"Most of the time it's the parents who recognise me. They try to tell their kids, 'Look, it's Giselle,' and I say, 'No, no, no, don't ruin this for them,' because I'm usually standing there with my hair sideways and no make-up on. And the kid is saying, 'That is not Giselle. No way. That is some worn-out girl who really needs a bath.'"
About this Quote
The subtext is a quiet indictment of the brand-name version of femininity. “Giselle” is not just a character; she’s an airbrushed standard: hair correct, face correct, radiating effortlessness that actually takes a small army. Adams points out the seam between performance and person, and she does it with self-deprecation that’s strategic rather than self-pitying. Calling herself “some worn-out girl who really needs a bath” isn’t an internal monologue; it’s the imagined verdict of a child who hasn’t learned the adult habit of polite fantasy.
Context matters: Enchanted sold a knowingly retro fairytale at a time when audiences were already suspicious of Disney innocence. Adams’ joke lives in that tension. She’s both the symbol and the saboteur, reminding us that the “real” Giselle only exists when the costume, lighting, and collective agreement do.
Quote Details
| Topic | Funny |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Adams, Amy. (2026, January 17). Most of the time it's the parents who recognise me. They try to tell their kids, 'Look, it's Giselle,' and I say, 'No, no, no, don't ruin this for them,' because I'm usually standing there with my hair sideways and no make-up on. And the kid is saying, 'That is not Giselle. No way. That is some worn-out girl who really needs a bath.'. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/most-of-the-time-its-the-parents-who-recognise-me-38759/
Chicago Style
Adams, Amy. "Most of the time it's the parents who recognise me. They try to tell their kids, 'Look, it's Giselle,' and I say, 'No, no, no, don't ruin this for them,' because I'm usually standing there with my hair sideways and no make-up on. And the kid is saying, 'That is not Giselle. No way. That is some worn-out girl who really needs a bath.'." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/most-of-the-time-its-the-parents-who-recognise-me-38759/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Most of the time it's the parents who recognise me. They try to tell their kids, 'Look, it's Giselle,' and I say, 'No, no, no, don't ruin this for them,' because I'm usually standing there with my hair sideways and no make-up on. And the kid is saying, 'That is not Giselle. No way. That is some worn-out girl who really needs a bath.'." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/most-of-the-time-its-the-parents-who-recognise-me-38759/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
