A mother has sparked viral debate after revealing she consistently mutes the same three seconds of Disney's Tangled whenever her daughter watches the film. The TikTok user shared a video showing herself reaching for the mute button during a specific moment in the villain's song.
The censored moment occurs during "Mother Knows Best" when the manipulative Mother Gothel sings about Rapunzel "getting kinda chubby" while tapping under the princess's chin. The mother captioned her video: "Muting the same three seconds every time my daughter asks to watch Tangled."
The 2010 animated film features Mother Gothel as the villain who kidnaps Princess Rapunzel and locks her in a tower. During the song, the character attempts to instil fear and self-doubt in Rapunzel by calling her various negative names and criticising her appearance.
Community divides over approach
The viral video has generated sharply divided responses from viewers. Some praised the mother's efforts to promote body positivity for her daughter.
One supporter commented: "God forbid she wants her child to be body positive." However, critics questioned the selective nature of the censorship approach.
Others argued the censoring misses educational opportunities. "Couldn't you just explain to her why Mother Gothel is wrong?" one user suggested, adding that since the character is clearly the villain, it provides a perfect chance to discuss why such comments are harmful.
Educational opportunity debate
Several commenters pointed out the inconsistency in muting only the weight-related comment while leaving other insults intact. The song also includes Mother Gothel calling Rapunzel "sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy" and "positively grubby."
"Prepare the child for the road not the road for the child," one critic wrote. Another added: "Thing is, every time you pause it, you're drawing attention to it."
The controversy reflects broader parenting debates about whether to shield children from potentially harmful content or use such moments as teaching opportunities about why certain behaviours and comments are wrong.
Sources used: "PA Media", "The Mirror", "Birmingham Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
