A Disney Don't: Merida's TV Makeover

I'm a redhead.  It's curly, long, and has a mind of it's own.  I'm also a bit of a tomboy.  It made my mother crazy growing up.  It made my friends jealous of the clothes in my closet I didn't wear.  It made me jealous of the pretty girls that were more feminine.

Add to that: Disney movies are sort of my thing.  I love Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and now Brave (among many others).

You see, Ariel (Little Mermaid) was the only red-haired princess Disney had and I adored that.  We aren't often found to be pretty outside of a 1940's WWII pin-up poster.  I wasn't much like Ariel, but at least they finally had an auburn rebellious heroine I could relate to.

Then came Brave.  See Merida is more like me.  I'm very good at archery, horseback riding, I'm very good at angering my mother (still), and my hair looks a lot like her tangled mass of curls.

My oldest made the comparison throughout the movie because he's been with me when "Mom" turned into "Who are you?"  We were fishing and the motor gave out on the boat and we ended up in a tangle of an old dead tree.  I whipped out the paddle to get us where we were headed.  I baited hooks, I caught and unhooked fish...

All while my son sat with his mouth agape.

I taught him gun safety (with a BB gun) and while we practiced shooting, he missed the target every time, so I asked to see the gun.  I nailed the target dead center which warranted another whispered-in-awe "Who are you?"

(me & my Charity, a long time ago)

My kids learned that prissy and pretentious Soccer Mom had a secret identity and I earned a new level of respect from a bunch of boys.

So back to Brave:

I guess the TV Disney doesn't think that messy hair and an athletic body make for good television, so they gave Merida what's being called the Victoria's Secret makeover.

I agree with angry fans everywhere; I don't like it!

What made for box office and DVD sales in the millions was her unique ability to be real.  Letting girls everywhere know that to be a princess you didn't need a Barbie body and make-up.  That amazing women/girls come in all shapes, sizes, and yes, sometimes our hair has a life of it's own.

(Merida & Angus)

Merida was fearless.  She was, well, brave.  She was beautiful, inside and out, just the way she was.  She certainly wasn't what they are portraying her as now and she definitely wouldn't approve.

Maybe the hair is easier for cartoons that need to be pumped out often, but put her tunic back on under her dress (bare shoulders? sequins?), take out the bulimia, get rid of the coy, flirty look, then lose the make-up.  A belt?  Not without a quiver attached!!

Shame on you Disney.  I thought you would set a better example than that!