Is “Brave’s” Princess Too Sexy Now?
Last year, moms and daughters were excited to welcome the bow and arrow-wielding princess Merida to the screen in Pixar’s “Brave”. Now the eleventh of Disney’s princesses, she’s gotten a makeover that plenty of parents and some kids aren’t too happy about, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Many say what separated Merida from the other princesses in the series—like Belle, Jasmine and Snow White—is her wild hair and her fighter spirit. No rescue, no handsome prince: Merida was a modern-day heroine. But her new look, created so that she’ll look more like the other princesses, shows her without her signature weapons and with a noticeably slimmer physique. Her clothes are fancier and the neckline on her dress is lower. This dress is the same one she hated to wear in the movie. Brenda Chapman, “Brave’s” original director who was replaced during production, told a local newspaper, “When little girls say they like it because it’s more sparkly, that’s all fine and good but, subconsciously, they are soaking in the sexy ‘come hither’ look and the skinny aspect of the new version. It’s horrible!”
Some parents and older fans are so upset, they’ve gone as far as creating a Change.org petition to have the character’s design reversed. Petitioners say it sends the wrong message to girls now that the focus is just on looks. So far, the petition has 100,000 signatures. In a statement to Yahoo! Shine, Disney said, “Merida exemplifies what it means to be a Disney Princess through being brave, passionate, and confident and she remains the same strong and determined Merida from the movie whose inner qualities have inspired moms and daughters around the world.”
What do you think. Should Disney revert to Merida’s original design? How do your kids feel about her?
