Opinions? 'Brave' creator hates Disney's Princess makeover

[mjlum]

Not sure where to post this but there was an article on Merida's new look...

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/05/11/disney-princess-merida-makeover-redesign?hpt=hp_t3

I saw a posting here that Merida recently became a Princess. (I thought she was already a Princess)

What do you think of her new look and the article?

 

[tdhickey]

I think they are making a big deal out of nothing...

 

[larina]

I liked her better as a little girl.

 

[wiigirl]

I don't think its bad....just a change...

 

[Butterfly123]

Merida hated her fancy dress in the movie...why would they put her in one now? I wish they would have stayed true to her character, and not glammed her up.

 

[tinkermomma]

Appalled.

The creator said it best:

"It's horrible! Merida was created to break that mold -- to give young girls a better, stronger role model, a more attainable role model, something of substance, not just a pretty face that waits around for romance."

For one thing, it's a slap in the face to change a character into wearing a sexy dress she NEVER would have worn, given not only her spirit but also the period, for goodness sakes. For another, if the actual creator thinks it's horrible. Enough said, don't go there.

I actually think Disney would do themselves a favor if they cut all this homogenous sexy crap with the princesses and let them go back to being dream the way they are DRAWN.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Merida is a little rough around the edges, she's not picture-perfect, she isn't about looking prim and perfect. The makeover turns her into exactly what her character is not.

Stop messing with your characters, Disney!

- Dreams

 

[Chlo83]

I think it's a real shame - Merida was a princess that less 'princessy' little girls who perhaps are more into sport or the outdoors could aspire to. She hated being dressed up and wanted to go on adventures - so seems sad that she's been shoe-horned into a fancier dress and lost her bow. She was a different personality to fit into the princess range and that seems to have been lost a bit

 

[cmwade77]

I think I have to agree with Brave creator on this one. Of course, I don't really care for any of the makeovers they have been doing with the characters.

 

[hmurra75]

Simply.. disappointed.. I wish all of the Disney Princesses would go back to their "classic" looks.. It's really a shame Disney feels like they need to "sex up" their princesses especially in a society where girls have enough problems with their self esteem..

 

[Freesia123]

Am I the only one who thinks she's bratty? I like that she's strong and holds to her convictions not to have an arranged marriage but the way she treats her mom is disgusting! She gives her a magic cake that she has no idea what it will do. Yes, she learned her lesson but still. My daughter actually bought me a piece if cake hoping that it would change my mind about her bedtime. She told me she got the idea from brave and that if I didn't change my mind I'd at least turn into a bear and then I couldn't talk and make her go to bed... I do t know. She's not my favourite princess. I prefer Belle.

 

[sherilaine]

Growing up these days is a challenge for young girls - never before have they been plastered with non stop imagery of what is perceived as the ideal girl/woman. My DD is in middle school and I already see the girls making bad judgements on how they present themselves to the world. My DD is not your typical girly girl - she could not care less what the other girls wear and is fairly true to herself. She watched Brave and related to the character, as she hates dresses and likes to hang out with the guys rather than dream about marrying one. This is indeed a slap in the face to that form of healthy and intelligent thinking - but that slap comes from the hand of society more so than just the one at the end of Disney's arm. Granted they do have quite an influence over the young girls!!

 

[mom2rtk]

Am I the only one who thinks she's bratty? I like that she's strong and holds to her convictions not to have an arranged marriage but the way she treats her mom is disgusting! She gives her a magic cake that she has no idea what it will do. Yes, she learned her lesson but still. My daughter actually bought me a piece if cake hoping that it would change my mind about her bedtime. She told me she got the idea from brave and that if I didn't change my mind I'd at least turn into a bear and then I couldn't talk and make her go to bed... I do t know. She's not my favourite princess. I prefer Belle.

Isn't the point of the movie how she grows and changes from that bratty kid (by going off to then save her mom)?

 

[Pesky]

I have to say I am a little disappointed. What the heck is with the off the shoulder number? and wildly crazy hair is suddenly tumbling romatic curls? And there is a waist making it look like a corset was added to the outfit?

Honestly, I liked her better before. She was more real, relatable and perfectly imperfect. Her former look worked with who she was as a person -- a crazy, active, adventurous teenage girl. And I can't condone this new one coming into the house. We'll stick with the old version, thanks much.

 

[Canadiantinkerfairy]

Agreed with the "perfectly imperfect" reply.

My dd is a total girly girl, who just happens to have a very similar name to Merida and was super excited to see the movie and meet Merida at DL. My DH and I were pleased to see a ' perfectly imperfect' princess who stayed true to who she was. I hate that she has been sexed-up.
I wish they would update the princesses to be a strong beautiful and normal person, who we could feel good about having as a role model for our children.

 

[ktlm]

I'm absolutely appalled by the makeover. The point of Merida is that it is okay to be different. Apparently, it isn't, because Disney felt the need to give her plastic surgery and make her look like a real housewife or a Barbie. I was disappointed by the other makeovers doing this to the other Princesses, but I have to say that this one disturbs me the most because the whole point of Merida was being able to be yourself, as her creator so eloquently points out.

My DH who usually doesn't even notice that kind of stuff, is the one who saw an article on it first, and he actually was so irritated by it, that when he showed it to me he suggested that we quit giving our money to Disney (and let me tell you we spend a lot on Disney) because as long as people keep throwing their money at Disney they will think that this kind of thing is okay. He says now that he has a daughter, he realizes what kind of message this change sends to little girls and he thinks it is awful- I've lost count of how many Barbies we have and he doesn't have any issues with those, but his take on why this is different is that they didn't make Barbie change because they didn't think she was good enough the way she was. She was always the way she was. With Merida, the message they are sending is that to sell merchandise she has to be thinner, taller, be all made up, and have her hair fixed up from the way she really is. It is basically saying- she wasn't good enough, we had to change her. Every little girl who sees Merida merchandise knows it isn't the Merida from the movie. DH was actually talking trip cancellations-- I'm more of the mindset just don't buy the merchandise with the new style Princesses. Let's not go too far- I don't think I could give up my Disney trips!

Actually, giving up the merchandise is not a problem at our house because my Princess loving DD doesn't care for any of the new Princess merchandise. I've saved a lot of money on Princess merchandise this year, because she doesn't want anything that doesn't have the old style Princesses. She looks at it and says, "They don't look like the Princesses in the movies- none of them look right". She saw a picture of the new Merida this weekend and without either DH or I saying anything to her about how we felt said "That's not Merida. Somebody really dumb must work at Disney if they think that looks like her and that they should sell stuff that looks like that"

The new makeovers Disney is giving the Princesses irritates me in general, but this one really bothers me.

 

[tdhickey]

I'm absolutely appalled by the makeover. The point of Merida is that it is okay to be different. Apparently, it isn't, because Disney felt the need to give her plastic surgery and make her look like a real housewife or a Barbie. I was disappointed by the other makeovers doing this to the other Princesses, but I have to say that this one disturbs me the most because the whole point of Merida was being able to be yourself, as her creator so eloquently points out.

My DH who usually doesn't even notice that kind of stuff, is the one who saw an article on it first, and he actually was so irritated by it, that when he showed it to me he suggested that we quit giving our money to Disney (and let me tell you we spend a lot on Disney) because as long as people keep throwing their money at Disney they will think that this kind of thing is okay. He says now that he has a daughter, he realizes what kind of message this change sends to little girls and he thinks it is awful- I've lost count of how many Barbies we have and he doesn't have any issues with those, but his take on why this is different is that they didn't make Barbie change because they didn't think she was good enough the way she was. She was always the way she was. With Merida, the message they are sending is that to sell merchandise she has to be thinner, taller, be all made up, and have her hair fixed up from the way she really is. It is basically saying- she wasn't good enough, we had to change her. Every little girl who sees Merida merchandise knows it isn't the Merida from the movie. DH was actually talking trip cancellations-- I'm more of the mindset just don't buy the merchandise with the new style Princesses. Let's not go too far- I don't think I could give up my Disney trips!

Actually, giving up the merchandise is not a problem at our house because my Princess loving DD doesn't care for any of the new Princess merchandise. I've saved a lot of money on Princess merchandise this year, because she doesn't want anything that doesn't have the old style Princesses. She looks at it and says, "They don't look like the Princesses in the movies- none of them look right". She saw a picture of the new Merida this weekend and without either DH or I saying anything to her about how we felt said "That's not Merida. Somebody really dumb must work at Disney if they think that looks like her and that they should sell stuff that looks like that"

The new makeovers Disney is giving the Princesses irritates me in general, but this one really bothers me.

really??????

It is converted from CGI to animation, it's been frilled up a bit, but not that bad.

 

[Patrick in Oregon]

Looks like Merida to me. Ya'll are seeing things.

 

[Lolsmum]

really??????

It is converted from CGI to animation, it's been frilled up a bit, but not that bad.

You really can't see she's been made sexier and her wild hair has been tamed to flowing locks? That dress? Why? The closest option in the movie is the dress she hated and didn't want to wear. Why put her in that one?

I have a 5 year old princess obsessed daughter. Merida was perfect the way she was. Now she's yet another sexy, pretty face.

 

[Xenorye]

You really can't see she's been made sexier and her wild hair has been tamed to flowing locks? That dress? Why? The closest option in the movie is the dress she hated and didn't want to wear. Why put her in that one?

I have a 5 year old princess obsessed daughter. Merida was perfect the way she was. Now she's yet another sexy, pretty face.

While I agree and do not like the change, the dress is far from the worst part. I hate that they made it an off-the-shoulders thing, but I'm fine with the fancified dress besides that. It's the slimmer waistline and facial features that bother me the most.