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Shannon Fonseca
Professor Malvin
English 115
27 October 2016
A Royal Affair: An Invitation to Discuss Domestic Violence
Upon thinking about social issues facing America, one would most likely think of gun
violence, police brutality, or racism. However, one of Americas most pressing issues: domestic
violence, has fallen from popular mention. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic
Violence, 20 people per minute are physically abused by their partners in the United States. In
one day, approximately 28,800 people are abused, while each year more than 10.5 million are
abused in the United States alone. Such a startling statistic usually captures public attention with
ease, but in light of recent controversies, Americans have shifted their primary focus elsewhere.
In an attempt to reignite discussion over the issue of domestic violence, artist Saint Hoax created
a campaign entitled Happily Never After; featuring images of Disney princess appearing
beaten and bruised. A particular image from the campaign entitled Cinderella, stands out from
the rest. Showing a tattered and beaten Cinderella with tears in her eyes, and a desolate look
upon her face; it is perhaps the most powerful image in the collection. Through his piece
Cinderella, Hoax presents an effective advertisement through the use of the emotional appeal
of pathos along with the use of association thereby achieving his goal in sparking conversation
on domestic violence.
Defined by the United States Justice Department as a pattern of abusive behavior in any
relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another
intimate partner, domestic violence spans in types of abuse; ranging from psychological to

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physical mistreatment. Millions of Americans are victims of domestic violence each year,
however the issue is most commonly associated with women as victims and males as the
aggressors. While this situation may not always be the case, President Obama recently
proclaimed: Nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have suffered from domestic violence
(Presidential Proclamation: National Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2016), thereby
indicating that a woman has an approximate 11% higher risk of becoming a victim. In addition,
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an estimated 85% of domestic
violence victims are women, confirming the idea that women are more likely to be in danger.
With such an increased risk for women, its not a surprise that Saint Hoax chose to
feature women in his campaign. However, to the average viewer, one may be confused as to why
he chose the Disney princesses in particular. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Hoax
explained his choice of featuring the princesses in his advertisements: Disney princess are
perceived as ideal females (Vagianos). Hoaxs goal in using their likenesses in his work appears
dominantly on nostalgia and sentimentality towards the characters, also known as association.
(Rank Intensify/Downplay). For example, Cinderella is a character extremely recognizable to
nearly everyone worldwide, and her film is one of the most treasured Disney movies in
existence; audiences are bound to take note in her appearance in any advertisement. By this
positive association, he is able to intensify his ad by drawing larger quantities and types of
audiences to his work. As the film Cinderella was released in 1950, Hoax gains the ability to
draw large audiences to the work as a result of continued public exposure. In using such a
notable character, the artist hopes for audiences to connect it to the bigger picture, reality. By
using such a beloved character, tied with such immense emotions, leaves audiences reacting to
the ad in a similar fashion to if their family or friends were featured in the ad as a victim.

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Thereby Hoax allows audiences to feel real, authentic emotions all the while strengthening his
advertisement.
By featuring Cinderella in his work, Hoax makes strategic use of the emotional appeal of
pathos. Pathos, meaning a draw to an audiences emotional response, emerges in full force within
this advertisement. Upon viewing Cinderella for the first time, audiences are shocked at what
they see. A once hopeful and bright woman who never lost sight of her dreams appears shattered.
Her expression visibly shaken, with tears only explained by the bruises and cuts on her face;
Cinderella appears hopeless for the first time. Presenting such a different version of the character
in the advertisement than in the film, Hoax exposes audiences to horribly realistic effects of
domestic violence. While many women can act similarly to Cinderella in public, behind closed
doors they may face the same struggles she does in the advertisement. Exposing the unseen
truths of abuse to the world. The caption below Cinderellas disheartened portrait reads When
did he stop treating you like a princess? (Hoax). While the image alone of such a beloved
princess defeated is chilling, the combination of the caption with it assists in creating a powerful
advertisement. Regardless of whether or not one is royalty, they hope to be treated wonderfully
by their significant other. Upon the thought of being disrespected and intimidated to the point of
domestic violence, audiences can resonate with the devastation in Cinderellas face, despair so
deep that not even a fairy godmother can help with.
The primary goal of advertisements designed with strong emotional appeals is often to
motivate audiences to take action against a certain issue, in this case domestic violence. In search
of authentic reaction, two interviews were conducted using Hoaxs Cinderella to test the
effectiveness of the advertisement. The first subject coiled at the image, then with tear-filled
eyes, exclaimed How can anyone bear to look at this? Thats Cinderella, this could never

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happen to her of all people! (Doe, Jane). The first subject provided an intriguing response given
the circumstances surrounding why Hoax chose to display Cinderella in the first place. By
stating the [abuse] could never happen to her, provides insight on the way people view
relationships. Hoaxs advertisement helps to communicate the idea that just because everything
seems fine publically, does not mean that behind closed doors there are dangerous issues that
require dire assistance; providing a better perspective to audiences as a result. The second subject
however expressed a very diverse response. Upon viewing the ad, he got very quiet and calmly
explained that he felt worried and wanted to protect his sister (Smith, John). In comparison
to the first subject, he had a better understanding of the overall aim of advertisement as he was
able to pick up on Hoaxs use of association. In addition, he also became inspired to help his
sister and keep her away from any male that tries to hurt her, another goal of the artists in
composing this work. While the tests differed, both subjects produced favorable results that
signified that Cinderella and the Happily Never After campaign was effective and helped
others understand the pain associated with domestic violence to different audiences.
Saint Hoaxs Cinderella proves to be an effective advertisement through the use of
pathos and association, creating a powerful effect on audiences. Overall, the artists goal of
creating a discussion on the topic of domestic violence is fulfilled though his artwork seen in the
Happily Never After campaign. While the ad primarily seems to focus on physical and
emotional abuse, it assists in creating meaningful conversation and awareness on an issue so
hidden in todays society. Domestic violence is a traumatic experience for any victim, regardless
of their age or gender and requires immense treatment in order to be assisted. In creating
advertisements similar to that of Cinderella and the Happily Never After campaign, America
can achieve the ideal focus it needs to stop this pressing issue from happening on a large scale.

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Works Cited
Breiding, Matthew J. Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate
Partner Violence Victimization National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence
Survey, United States, 2011. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
5 Sept. 2014, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6308a1.htm?s_cid=ss6308a1_e.
Cinderella, director. Walt Disney Pictures, 1950.
Doe, Jane. Personal Interview. 13 Oct. 2016.
Hoax, Saint. Cinderella. The Huffington Post, 9 July 2014,
www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/09/disney-princess-domestic-abuse-sainthoax_n_5567711.html.
Hoax, Saint. Happily Never After Collection. The Huffington Post, 9 July 2014,
www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/09/disney-princess-domestic-abuse-sainthoax_n_5567711.html.
Presidential Proclamation -- National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2016. White
House, 30 Sept. 2016, www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2016/10/01/presidential-proclamation-national-domestic-violenceawareness-month.
Rank, Hugh. Intesify/Downplay Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition, Edited by
Alfred F. Rosa and Paul A. Eschholz, 11th ed., Bedford/St. Martins, 2012, pp.
610.
Smith, John. Personal Interview. 13 Oct. 2016.
Statistics. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, http://ncadv.org/learnmore/statistics./.latest_citation_text

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Vagianos, Alanna. 30 Shocking Domestic Violence Statistics That Remind Us It's An

Epidemic. The Huffington Post, 13 Feb. 2015,
www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/23/domestic-violencestatistics_n_5959776.html.
Vagianos, Alanna. Bruised And Bloodied Disney Princesses Remind Us Domestic Violence Can
Happen To Anyone. The Huffington Post, 9 July 2014,
www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/09/disney-princess-domestic-abuse-sainthoax_n_5567711.html.