Recently, I feel as though every time I check social media, I see some repost of “reimagined Disney Princesses.” Someone gifted in graphic design has altered some image of the classic Disney Princesses, changing their look and changing the story. While I understand the thought behind this phenomenon, in my opinion it has gone too far. The princesses are each so uniquely different, representing so many different cultures and places. They all have their own unique look for a reason. Changing a princess’ gender or skin color changes the entirety of her story, and while I appreciate the artistic ability and creativity behind the projects, I think they need to stop.
For example, here are some of the Disney Princesses as mermaids. While the designs are impressive, this one bothers me because being a mermaid is Ariel’s thing. Doing this is like reimagining every princess as a samurai warrior posing as a man.
I have also seen different versions of various Disney Princes and Princesses reimagined as the other gender. An interesting concept visually, but it completely changes the story.
Here is one artist's take on the concept:
Another example I've seen is Disney Princesses who have been aged about sixty years. Not exactly what my vision was for happily-ever-after.
Arguably one of the most controversial examples of reimagined Disney Princesses is this one, showing what each of the Princesses would look like if they were a different ethnicity. This one bothers me because the princesses are so diverse, and their appearance and attire reflects the area in which their story takes place.
See more examples here.
"Disney Princesses without makeup" really confuses me. How do you know that isn't the natural color of Pocahontas' lips? Why did you take everyone's eyelashes completely away? What happened to Snow White's eyebrows??
Terrifying. Just terrifying. "Use the slider to magically wipe off their makeup" here.
The only one I’m really a fan of: Donald Trump as various Disney Princesses.
See the rest of this brilliance here.
