Disney 'Princessifies' "Brave"'s Merida

  What happens when a spirited girl becomes an official Disney princess? In the case of Merida from Pixar's "Brave," she transforms from a round-faced, round-eyed heroine with copious amounts of frizzy red hair to an almond-eyed, teeny-waisted hottie with smooth, wavy tresses, a twinkly dress and plenty of décolletage. She also trades her bow and arrow for a belt from Elvis' Vegas years.

  This is the beginning of an article from MSN.com (http://social.entertainment.msn.com/blogs/pop-spy-blog.aspx?feat=c399562a-5d3d-4462-a07e-eeeb4b1ff945&ocid=fbmsn). I laughed when I saw what Disney had done to Merida, their newest princess. Apparently, a number of other people did too, but these others went even farther and demanded that Disney retract their version of the princess, because it "ruined" the role model Pixar had created. I would agree with those who pleaded against Disney, and believe it is sad that our culture is so consumed with the picture-perfect characters. They are so quick to displace the slightly-blemished, headstrong but simple, heroes and heroines with ridiculous unrealistic models of "beauty".
  The parents complained that this was sending the wrong message to their children and I would agree. However, the article finishes by saying that Disney did indeed accept the complaints and reinstated Pixar's Merida. I'm glad to hear that Disney isn't so caught up in itself that it discounts the pleas of the parents who want a reasonable role model. It's good to know that someone still cares.