Disney's latest misstep ? turning Merida, its most real-life heroine from "Brave," into a doe-eyed, thin-armed princess ? drew ire across the Internet. Disney's much-anticipated response to the outrage was disappointing.
The original Merida, left, was taken up (or down) a notch for her figurine debut, eliciting groans and anger from people tired of Disney's quest to "princessify" everything they touch.
Screenshot via Disney
EnlargeRecently, Disney released a?new, 2D image of Merida. This prompted?outrage?because the character's design was altered,?for no good reason.?The new Merida has been "prettified"--made more conventionally attractive in a way that undercuts the character's strengths, to the detriment of the children who view her as a role model.
Skip to next paragraph Rebecca HainsGuest blogger
Rebecca Hains, Ph.D. is a children's media culture expert. A professor of advertising and media studies at Salem State University, in Salem, Mass., her research focuses on girls and media. The author of "Growing Up With Girl Power: Girlhood on Screen and in Everyday Life,"? she blogs about children's media and popular cultur and lives with her husband and son in Peabody, Mass.
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In response,?A Mighty Girl released a?petition?to Disney that outlines the reasons why the redesign is problematic. The petition?culminates with a request: to pull the new 2D Merida and restore the character to her original form.
Yesterday, Disney executives went on record regarding the petition. They're refusing to retract the new Merida--and their comments show they've missed the point.
The L.A. Times?reports on the refusal to retract the new Merida:
"Disney has no intention of abandoning its sexier version of the Scottish archer featured in the movie, "Brave."
The modified Merida was created specifically to welcome the character into the company's princess collection. And according to a Disney representativeon Wednesday, the image of Merida that sparked this maelstrom is part of a limited run of products including backpacks and pajamas.?But images of the original Merida will also be available on consumer products, the Disney representative said."
No one ever doubted that the original Merida would still be available on products; the objection is to the new Merida redesign. Full stop.?The fact that it's "part of a limited run" doesn't make it any less problematic.
A Disney representative expanded on their stance in an exclusive interview with fan site Inside the Magic, calling the controversy "blown out of proportion." This makes clear that Disney execs either don't truly understand?the objections, or are willfully ignoring them.
According to Inside the Magic:
"[Disney] had no intention of changing who Merida is. The artwork that has circulated online depicting the new 2D rendering of Merida was intended to be used only on a ?limited line of products? as a ?one-time stylized version.? They noted Disney uses different styles of art on characters regularly, changing them to fit their needs at the time.
And in this case, that time was the coronation. Noting that Merida wanted to ?dress up? for her coronation ceremony, the new 2D artwork was created, first debuting on the official invitation that was sent out to the media."
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