Rachel Zegler: The Talk of the Town

With the release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Rachel Zegler has taken the internet by storm. Fans of the original series have praised her for paying homage to the trilogy in her press tour and premiere interviews. The film itself has grossed over $200 million in the box office in less than two weeks. There is no question that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a success with Zegler as the star. Even so, many on the internet continue to post hate about the actress and saying she doesn’t deserve this mass attention.

Rachel Zegler is one of many who have been subjected to the ever changing opinions of those on the internet. One minute people hate her and the next they love her. Film and TV fanatics, especially those that are vocal on social media, have the tendency to nitpick every little thing about their favorite media and the people connected to it. It often comes down to the fans’ opinions about whether a movie is worth watching or if an actor is worth liking. Yet, many fans show more loyalty to fictional media rather than their real-life actors. Zegler, a Golden Globe Award winner, has been previously questioned for her reputation and talent because of her connection to other films. She has been set up for success with big projects, yet social media continues to both fail and switch up on her despite her demonstrated skill.

Zegler made her film debut in West Side Story, directed by Steven Speilberg. Having landed a role with one of the most renowned directors in the world, you would expect more people to take notice. She was on the brink of a crazy career breakthrough, but was let down due to circumstances out of her control. COVID had everyone on lockdown and suddenly her costar Ansel Elgort was accused of sexual assault. All conversations around the film shifted. Zegler told the Los Angeles Times, “I was sitting there having just turned 19, on the precipice of what was promised to be the biggest moment in my life, and was being held accountable [by the public] for accusations that not only had nothing to do with me ​​but were made about a situation that was said to have occurred [five] years prior to when I had met and worked with this person.”

The supposed-to-be breakout star was not only stripped of public acclaim for her first film, but was also connected to the wrongdoings of her costar. Conversation around the film centered on thoughts and relationships to Elgort and his actions. The public seemed to care more about the mere proximity between Zegler and Elgort rather than understanding how the situation may have affected Zegler, who began working on the film when she was only 17. The internet continues to fail women by focusing on their relationships to men instead of their individual experiences and performances.

More notably, Disney fans have recently called for Zegler to be canceled because of resurfaced interviews about her upcoming Snow White movie. In these interviews, Zegler describes that she isn’t actually a big fan of the princess and notes that the story is outdated. The new film is meant to reimagine the original story to fit today’s more progressive audiences. This is nothing new as Disney princess movies have been turned into plenty of remakes. But, in Zegler’s interviews, she outspokenly criticizes the original Snow White storyline and dynamics between the prince and princess. With the original movie being made in the 1930s, it doesn’t seem all that controversial to critique that time’s products in 2023. The progressive social movements and changes that have been made leave almost nothing from the 1930s to be considered socially acceptable.

Yet, by way of the internet, Disney fans were absolutely outraged by Zegler’s comments. Many took to social media, primarily TikTok, to voice their opinions on Zegler and how she shouldn’t continue to play Snow White. Some said it was unnecessary for her to bad mouth the original, others said she interpreted the story completely wrong, and many were unhappy that someone who wasn’t a fan of the original movie would be playing the character in the first place. While fans are definitely valid in voicing their opinions, where did all of these 1930s Snow White stans come from?

TikTok after TikTok, tweet after tweet, Rachel Zegler received a tremendous amount of hate. Audiences were bothered by the mere sight of her on their feed. Other creators who worked with her were told that it was “so sad” that their work was being wasted on such a person. People asked to have her fired from the role and were very vocal in not supporting any other film she would appear in. Instead of thinking about how a Golden Globe winner who has trained in musical theater for years would be playing their beloved princess, fans became borderline obsessed with a couple of interviews where a Gen Zer criticizes a product from decades ago.

Even with talk around The Hunger Games, opinions on Zegler have changed rapidly. When the first trailer was released, she was made fun of for the film series’ iconic bow. Her character Lucy Gray shares many similarities with the original trilogy’s Katniss Everdeen, and this is further supported as the film depicts multiple parallels in their storylines. Seeing Zegler’s version of the bow sparked many fans online to say she looked silly and that she could never achieve the same effect that Jennifer Lawerence had in the original film.

But despite this initial criticism, fans were quick to turn and support Rachel Zegler after the film actually premiered. Audiences were able to see the real talent that she brings to the table and how her performance was perfect for both the character and The Hunger Games franchise. She effectively proved to audiences her ability to deliver on the big screen. Whether that be through song, comedy, action or drama, Zegler can do it all.