Too much glitter to be genuine

Whatever happened to the phrase ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it?’

Five years ago, the Disney corporation decided to redesign the look of all the Disney “princesses.” Since 1938, the princesses have kept their classic design. Each looked like they were plucked right out the movie. However, the redesign coated each girl in sparkles and glitter, adorned them with unnecessary and out of character jewelry and even redone some facial aspects like their eyes and hair.

First off, is it really necessary to make the characters look so different? I understand having to redraw the newly animated characters like Merida and Rapunzel because of the media difference. However, they took it way too far.

The characters do not look like themselves anymore after being doused in glitter, not to mention some of the characters like Pocahontas are given elaborate jewelry that does not fit into their role. Was Pocahontas ever seen with feathers hanging from her ears with a matching belt? No. She was created with a simple look. That’s how she should stay. 

Princess Merida is known for her distaste of fancy dresses and girly things, and what does Disney do? They stick poor Merida in a low cut sparkly dress without her trademark bow. Demeaning, much? It doesn’t fit her character at all. She might still have the same features like the red hair, but if that’s the only recognizable attribute, there’s a big problem. 

Speaking of, Mulan, the savior of China (also not actually a princess by the way), gets stuck with more glitter, a face lift and a pretty hair-do. She deserves better than that. Her movie showed her as this inspiring figure for girls, demonstrating you don’t have to be pretty or perfect. Mulan gives girls the confidence to do things people tell them are a “boy’s or man’s job.”

Belle is where Disney really crossed over the line. When I was younger, I related to Belle more than the other princesses because she was a huge book nerd just like me. She wasn’t into dresses or makeup. She didn’t want to impress anyone. All she cared about was knowledge. Now with her redesign, she looks like she hasn’t read even one book in her life.

This action has taken so much away from the personalities of these strong, powerful girls, making all of them seem vain and picturesque, giving young girls an unattainable goal and affecting their self image.

Honestly, what should have made them stop in their tracks was thinking about the legacy Walt Disney would have wanted. He created these characters the way he wanted them. If he was still alive today, would he have let that awful and demeaning redesign happen? I would like to think probably not.

I keep asking myself only one question: why? What could have possibly made them lose their minds long enough to think this what a good idea?