Shine OnPlucky Pixar princess gets sexy makeover, sparks the ire of parents
One of the things that separated Merida from the habitual pack of slim-waisted, giraffe-eyelashed, impossibly proportioned Disney princesses of yore was that she looked like an actual teenager.
Plucky, frizzy-haired and nary a trace of cartoon eyeliner, Pixar’s "Brave" heroine was lauded for her “refreshing representation” of a fierce female role model who eschewed the usual trappings of ultra-feminine princess types.
Perhaps that’s why Disney’s decision to give the Scottish lass a “Victoria’s Secret-style” makeover has sparked the ire of many a concerned parent.
In a newly released image to correspond with her upcoming “crowning” as Disney’s 11th official princess, Merida appears to have had her hair chemically treated to cascade in voluminous russet waves down her back. Her waist is also noticeably slimmer, her cheekbones more chiseled, and someone appears to have given her an expert makeup application at the Cinderella counter.
Oh, and her inseparable bow and arrow? Deleted.
Concerned by the effect this messaging may have on young girls, female empowerment website, A Mighty Girl, has created a petition to battle these “unnecessary” changes.
Also see: See Barbie without makeup
“Merida inspired countless young girls by showing them that they too could go off on adventures and save the day; that it’s not about how you looked that matters but what kind of person you are,” A Mighty Girl co-founder, Carolyn Danckaert tells the Daily Mail.
“By making her skinnier, sexier and more mature in appearance, you are sending a message to girls that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior; that for girls and women to have value -- to be recognized as true princesses -- they must conform to a narrow definition of beauty.”
So far the petition has racked up nearly 50,000 signatures.
A few Pixar fans have argued that the royal makeover completely contradicts the character in the first place.
“Did you not watch your own movie Disney? She hated her fancy dress!” writes petitioner Diana Adkins-Fremstad, while Jessica Banks sums up the petition’s general quite succinctly: “There's no need to sexualize a strong, young, active role model," she writes.
"Instead of making Merida fit the princess model, maybe Disney should change the princess model to fit girls like Merida.”
Also see: Shocking ages of your favourite Disney princesses
Disney has a long history of subtle sexual imagery (Don’t click on this link if you want to preserve your childhood innocence), so at least they’re putting this one out on the forefront.
But many are arguing right back that the entire issue has been blown way out of proportion.
“So Merida went out and bought from John Frieda's Frizz Ease serum. Big deal!” writes one unamused commenter on the Daily Mail's website.
“People are so soft these days, always complaining about absolutely nothing,” chimes in another.
What do you think: Does Merida's makeover exacerbate the idea that women have to be beautiful to be acceptable or have people gone off the deep-end over nothing?
