May 22, 2013
“Disney Princess Makeover Sparks Outrage: Merida Petition Goes Viral”
This article by Beth Greenfield from Yahoo is only one of many decrying the changed appearance of the beloved Merida from the film Brave, after Disney remade her into a sexier version for marketing movie-related products. Once again, the message to girls is that being pretty is what matters. Even the co-director of the film (no longer with the company) is infuriated and called what they have done to Merida “atrocious.” Brenda Chapman was quoted on Cinema Blend as saying, “They have betrayed the essence of what we were trying to do with Merida—give young girls and women a better stronger role model. She’s strong inside and out—she’s not just a simpering pretty face waiting around for romance. She was created to turn that whole Idea on its head. Oh yeah. . .that’s why I created her.” More Related Reading: See what Marinda Valenti has to say about in on the Ms. blog and as well as Mary Elizabeth Williams’s commentary on AlterNet.
