The recently controversial redesign Disney’s done in order to induct Merida of Brave into the canon of their other princesses isn’t the first time Disney has done a sparklier, cleaner, trimmer version of their princesses. But it’s caused particular backlash in part because Merida represented a different kind of femininity than most of her other princess counterparts.

“I think it is atrocious!!!… Since I am no longer with the company, I’m sure they could care less what I think on the matter. But they have betrayed the essence of what we were trying to do with Merida—give young girls and women a better stronger role model. She’s strong inside and out—she’s not just a simpering pretty face waiting around for romance! She was created to turn that whole ideal on it’s [sic] head! Oh yeah… that’s why I created her… they’re just in it for the money… not the integrity. They don’t care what message they send about women, as long as it makes them a buck.” — Brenda Chapman on Disney’s Merida redesign.

I don’t object to anything she says here… but should Disney being in it for the money, as opposed to the artistic integrity, really come as a surprise? Granted, Merida is Chapman’s baby, so she has every right to be angry. But I’d say the problem is less in Merida specifically than in how Disney presents their princesses in general. Regardless of how they appear in the movies, the “official public image” of the characters are all kind of shiny and generic (a “simpering pretty face”), and Merida is but one part of that.

Though she may be a more important part, because Merida was so different from most other Disney princesses to begin with. What do you think?

(via: Boing Boing)

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Yesterday saw Brave‘s Merida officially crowed as the 11th Disney Princess at a ceremony that marked the first appearance of Official Disney Cosplay Queen Elinor. (Inside the Magic)

On May 11th Brave‘s Merida will be officially crowned as the 11th Disney Princess, the impact of which is that Disney will be selling more stuff with her on it, I guess? Anyway. Along with the “coronation ceremony,” to be held at Walt Disney World, Merida’s gotten a new redesign, which will be used on merch along with the 3D version.

For comparison, two pictures of the original Merida (one with each of the dresses her new outfit is based on) is behind the jump. What do you think of the new version? I wish they’d kept to her non-ceremonial dress, but the tartan’s a nice touch.

We’d have really slow moving Disney films but they’d be ten times cuter. “A Facebook conversation occurred….I needed a break from finals….and this happened,” writes Phillip Light of this unique art pairing. Check out what Snow White, Belle, and (my favorite) Merida would look like as sloths. Oh and for those wondering, there’s nothing in our bylaws that says we can’t do more than one sloth post a day.

… and to stay single, of course.

Check out POP!’s versions of Carl from Up and the Rocketeer (Heh. POP! Rocketeer.) under the jump.

It’s not often triplets find a suitable family costume so when one mom saw Pixar’s Brave featured three brothers, she knew it was only a matter of time before she’d dress her boys up. On her blog Three at Once she says she spent a month making their costumes for a Halloween trip to Disneyland. “The whole night the boys loved the attention they were getting for their costumes and it was nice to have them dressed as Disney characters,” she says. “All night they insisted on saying hi to all of the little girls dressed as Merida saying ‘it’s our sister.’”

(Three at Once via /Film)

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Brave is up for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year at the Academy Awards tomorrow night and to celebrate, Disney decided to get silly. They asked a few of their Disney Interactive employees to attempt Merida’s Scottish accent. I think you can guess how that went.

(via Oh My Disney)

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I was happy to stumble upon artist Luján Fernández. She has a great collection of drawings featuring many of my favorite pop-culture characters including the women of Game of Thrones, comics, and Disney! Check out our selection here which also features Adventure Time and Dredd, and see more at her Deviant Art page.

Good job on that, uh, “Forest Maiden”‘s hair, Lego. It’s actually really impressive given it’s made out of molded plastic.

A few of our other favorites—Roller Derby Girl, albino Cylon Battle Mech, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Mr. Good and Evil, and a Marilyn Monroe Hollywood Starlet minifig holding a mini-minifig-sized Oscar (be still my beating heart)—are behind the jump.