So much for the Merida makeover

[Magpie]

"In preparation for her "coronation ceremony" last Saturday, Disney gave the Brave heroine Merida a makeover, redesigning the character as thinner with a bigger bust, more revealing dress, a face full of makeup, less wild hair, and replacing her signature bow and arrows with a sassy sash."

Yes, this does make a difference. It plays into the whole notion that what girls (and women) REALLY want is be thin, made up, and sexy. Many do, which is fine, but how refreshing it was to see a Disney princess who preferred a bow and arrows to flashy jewelry; wild hair to a sophisticated updo; and didn't convey the whole 36" 24" 36" is-the-best mentality. There are plenty of females out there who need this kind of role model, and Disney basically said, "She's not good enough as she is. We've got to make her fit the mold."

But just look at the actual pictures! Merida's bust isn't actually bigger - it's the same size as it was in the movie. News-flash: she has a bust, just like most healthy young girls.

I can't tell if she's wearing make up or not - she's a cartoon!

Her hair is definitely not a "sophisticated updo", if anything it's wilder than the movie version, since the 2-d style allows for little fly-away tendrils.

And what the heck about that sash is "sassy"! Since when are sashes considered "sassy"!? Also, she is not wearing any "flashy jewelry" at all. The artist has simply made the embroidery on her dress more visible.

Merida hasn't changed one bit, any more than she'd change if I drew her with glitter glue, crayons, oil paints, or any other artistic tool. She's simply being portrayed in a new medium, and dressed up for a special event (such as meeting guests in a theme park), like every other princess.

I disagree. Merida is a tom-boy. She was not a beautiful elegant princess. At the end of the movie she matured, but she was still a tom-boy. Disney didn't just give her a new outfit - they changed her.

She wears a dress throughout the entire movie. If she wore pants all the time, and they stuffed her into a dress, I might see the objection. But that's simply not the case here.

And I don't know about you, but I don't see a "beautiful, elegant princess" in that picture. Princess, yes. Beautiful, yes. Elegant, no.

THIS is an elegant

 

[Sphinx610]

"In preparation for her "coronation ceremony" last Saturday, Disney gave the Brave heroine Merida a makeover, redesigning the character as thinner with a bigger bust, more revealing dress, a face full of makeup, less wild hair, and replacing her signature bow and arrows with a sassy sash."

Thing is, this is not completely true. The 2d version is wearing the same dress she wears in the parks. It is a cross between both dresses, not some completely new dress no one has seen before. Granted it is off the shoulder in the 2d- but that's an easy fix. As for the hair, it'd be tough to convey, in a 2d format, her hair being any more wild without making her look like Medusa. And she has her arms crossed over her chest, I don't see how that indicates a fuller bust.

Disney basically said, "She's not good enough as she is. We've got to make her fit the mold."

I don't believe that for a second. They are trying to update the princesses across the board for marketing purposes. (Which I guess could be viewed as "fitting in a mold" in a different context). As a PP said, it is all for marketing and merchandising. In order to promote them as a group and apply the designs for all the princesses across the board while merchandising, they all need their own modern, 2d identity. It would look funky as a group if they didn't. The artists from the 30s have different styles from the artists of today. Animation has come a long way. Look at the changes to Mickey Mouse over the years- he's 3d now! And Minnie wears pink! Its just necessary to update things here and there. I think its bc people are so attached to these images- especially since we have all grown up with them- any deviation freaks people out. They take it as a personal insult and they look too deeply into it. Not saying that to hurt anyone's feelings or minimize anyone's feelings, its just a true observation. From a marketing and design perspective- they all need their own 2d versions. I honestly believe that is all Disney meant by it. To give her a 2d identity. Some see it as "oversexed". I personally do not. However, I don't think it would be too hard to modify the the design to make the general public happier. If it were me, as a designer, my fixes would be to pull the dress up over her shoulders, add a version of her carrying her bow & arrow, and tone down the colors on her face so it doesn't appear she is wearing make up. I don't think that the absence of her bow & arrow indicates she has changed at all. (Doesn't she need to put it down from time to time?) But they could easily add that if it makes people happy.

 

[Magpie]

Some see it as "oversexed". I personally do not.

From looking at that picture above, I honestly can't figure out how anyone can call Merida "oversexed". Her shoulders are barely visible. She's not even showing any ankle!

Now, if Disney had redrawn her like this:

Then I could understand the outrage.

But this Merida is just a fan art illo, by someone named "JinoJiwan". (And pretty well done, for what it is!) What Disney's given us isn't even close. Though to read Jez's description, you'd think this is exactly what Disney's new drawing of Merida looks like!

 

[Sphinx610]

From looking at that picture above, I honestly can't figure out how anyone can call Merida "oversexed". Her shoulders are barely visible. She's not even showing any ankle!

Now, if Disney had redrawn her like this:

Then I could understand the outrage.

But this Merida is just a fan art illo, by someone named "JinoJiwan". (And pretty well done, for what it is!) What Disney's given us isn't even close. Though to read Jez's description, you'd think this is exactly what Disney's new drawing of Merida looks like!

lmao!!!! True... Now THAT is "oversexed"... however still recognizable as Merida! (I think its pretty cool comic book style art. Yet wildly inappropriate for Disney! haha)

 

[AngiTN]

I love this quote at the bottom of one of the blogs on this subject

But the most important thing we need to remember is that the change in Merida’s appearance doesn’t diminish the qualities and characteristics that she portrayed in the film. Whether you prefer the original Merida or the new ‘made-over’ Princess version, it’s truly the beauty within Merida that represents such a positive role model for young girls everywhere.

Why can't it be this simple? Why did it have to resort to a petition? Over a cartoon? That was barely altered. For a very specialized purpose, not from top to bottom in all appearances

I disagree. Merida is a tom-boy. She was not a beautiful elegant princess. At the end of the movie she matured, but she was still a tom-boy. Disney didn't just give her a new outfit - they changed her.

How did they change her personality just by altering her dress? How do you change personality in a drawing?

 

[Taytortots]

I didn't like this, and not because being girly or enjoying make up is a bad or non-feminist thing.
It's because this sparkly, gussied up Merida completely negates her personality. This is a character that was created with her personality as the thing the movie was based around, this is not true for most other princesses. She's got spunk.
I feel like the make over went against this concept.
Not that I like the other princess make overs either (what did they do to you Mulan!)
I just think that this one blatantly went against her personality.

In saying this, I don't think it's as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be. This is what I would expect from Disney, honestly. It doesn't necessarily make me happy- but it's true.

 

[AngiTN]

I didn't like this, and not because being girly or enjoying make up is a bad or non-feminist thing.
It's because this sparkly, gussied up Merida completely negates her personality. This is a character that was created with her personality as the thing the movie was based around, this is not true for most other princesses. She's got spunk.
I feel like the make over went against this concept.
Not that I like the other princess make overs either (what did they do to you Mulan!)
I just think that this one blatantly went against her personality.

In saying this, I don't think it's as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be. This is what I would expect from Disney, honestly. It doesn't necessarily make me happy- but it's true.

If you watched her in her welcome celebration she still had just as much spunk as ever, in her dress that more closely resembled the redesign. Her spunk didn't go anywhere. It's just got some glitter on it now

And her hair is as messy as it ever has been even in the redesign. I don't see how anyone can say it's neater.