New Books in Popular Culture Michelle Anya Anjirbag, "Appropriated Tales: Race and the Disney Fairy-Tale Mode" (Wayne State UP, 2025)
Dec 14, 2025
Fairy-tale scholar Michelle Anya Anjirbag is in the spotlight, discussing her groundbreaking book, Appropriated Tales. She explores Disney's influence on fairy tales, revealing how it shapes cultural narratives and expectations. Anjirbag critiques the company's approach to diversity and representation, celebrating the rare success of the 1997 Cinderella. She delves into the controversial aspects of Aladdin, from its origins to community backlash. The conversation encourages deeper questions about storytelling and belonging in popular culture.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Disney As A Norm-Setting Cultural Machine
- Disney's reach and multiple imprints make it a hidden, normative force shaping ideas of fairy tales.
- Michelle Anya Anjirbag argues we must study Disney because it remakes public expectations of what fairy tales are and who belongs in them.
Shift From Moralizing To Structural Questions
- Move analysis beyond 'is Disney good or bad' to ask how and why Disney shapes narratives and representation.
- Do trace corporate practices, historical contexts, and production choices to recommend concrete improvements.
Adaptation As A Relational Toolkit
- Adaptation frames media relationally, breaking teleological origin myths about stories.
- Anjirbag uses adaptation to link Disney's paraphrasing to broader processes of cultural appropriation and race-making.
