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Disney Princess Merida makeover: A 7-year-old鈥檚 verdict on the 'Brave' heroine

The Disney Princess makeover of the 鈥楤rave鈥� character Merida, causes one chubby little red-head looking at all the curves and makeup to ask: 鈥淚s that the Evil Merida?鈥�

The newest, most feminist-forward Disney princess, Merida of the animated film "Brave" asks, 鈥淚f you had the chance to change your fate, would you?鈥�

Disney corporate answered with a resounding 鈥淣o!鈥� when it stuck to gender-typed tradition and converted the disheveled, feisty, normally-proportioned, self-reliant archer to a slimmer, glitzy, doe-eyed version, sparking a petition by outraged fans.

Worse, it disappointed a chunky little red-haired girl I babysit for because it put her princess dream back out of reach.

Merida was crowned as Disney鈥檚 11th official princess last Thursday at听Disney World. Sadly, it wasn鈥檛 the sassy Scottish lassie who won her own freedom with archery and willpower who took the stage at the coronation. Instead Disney marketing missed the target again where the good of little girls is concerned and sexed-up the character with more cleavage and a vapid look.

鈥淵uck!鈥� squeaked Laurel when her baby blue eyes saw the side-by-side before and after versions of Merida on my computer this morning. Laurel, who is 7 and has听wavy bright red hair, likes to hover at my right shoulder like a ditzy little angel in the mornings because I blogged about her and she鈥檚 always on the lookout to see her own face on my screen.

鈥淵uck?鈥� I responded. 鈥淲hich one鈥檚 the one you like?鈥�

A chunky little finger went to the old Merida. So I asked her why, and she responded with what, for Laurel, is a super cohesive answer: 鈥淭he one in dark blue is smiling and her hair鈥檚 prettier 'cause it鈥檚 more like mine and 'cause the new one鈥檚 scary-pretty with all that blowy hair and cat-eyes. The new one looks mean and I don鈥檛 know her.鈥�

Then she made my day and my blog by pointing back to the make-over Merida and asking, 鈥淚s that the Evil Merida?鈥�

It took Herculean restraint not to say, 鈥淵es! Behold the demon Disney spawn that is a slimmer, girlier, and more stereotypical version wrought in the cauldron of marketing鈥檚 poisonous spell.鈥�

Instead I simply explained that Disney had given her a make-over. To which Laurel simply replied, 鈥淥h. That鈥檚 too bad.鈥�

For those, like me, who agree with Laurel鈥檚 assessment of the Disney-engineered damage to how girls view themselves and their future roles as women there is a petition 鈥溾�� It's online at Change.org听

The petition, created by the webmasters at A Mighty Girl听reads in part: 鈥淭he redesign of Merida in advance of her official induction to the Disney Princess collection does a tremendous disservice to the millions of children for whom Merida is an empowering role model who speaks to girls' capacity to be change agents in the world rather than just trophies to be admired. Moreover, by making her skinnier, sexier and more mature in appearance, you are sending a message to girls that the original, realistic, teenage-appearing version of Merida is inferior; that for girls and women to have value -- to be recognized as true princesses -- they must conform to a narrow definition of beauty.鈥�

The petitioner also quotes "Brave" writer and co-director Brenda Chapman in a : "Because of marketing, little girls gravitate toward princess products, so my goal was to offer up a different kind of princess 鈥� a stronger princess that both mothers and daughters could relate to, so mothers wouldn't be pulling their hair out when their little girls were trying to dress or act like this princess. Instead they'd be like, 鈥榊eah, you go girl!鈥� 鈥�

This new Merida is definitely the opposite of what her creator intended.

So I found myself signing a petition in support of an imaginary girl because I believe in real girls like Laurel having a fighting chance at hitting the target of self-esteem in life. I believe that they like themselves a little more and dream with a bit more confidence when the waist lines and imaginations are slightly expanded in their role models.

If you had the choice to change a little girl鈥檚 fate of self-loathing and obsession with makeup, hair, and wasp-waisted fashion slavery would you? I would, and I don鈥檛 even have a daughter of my own. Also, as the mother of four sons, I want more of the old Meridas out there in the dating pool for them to meet.

The Golden Rule of parenting is to be consistent and not mix messages. Disney is exhibiting some poor parenting of its brands with this move. It鈥檚 also making the error of telling us 鈥淒o as I say and not as I do.鈥� "Brave" succeeded because it resonated with all of us who might not have ever fit the princess mold, but who have risen to be queens of our own castles by being brave enough to overcome the stereotypes that weighted us down early in life.

If you want to see a real princess, cast your gaze back at England鈥檚 late Princess Diana when she walked the minefields of Cambodia in support of children who鈥檇 been disfigured by the devices. Diana looked every inch a princess of the realm than when she wore that plastic face shield, helmet, and khakis as she championed the Land Mine Ban Treaty. While Princess Diana was often noted for her fashion sense and beauty, she also had the courage to help people while not looking like a fashion model.

As the Queens of our own little realms we must unite the feminine clans against this dark army of old school marketing shills that has captured our princess.

Personally, I鈥檇 love to see moms put on a Disney princess protest in their own areas by dressing their girls up in their favorite princess costume, but with messy hair and a few dirty smudges on their cheeks, tiara rakishly askew.

I vow to tilt my crown, roll up my frilly sleeves and let Disney and little girls everywhere know that being a good ruler is a dirty job. Instead of asking little girls听鈥渨ould you change your fate鈥� I鈥檇 rather ask Disney,听鈥淚f you had the chance to change your mind, would you?鈥� Let鈥檚 hope they鈥檙e brave enough to admit defeat and retreat from this attack on progress.