Fairytale princes in Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are sex offenders, professor claims

Kazue Muta posted a real news article about a man being arrested for kissing a sleeping woman on a train to support her point

Roisin O'Connor
Wednesday 03 January 2018 10:35 GMT
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A professor at Osaka University claims some fairytale princes are actually sex offenders
A professor at Osaka University claims some fairytale princes are actually sex offenders

Prince Charming may not be so... you know where this is going.

Kazue Muta, a professor at Osaka University has reportedly claimed that certain fairytale princes are less about romance and instead perform "quasi-compulsive obscene sexual acts on an unconscious partner".

The feminist academic and author of Boss, That Love is Sexual Harassment! apparently argues that princes in stories such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are portrayals of assault, Fox News reports.

In December she shared a news story linking to a real case where a man had been arrested for kissing a sleeping woman on a train.

Is Snow White a sexual assault victim? Feminist professor argues some fairytales promote 'sexual acts on an unconscious partner'

"When you think rationally about Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, that tell of a 'princess being woken up by the kiss of a prince', they are describing sexual assault on an unconscious person," she explained. "You might think I'm ruining the fantasy of it all, but these stories are promoting sexual violence and I would like everyone to be aware of it."

Last year in November a mother made headlines after she called for Sleeping Beauty to be removed from her son's primary school curriculum because of its "inappropriate sexual message".

Sarah Hall complained that the story teaches children that it is acceptable to kiss a woman who is not conscious.

"I think it's a specific issue in the Sleeping Beauty story about sexual behaviour and consent," she told the Newcastle Chronicle. "It's about saying: Is this still relevant, is it appropriate?"

Ongoing criticisms of classic fairytales have prompted debates over whether some of the more dubious portrayals of romance need an update.

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