Appeal to triviality

The “appeal to triviality” is a strategic technique to deflect attention away from the machinations of bad actors. It’s a three-stage process where a propagandist’s subversion is enacted, rebuked, then defended.

Let’s use a real-life example in media to illustrate this: race-swapping established fictional characters. For those unaware, many white or fair-skinned characters have been race-swapped to a different race, typically some variation of African. The most egregious example in 2025 is Snow White, a live-action film from Disney.

In the original Disney cartoon from 1937, Snow White is clearly of European origin, as it’s a Germanic folk tale. She’s described as pale of skin, red of lips, and raven of hair. These are clear traits of humans who evolved far from the equator, like most of northern Europe.

In the 2025 live-action remake, Snow White is portrayed by Rachel Zegler. She’s of Colombian ancestry and doesn’t have the pale skin of the original. Defenders of this change will appeal to triviality by asking, “Who cares?”

Step 1: find a fictional work of European ancestry.

Step 2: race-swap the look of one of the main characters.

Step 3: “appeal to triviality” by dismissing the criticisms of those rejecting the idea.
“Who cares?”
“It’s just a cartoon”
“It’s not a big deal”

The inherent contradiction in the “appeal to triviality” is that the propagandists obviously care, because they made the change in the first place. Had they not cared, they’d have not race-swapped the characters. They obviously care, because they made the change. When confronted about said change, they diminish the objection and appeal to triviality.

The propagandists willfully change an immutable quality of a character like their skin tone. When those who value the original character or art object, the propagandists appeal to their perceived triviality of that objection.

The same process applied to “The Little Mermaid” in 2023, which starred Halle Bailey. Ariel, the Little Mermaid, was a pale redhead. Halle Bailey is not.

When I’m President, I will sign an executive order that upon my death bed, Halle Bailey and Rachel Zegler will be forced to suffocate me to death with their magnificent, massive mammaries so I may die happily.