Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-81990.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Brave Creator Brenda Chapman Agrees Disney's Merida Makeover is Bad</b></a> <p style="text-align: center;"><img height="275" width="244" src="http://laughingplace.com/files/latest/20130513-2.jpg" /></p> <p>The Marin Independant Journal (Brenda Chapman's hometown paper) reports on an email she sent to them about the "makeover" of Merida for her addition to the Disney princess lineup on Saturday at the Magic Kingdom. To say the least, Chapman is not happy saying (among other things)</p> <p><span><i>"There is an irresponsibility to this decision that is appalling for women and young girls, Disney marketing and the powers that be that allow them to do such things should be ashamed of themselves."</i></span></p> <p><span><i>and</i></span></p> <p><span><i>"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! Merida was created to break that mold — to give young girls a better, stronger role model, a more attainable role model, something of substance, not just a pretty face that waits around for romance."</i></span></p>
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I do hope Disney really considers what she (and many others) are saying about this "makeover" edition of Merida. They did a similar thing with Mulan -- she seems to always appear in the clothing she wore to meet with the village matchmaker, rather than in her battle gear. There is a plethora of sparkly princesses already, but how about leaving just one that was more independent and a little tougher, just for variety?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros The images that I saw from the coronation didn't really look any different than what the character has always worn in the parks, despite the differences in the drawn image. The new drawing would be fine for me if it was a one-off costume for a specific show or parade (like Cinderella's oh-so-sequinned gown in Fantasmic!), but the change seems like a little much for her new 'permanent' look. I agree that it would be nice to have a different type of 'princess' in the canon. Mulan and Pocahontas both break the mold in their films, but Mulan is pure princess in the parks; Pocahontas gets to be a little more unique, but is still the gentle personality that matches the other ladies. But at the same time, I also keep in mind that Brenda may not be the most unbiased source of commentary on the final film and its future And as a side note: how about we get some more flawed male characters out there? It seems like the fellas are expected to swoop in and flawlessly sieze the day, but that is also an unfair expectation. Quasimodo and Milo Thatch immediately jump to mind as leading characters who are much more realistic and worthy of noticing, but are often swept under the rug in order for more well-pressed princes.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 My issue is why does Princess Belle come out with the Beast? It doesn't make any sense logically...
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <My issue is why does Princess Belle come out with the Beast? It doesn't make any sense logically> Seems like Disney wants to capture that iconic scene when Belle and The Beast are dancing in the ballroom.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 But she wasn't a princess until after he turned Human again... I am all about continuity...
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Does the drawn image really have anything to do with what people will see at the parks? It seems like they're just showing us her dress is going to be a different color with some sparkles.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance And yes the face looks different, but it's hand drawn as opposed to the CGI image on the left.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm fine with the differences in the face; they're perfectly in line with the changes that Rapunzel whent through when she became 2D for some of the merchandise. I think what bugs me is her "come and get it" stance in the 2D version, as opposed to the awkward-kid-attempting-to-be-confident pose in the 3D drawing (not to mention those hips). Obviously she won't always stand the exact same way, but it does seem like they're trying to portray her with a different personality.
Originally Posted By u k fan How is this any different to the fan artists who take Disney characters from multiple films and give them a stylized look on deviantart? She's being added to a character line that has a distinctive look, it would be more odd for her not to fit in with the style of the other Princesses!!!
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Forget all of this Merida nonsense...... WHY THE HECK IS BELLE IN EASTER YELLOW???
Originally Posted By mawnck >>it would be more odd for her not to fit in with the style of the other Princesses!<< Would this be a good time to point out that Brave was allegedly the Pixar movie?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Would this be a good time to point out that Brave was allegedly the Pixar movie?<< Sure, just like how Planes will be a Disney movie. As far as I'm concerned, the two studios have assimilated into one, and are both putting out equal quality products at the moment.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 Sure, just like how Planes will be a Disney movie. As far as I'm concerned, the two studios have assimilated into one, and are both putting out equal quality products at the moment.<< Fully concur, Pixar is a shell of the company it used to be...
Originally Posted By mapleservo >>There is a plethora of sparkly princesses already, but how about leaving just one that was more independent and a little tougher, just for variety? Yup, there's gotta be a few tomboy young ladies out there who aren't fans of jewelry and makeup and pink. There definitely were when I was younger. So why not give 'em a princess of their own? I also think Merida reads as a fair bit younger than the other Disney princesses, and that's not a bad thing either. Merida's character in the movie is all about avoiding being someones trophy, and having the freedom to be true to herself. She reached a bit of a compromise in the movie and saw the other side of the story, but here she looks like she's given up on her ideals completely. Beyond all this, her face just looks kinda funky and lacks all the personality she had in the film. I'm sure it's a challenge to merge the Pixar look with the Disney look, but I think they could have done much better than this. The park character is great though. >>> But she wasn't a princess until after he turned Human again... I am all about continuity... I was thrilled that Disney actually did a Tangled short with Rapunzel's short hair. Bugs me a little that characters like her and Beast are almost always represented as they were in the middle of their crisis. At least Ariel gets legs sometimes.
Originally Posted By mapleservo Actually in this picture (hope this link works) she looks much better - a little heavy on the blush and the eye liner but much better than the other one. <a href="http://i69.servimg.com/u/f69/15/23/30/85/44789_10.jpg" target="_blank">http://i69.servimg.com/u/f69/1...9_10.jpg</a> (Belle on the other hand...)
Originally Posted By wahooskipper When Princess Belle came out in Fantasyland with the Beast my six year old looked at me, cried, and screamed, "WHAT ABOUT THE CONTINUITY!" As if a talking clock and a dancing candle are just perfectly fine. Some of you take this stuff a little too seriously.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>(Belle on the other hand...)<< BELLE? But who is the 12-year-old munchkin dressed as Jasmine, standing near the giant tranny in the Cinderella getup? I think that's the single worst piece of princess artwork I've ever seen, and that's saying something! But you're right ... Meridia is a slight improvement over the previous iteration. But she still doesn't blend well with the other princesses. Her head is too Betty-Boop-shaped. >>Some of you take this stuff a little too seriously.<< RAGE!!!!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros If we really want to question the continuity, then we need to wonder what timeframe the new Fantasyland Expansion is at WDW. The Be Our Guest restaurant features a West Wing room, which is very clearly early in the film (or before the film). But then there's the cottage where Belle tells the story, implying that it's after the story has taken place. But the Beast is still in beast form. And why exactly is there a room in the restaurant with paintings and tapestries of the castle's servants, especially since they're in their cursed state? I just don't get it.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Some of you take this stuff a little too seriously.<< I'm the first to say that Disney fans (or just about any fans of any pop culture movement) can go too far, but this time, I'd disagree. As I said in the other thread, this is exactly one of those thousands of little insults women endure that make it so easy to just blow off as "Sheesh, relax! It's just a fake character in a kids movie!" It's death by a thousand cuts.
