Disney Characters' 'New Look'

I love Disney. Really, I do. When I was young, I loved watching all their movies. Okay, Okay. I STILL love watching their movies. And I loved the characters - Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, etc. I've been to DisneyWorld, DisneyLand, and DisneyLand Paris. And if I ever got the chance, I'd go back there anytime!

So you can imagine how shocked I was when I read this: http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/fashion/minnie-mouse-daisy-duck-whittled-down-barney-8217-172800382.html

Go to the link and see for yourself. That's right. The picture is of Minnie Mouse, wearing fashionable/designer clothes. I could NOT believe that Disney agreed to change the way their characters look just to advertise for designer clothes!

What really makes me angry is the fact that all the characters were made thinner and taller. This does not even look like Minnie Mouse anymore! Why couldn't they just dress Minnie in the designer clothes, but keep her original size and look?! Why did they have to make her look so...emaciated and 'model-like'?

A while ago, I wrote a blog about the media (http://anorexiarecovery1.blogspot.ca/2012/07/thin-is-not-in.html). Think about it: the media is always using models who are unrealistically thin and beautiful, just to get people to purchase their products. And don't get me started on the photoshop and technology that they use to enhance these images. And now DISNEY is doing the same with their loveable and 'family-friendly' characters?

What does this picture show little kids? That you have to be extremely tall and thin in order to wear brand-name clothes? That the original Disney characters' size wasn't 'good enough'?! That to be famous and beautiful and wear rich clothing you have to lose your original body and shape? Obviously, this is a big problem. I saw this and was shocked - what will little kids do? I'm not necessarily saying that this is going to cause eating disorders (although it could lead to it), but I AM saying that this is giving out the wrong types of messages to children WORLDWIDE. And for those already with body-image issues or eating disorders, this is only reaffirming that the world places way too much stress on being thin.

Does this fuel ED? For me, it does not. But it certainly makes me angry. And it makes me want to walk into people's homes and shout 'LOVE YOURSELF FOR WHO YOU ARE! THIN IS NOT IN!'.

I'm still in love with Disney movies and their ORIGINAL characters. But this is not working for me.


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