A Not So Brave Makeover

Some followers of our Facebook page will have seen this great image and quote that we shared from A Mighty Girl yesterday. They've been spearheading a campaign to get Disney to undo their princess makeover of the Brave lead character Merida. This was picked up in the Guardian yesterday, and with a Comment is Free article too.

I have to say I have something of a soft spot for this film - I saw it at the cinema twice in fact. And it was the first Disney 'princess' that I've ever really felt any affinity with. I think this quote from Brenda Chapman, Brave's writer and co-director pretty much says it all: "Merida was created to break that mould - to give young girls a better stronger role model, a more attainable role model something of substance not just a pretty face that waits around for romance."

Before and after the 'princess makeover'.

Why, Disney, why do you see the need to turn a character whose main selling point is NOT being like every other princess going in your films, into just another one of those princesses? She is the princess for the 21st century, not some half-century old fairytale idea of how young women should behave.

I remember being a 10 year old and with a group of friends we made up our own fairytale play about royalty and protectors, forces of evil and their Hench-people.I cast myself as the prince so I'd be the one doing the rescuing having the adventure - I didn't want to stand about tied with a skipping rope to the playground fence waiting to be rescued.

Now 12 years later there's a film that allows a generation of young people see that you can be the princess and have the adventure. It's not all about the waiting about looking pretty.

It appears that Disney have now removed the Princess version from their website, but it's not a victory yet. You can still sign on to the campaign at www.change.org/keepmeridabrave.