Glamour Magazine’s “Woman of the Year” Announcement
The latest “Woman of the Year” list from Glamour magazine features both Rachel Zegler, the actress, and children’s YouTuber, Ms. Rachel. They find themselves in a spotlight that’s rather controversial, particularly due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Rachel Zegler, 24, has had a meteoric rise, particularly following her role in Disney’s live-action film Snow White and her performance in the popular play Don’t Cry for Me, Angelina. Meanwhile, the other Rachel, known as Rachel Griffin Accurso, has built an impressive audience on YouTube, where her kids’ educational content has amassed over 10 billion views.
However, both have faced backlash recently for their comments regarding the conflict. Zegler stirred quite a bit of controversy after posting “Liberate Palestine” soon after the Snow White trailer dropped. Reports indicated tensions between her and her Israeli co-star Gal Gadot over the issue.
Additionally, Zegler criticized the original 1937 Snow White film, calling it “outdated” and pointed out that it features a story about a man who “literally stalks” the main character. She even floated the idea of removing Prince Charming from the narrative.
On the other side, Ms. Rachel has also found herself under fire. Griffin Accurso faced outrage for her posts about Gaza, even while she seemed to be just sharing children’s songs. Her statements included prayers for Palestinian children in the region, leading to accusations from Stop Antisemitism claiming she was promoting pro-terrorism sentiments. They didn’t back their claims with solid evidence, but did notice some of her posts featured debunked information, such as an image misattributed to a starving child who actually has cystic fibrosis.
Despite the uproar, Griffin Accurso mostly remained silent, though she later expressed her support for all children, whether Israeli or Gazan. It’s a complex situation that showcases the challenges faced by public figures today, caught between personal beliefs and the reactions they evoke.
