Brave’s Merida gets the Disney princess treatment
IT MAY be Brave but is it on target? The star of Disney’s Celtic fantasy Merida has had a glam makeover that has gone down poorly with fans as well as parents.
An online petition has attracted more than 18,000 signatures in protest at the launch of a children’s doll of the character as part of the Disney Princess collection, which now features a smaller waist, sparkly gown and no trusty bow and arrows. The feisty, rebellious heroine’s red corkscrew curls have also been replaced with tousled elegant auburn locks
With a sporty, determined persona, Merida had been seen by many as a role model for girls, and the change has prompted the protest. The petition at Change.org states that by “making her skinnier, sexier and more mature, you are sending a message that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior”.