Disney Princess Redesgin

[violiav]

Firstly, don't panic. Disney is not redoing animation of classics and new favorites.

It's a retooling for the marketing department, and then I'm not even certain for which merchandise. As everyone who has been in a Disney store in the past decade there are several different designs of the princess line up, from Baby Princess to Kid Princess. It's just a thing they do.

So here's a few links about it.. and the drama.

From Deviant Art

The Mary Sue. The most drama seems to be over the re-desgin of the one from Brave(never saw it).

The Guardian

People (including the director of the movie Brave) are saying that they are sexed up versions of the aforementioned "Princesses". They they look "sultry", "slutty", and so on. People complain about how they were "made into a size two." Sorry, but how can you actually tell that?

I disagree with the term "sexed up". I just don't see it. While yes, the one with most changes is the one from Brave, to me it looks like the difference between a 14 year old and a 20 year old. Was that their intent? Maybe? I guess it depends on what merchandise they're going to use the new design on. I just can't see them using the new designs on bibs and so forth.

My thinking is they're probably going to use it more in some weird glam line of things more geared toward adults. Also I can't find any of the design on any merch. Some of their concept, not traditional stuff is pretty cool looking.

Like the Haute Couture Villains stuff.

One of the arguments has to do with body image and young girls. I was thinking about that this evening while walking my dog. I grew up loving Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid (later Beauty and the Beast). And I have always had body image problems. Is there a connection? Nope. My image problems are the fault of my mom, the 90's emphasis on BMI, and a general ignorance about developing bodies. Because of those things I have always seen myself as really fat, even when I wasn't.

The creator talks about creating "something attainable" for little girls to aspire to(I can see why she's pissed, it's her work they altered), but no love for Lilo? I guess because she's not a princess. Same thing with Alice.

But what do I know? My 10 year old daughter looks up to Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Hawkgirl.

Sometimes it seems as if there's a mixed message being sent. "Cover up, but it's ok to have adventures, just cover up. Because if you're not covered, that means you're a slut." Huh? A male can be a hero in a lion cloth, but if female does the same in a bikini she's deemed too slutty?

[Kheldarson]

In terms of the princesses, most of them are literally, or become, princesses (Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Merida all start as one; Belle, Tiana, Mulan all become or are referenced to become royalty/nobility by the end). That means Alice and Lilo are out of that group, sadly.

The only one I have a real issue with is Merida, honestly. Unlike the others which were late teen/young adult-ish and always have been, she was presented as a young teen. I'd rather her have stayed that way in looks. It gave her more character.

[Gravekeeper]

They do seem....tarted up a tad too much in some cases. Merida's redesign is the worst of the lot by far. But Pocahontas and Mulan got it pretty bad too. Pocahontas looks like she was hit with a blush covered shovel and Mulan is apparently Caucasian.

Glamming it up makes sense on the "traditional" older style Disney Princesses like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Not so much on the newer ones who tend to have more personality and independence.

Granted, Disney has mostly ruined all of the Princesses's personalities with horrible sequels these days.

[HYHYBT]

The eyes are horrible. The rest seem all right.

[Andara Bledin]

Merida is 16. Just like Aurora and Ariel. Snow White is the youngest, at about 14. On the other end of the spectrum, Cinderella is possibly as old as 20.

[Gravekeeper]

Merida is 16. Just like Aurora and Ariel. Snow White is the youngest, at about 14. On the other end of the spectrum, Cinderella is possibly as old as 20.

That's really a bit creepy if you think about it too long. Especially given that the end result of most the movies is to essentially marry her off as fast as possible.

It looks like the official ages, per Disney, are actually rather varied:

Snow White: 14
Cinderella: 19
Aurora: 16
Ariel: 16
Belle: 17
Jasmine: 16
Mulan: 16
Pocahontas: 18
Tiana: 19
Merida: 16
Rapunzal: 18

Fun Fact!
Mulan is the only one who is not actually a princess. ( She's neither nobility nor does she marry into nobility ).

Edit: I just realized they made all the Princesses's waists smaller than their heads..... o.O

[Kheldarson]

Mulan was being set up to marry the general dude's son who's name I can't remember, nor really care to look up right now. :P

And given society at the time, that would've meant he was probably nobility.

[Greenday]

I...don't see it. I see the picture of all the princesses together and all I see are the Disney princesses. None of them look slutty to me. Not by a longshot.

If we want to talk about characters setting impossible ideals for young men on the other hand, there's an argument there. I feel like all of them are tall, well-toned muscles, in shape. Makes me feel like a fat slob.

[Ginger Tea]

Brave is the only one I have issues with as she is a new character, oh and mulan being the whitest chick on the block (and yes that is a c not an n I did not make a typeo) purely due to the fact she is a new character, they had plenty of time to dictate changes to Merida during the pre production.

The others have a more unified art style whilst keeping iconic or identifiable looks, each movie was made years apart (some decades) and the art style changed quite a lot during the 80's-90's so the group shots look more unified vs for example a splash page of superheroes illustrated by one person but emulating the art style each one is more associated with.

[Gravekeeper]

Mulan was being set up to marry the general dude's son who's name I can't remember, nor really care to look up right now. :P

And given society at the time, that would've meant he was probably nobility.

Yeah, he was an army captain, son of a general. The movies never attribute any nobility to him though. Both families were military families though and Mulan's father was also a huge war hero but it didn't look like he got a title out of it.

Its not really the traditional story book set up Disney goes for.

I...don't see it. I see the picture of all the princesses together and all I see are the Disney princesses. None of them look slutty to me. Not by a longshot.

If we want to talk about characters setting impossible ideals for young men on the other hand, there's an argument there. I feel like all of them are tall, well-toned muscles, in shape. Makes me feel like a fat slob.

Slutty's not quite the word. They've been tarted up. IE they look cheap and gaudy for no real reason save to sell more cheap costume jewelry.

The Disney Princess most definitely set impossible ideals. They're all slender super models. Even Mulan, who should be the athletic one. The qualifications to be a Disney Prince on the other hand is typically a pretty face and some money in the bank. >.>

[siead_lietrathua]

i wonder if the new art is a concept sketch for a sequal, where she would be an older teen. it would explain the change a bit. and looking at the comparative pictures, her proportions look the same as the head-covered pic. they just neatened her hair, added some gold knotwork to her clothes, and lightened the cloth colour. it's not that big a change, she still looks like a creepy bobblehead.

the age thing doesn't surprise me. stories like snow white have been around for eons, and marrying your daughters off before they were 18 was common practice until, what, 100, 200 years ago tops? the idea of women choosing to marry or not before 18 WAS a big deal in those eras. most women didn't have the choice.

[Gravekeeper]

i wonder if the new art is a concept sketch for a sequal, where she would be an older teen.

This is just Disney's marketing department. You can't really shovel out one of their direct to dvd sequels with a film that has Pixar's production levels.

the age thing doesn't surprise me. stories like snow white have been around for eons, and marrying your daughters off before they were 18 was common practice until, what, 100, 200 years ago tops? the idea of women choosing to marry or not before 18 WAS a big deal in those eras. most women didn't have the choice.

Yes, but there's no need for that to really transfer over into the modern cinema. I'm pretty sure marrying off a 14 year old would still raise some eyebrows in 1937. But Snow White is forgivable given its age and her age isn't mentioned at all in the movie that I'm aware of.

It's the movies after the Disney resurgence where you have to start raising an eyebrow. As Disney is specifically stating the age's of the princesses. If they had just left it ambiguous it wouldn't be an issue. Young girls would just imprint their own age or desired age on the character. But Disney is oddly pegging the age of each princess officially.

Which means that Ariel for example was likely a teen mom according to Disney's chronology. Married at 16, has a 12 year old daughter in the sequel but no character redesign to show her as an adult. The only difference between 16 and 28-30 to Disney is a hair style. ;p

[lordlundar]

Clearly I don't have an eye for art because the biggest change I see in those "redesigns" is the addition of sparkles to the conventional outfit (or ceremonial outfit in the case of Merida).

I really can't see this as much more than another continuation of the "DISNEY'S ARTISTS ARE DEMANDING PERFECTION OUT OF OUR LITTLE GIRLS!!!" argument that has been going on since the 70's.

[Gravekeeper]

Disney has now pulled the sexy Merida redesign due to the backlash from her creator and the internet outrage.

The rest of the Real Housewives of Disney are still present on the website though. ;p

Jezebel has the side by sides for comparison.

[Ginger Tea]

The side by side really shows how inconsistent it would look if they had a group shot drawn in the style of each's own movie appearance, it would be jarring having a Liefeld character on the same page as a McFarlen as well as Ditko etc, but Snow's outfit with the sparkles, really the scullery maid look is how she want's to glam up after the wedding?