Merida's new look

Hi everyone I know this is not really about collectibles but it will inevitably affect any other Merida merchandise going forward due to her new look.

Here is an article I just read about Merida's makeover for her inaugeration as a Disney Princess and how there is already a petition against it, even the original director (that was supposedly fired) is against it.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/pa...-merida-makeover/story-fnet085v-1226641178851

To be honest I'm not as upset about the make over as I thought I would be, mainly because I guess I was expecting Disney to do something like that already. I dunno what do you guys think of her new look? Does it bother you or is it something you would have expected?

Heres an updated article...

http://rebeccahains.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/disney-faces-backlash/

They took the image off the disney website, and replaced it with the original picture of merida.

She looks awful, I've signed the petition.

She is just wearing a glittered dress and make up right?

It doesnt bother me at all. I think its causing too much fuss. I also have noticed on web pages like news outlets, people jumping on the hate bandwagon just cause they hate disney. I honestly dont see the big fuss. They've changed all the princesses. I dont think Disney care because they will still sell products with her on. It's hard to convert 3D to 2D without it being changed, have you SEEN 2D rapunzel? She looks really ugly. I think it's just that 1 image which is circulating of her which looks bad. But personally its because I think she's badly drawn on it! which is this one:



I just think she's badly drawn on it

I like this one:



They also add glitter to everything. Even pocahontas gets glitter added haha

Combatdre said:

She is just wearing a glittered dress and make up right?

Click to expand...

I think what upset parents more is the significant changes that Disney made to the character (excluding the necessary changes to transition the character from 3D to 2D).


Sme if the more obvious changes was the obvious change in Merida's face, her eyes and nose looks very different, she has been glommed up a little more to look more feminine than her 3D counterpart, also her stance is more feminine which is a change to her Tom boyish style and finally other than glamming up her dress you would probably notice that the bust line of the dress has somewhat lowered compared to the original. So I can understand why parents would be upset.

Personally I don't think it is that bad especially with some of the previous makeovers Disney has done to the princesses so it is not something unexpected. But I just thought it worth bringing this up due to the obvious negative reaction people are having towards the changes, which makes me question if Disney is going to change the look or stick with it.

You can find discussion on Merida below:

http://disneypinforum.com/showthrea...Welcome-the-newest-official-Disney-princess-D

http://disneypinforum.com/showthread.php?34179-Merida-to-be-crowned-Disney-s-11th-princess-5-11-2013

Thanks for the links mermaid's grotto, here's my original post on Merida becoming a part of the princess line up.

http://disneypinforum.com/showthread.php?25978-Merida-to-be-part-of-the-Disney-Princess-line-up

WHATTTTT? SHE'S SHOWING HER SHOULDERS? WEARING GLITTER AND EYE LINER? That's it--time to blow up the internet!

Really, my only complaint is that she still doesn't look as pretty as the other princesses in the group shot. If you look at the other girls, they look so much sexier in comparison.

I think Disney started this uproar themselves, just to get people talking. Merida's makeover is probably the subtlest after Tiana's. Jasmine, Aurora, and Cinderella look wayyyyyy more overdone than she does. And that's not a complaint. I think they look gorgeous. Then again, I love change.

People on the internet crack me up. Little girls are tearing up their shirts because princesses bear their shoulders? Good grief. Who makes up this nonsense? If my daughter ruined her clothes because of a cartoon, she'd spend the next two weeks in her room sewing all her clothes back together.

I am not bothered by it in the slightest. Every princess got a re-design, with more glitter and more BAM (makeup, jewelry...uggs...lol poor Pocahontas). Her hair is still crazy (as crazy as a marketable image can be, remember, they have to print these images on things and sell them all over the place!). She is wearing WAY less makeup than the other princesses. She still has the Celtic style to her dress. The off-the shoulder is probably because it looked strange in 2D in its original "low collar bone" position. It isn't to make her look "sexy," for God's sake lol. I think a lot of parents just want something to complain about with Disney because they are sick of spending their money on them because their children love it so much. And its really sad to me that some parents will now "stop shopping" with Disney because of this "over-sexualized" re-design. (and then they watch ESPN and ABC Family...lol!!)

The ONLY thing I don't like is that she doesn't have a quiver or her bow on. I understand that may not be possible for it would serve to further crowd the images of the princesses when they are grouped. So I will live lol.

Her posing is still very strong-willed and beautiful, and not poised like a lot of princesses. :dunno: I guess I just don't see what the big hoopla is!

I think maybe they will do a sequel about Merida when she is older and she will look a little more "womanly." I don't think she is over-sexualized, but she does look a little more grown-up and that might be what they're going for.

For Merida to be placed into the Princess line, she had to be glittery and glammed up, just like the rest of the girls, or else she'd stand out like a sore thumb. I was against Merida being a part of the Princess line from day one because she did not fit the persona. To me, Merida is a free spirit who's not afraid to get her hands dirty. On another note, the sound of 11 princesses drive me nuts. It's not longer a nice even 10. I guess this means no more 10 doll box sets?

I do agree to an extent that this makeover was a bad choice. I can't really put my finger on it...but she now reminds me of 2 or 3 real life actresses. It's as if they were the muses for this new look. But, for the life of me, I don't know their names or what they have been in...I just see little hints of their faces in my mind. (Brain is brain-tied. It hurt real bad.)
As for the shoulders...that's so out dated to find them to be sexualized. As for the glitter-ed up dress...glitter is the herpes of the design world. Once you get it, it's everywhere and won't go away. I honestly thought that it took longer than normal for her dress to be coated in it. You all knew it was going to happen. Just think to yourself, "It rubbed off from the other gowns" or "Well...even though her mother agreed to let her be herself...she still probably wants to dote princess-y things upon her" or whatever else.
It's just her face though. It looks more "Park Meet and Greet" and less like the Pixar animation.
Wow...that was a lot of thought put in to a princess that doesn't even make my top 5 favorites...but oh well. If they ever get rid of that detailing on the bottom of her dress (like they did for Rapunzel), then I'll care. It's just so new and unique to her.

As for the other girls...I just don't like their hair any more. It all used to be so unrealistic and perfectly in place. Now it's "realistic" and that makes it look sloppy in my eyes.

I found an article claiming that Disney has already quietly scrapped Merida's "new look" and if you look on the Disney Store website, they pulled it from the Brave page.

If I find the link to the article again, I'll post it here.

HATE it and it is a big deal and i'll tell you why. In 2013 we FINALLY have some heroines for girls to identify with. It does mean something --the Irish features are being eliminated just like mulan and pocahontas- is shameful. Take a closer look at our princesses??? They all look the same now, again putting stereotypical appealing features on all of them, sending yet another message to little girls that they have to fit into this small window of "pretty". I think they are truning them all into kinda a slutty look. The come hither eyes vs. the full cartoon round ones.....thinner waists, bigger hair I mean its a bit much and its a shame NOT to keep with the original artists image. POOR FORM DISNEY

Honestly,it's gotten ridiculous with this whole scenario.It's not that big of a deal,really.People really do like to make mountains out of mole hills.I'd like someone who advocates against the redesigned image to properly explain to me EXACTLY what's wrong with the new Merida.Since when is a little make-up,and off the shoulder dress,and tamed hair such a bad thing.It's not the easiest thing to translate a 3D CGI animated charecter to 2D art,there's bound to be some inaccuricies in proportions,and if there is,so what.People like to see the negative in everything on purpose to give them an excuse to nag and whine and complain.

The fact that this promotional artwork with a redesign was released is NEVER going to change Meridas image in the film,ever.Artwork is subject to interpretation,an heaven forbid Disney charecter artists add a little flair and glamour to a signature charecter.You're severely delusional if you claim the redesign is sexualized,They didnt give Merida a Jessica Rabbit-esque apperance,they didnt add a slide slit and a provocative stance/pose to her,they didnt enlarge her breasts or contour them to make them immediatly noticable.You see what you want to,especially as an adult you've been exposed to so many different types of media it's easy to accuse what's sexualized and what's not,except,that is not a common trait for children.Children dont sit where they are and analize every aspect of the charecter,even something so critical like enlarged or diminished body proportions like so many "claim" Merida underwent.You inadvertently teach your children to criminalize anyone or anything that may have such a body image that you dont agree with,how?By the very mere fact that you claim Meridas redesign provides a supposed"negative body image".Just because Meridas redesign doesnt comform to your ideals doesnt make it bad.-.-