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Shannon Fonseca
Professor Malvin
English 115
11 December 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 appeals
of pathos, ethos, and logos 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 princesses 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). 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

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family or friends were featured in the ad as a victim. 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.
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! (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 ethos plays out in the
advertisement. Famous for their iconic happily ever afters, Disney hardly allows any harm to
come their characters ways. By changing that notion, Hoax makes use of Disneys strong ethos,
rewriting the idea that happily ever after is always perfect. Thereby comparing the idea to
reality, and producing the idea that even a fairytale love story, perceived as perfect in every way,
does not have a dangerous alter ego behind closed doors.
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 the advertisement, as he was able to pick up on Hoaxs use of logos. In analyzing the image,
he became distressed, and worried for his sister, as she may be more likely to be in a similar
situation. He was effected by the strength of the advertisement, and wanted more than anything
to help stop domestic violence from playing a role in his own life. By incorporating such strong
feelings in his ad, Hoax maximizes his audience reactions, while also strategically increasing the
chance that viewers take action in order to prevent domestic violence from occurring in their
communities. While the two interviews produced differing results, both subjects presented
favorable reactions, signifying that Cinderella and the Happily Never After campaign is
effective and educates others on understanding the pain associated with domestic violence.
Saint Hoaxs Cinderella proves to be an effective advertisement through the use of the
three emotional appeals 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

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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-press-office/2016/10/01/presidential-proclamationnational-domestic-violence-awareness-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
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-violence-

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statistics_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.