The feisty Merida in Pixar’s Brave didn’t look like every other Disney heroine. Her unruly red hair defied easy styling, and her figure hardly fit in the Barbie mold we so often see on screen.
Now, Disney is giving Merida a makeover, and it’s causing consternation in feminist and parent circles. The new Merida has less curves, sexier hair and curves reminiscent of boilerplate princess characters.
A petition at Change.org is blasting Disney’s decision to reshape the character, changes ostensibly made to help push merchandise sales.
We write to you on behalf of all the young girls who embraced Merida as a role model, who learned from her that they too could go off on an adventure and save the day; that it’s not how you look that matters but who you are. For them and for all the children — both girls and boys — who benefit from seeing depictions of strong, courageous, and independent-minded girls and women that are so scarce in animated movies, we ask you to return to the original Merida that we all know and love.
So far, the online petition has racked up more than 37,000 signatures.