children, Rahm (Rebel Wilson_ stretches his leg, saying, 'Soon your leg will only be a little bit deformed and pointless. I'm going to recommend another month off school though, because your face might scare the other kids. It's kind of ugly.'

Again the message is, that if you have facial scars you are ugly and shouldn't be seen out in public. Yes put in the time period this would have been the norm, but this movie is being shown today and that's not the message we want to be sending. Children need to be shown people with facial differences so they are not frightened when they see someone and facial differences need to be portrayed in a positive light. The subliminal message needs to be one of positivity.

The next scene occurs when JoJo is in his bedroom talking to Adolf and he asks his imaginary friend, 'Do you think I'm ugly.'

Adolf replies, 'Yes.'

So again, it is reinforced and by this stage I am shaking my head trying to make sense of why. And anger is boiling in my belly!

The final referral to his facial scars occurs towards the end of the movie when Adolf is upset with JoJo because JoJo has feelings towards Elsa the Jewish teen. Right in the beginning of the movie Adolf calls JoJo 'really good looking,' and now he tells JoJo that Elsa is too old for him, he is ugly and she's going to leave him.

What message does that say to you? To me it says once again that facial scars make people ugly, and you won't be able to maintain a relationship because of them.

After this JoJo lets Elsa out of their house and she sees that the Americans are now in control and they both dance.

Now obviously I have left out a lot of the story which does not relate to facial scars. And to be honest there were many poignant moments throughout the movie. There were comedic moments and the dark humour came through more when I watched the movie with subtitles.

But as a person having grown up with a craniofacial syndrome, and been told I was ugly and stupid, and feeling that no one would love me, this movie hit me hard. My parents were told to hide me away though they like Rosie, pushed me out into the world.

Particularly during my first viewing, a knife JoJo had as part of his uniform, was stabbed into my heart. I just do not understand why the facial scars were included, or why there was the consistent message that facial scars make you ugly, a monster, stupid and unlovable. And why has no one done a commentary on this part of the movie? Is it acceptable?

To me, it is totally unacceptable. 

Possibly the healing of the scars could be a metaphor as my friend suggested - that as JoJo's face and leg healed his warming and acceptance of the Jewish people changed... but I find that hard to believe as scars and legs with therapy heal over time anyway. The character arc would have happened if his face had stayed red and raw.

It is also interesting that much of the movie was filmed with JoJo's scarred side turned away from the camera. I particularly noticed this when I was looking for photos to add to this article. There are very few publicity photos that show his scars. Why is that?

I will leave this review here but I would really like you to think more about this. When you see a person with facial scars, what is your immediate reaction?

Would you call them beautiful or ugly?

Would you call them stupid or believe they have normal intelligence?

Are they deserving of love?

Did you respond with similar answers that are subliminal in JOJO RABBIT?

Finally, I would like to implore script writers and producers to start changing how people with facial differences are portrayed in movies. Many of us living with facial differences hurt whenever you portray us in a negative light.

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