I finish my last final of university tomorrow, graduate in four days, fly to Norway in five, and move to Istanbul in 18... This is insanity! But I am excited!
On another note,
http://www.missrepresentation.org/
This is one of my favourite non-profits. The site says, "MissRepresentation.org is a non-profit social action campaign and media organization established to shift people’s consciousness, inspire individual and community action, and ultimately transform culture so everyone, regardless of gender, age or circumstance can fulfill their potential."
That shameless plug for Miss Representation aside, here is one of its latest stories about the character, Merida, from Disney's Brave (2012).
The original Merida, on the right, was an independent princess who valued her culture and archery over looks and dresses... What the heck happened?
source: DisneyCheck out one of the news stories about the incident here:http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-disney-merida-makeover-brave-20130515,0,5062947.story
Nicole Sperling of the LA Times writes, "Disney has no intention of abandoning its 'sexier' version of the Scottish archer. The modified Merida was created specifically to welcome the character into the company's princess collection. And according to a Disney representative on Wednesday, the image of Merida that sparked this maelstrom is part of a limited run of products including backpacks and pajamas."
It's disheartening that a character so celebrated for her spirit, attitude, and overall aversion to glitz and glam would be changed so drastically as to alienate her from her own personality. That Disney wants to memorialize Merida as something she is not is sad. This is not the message I want anyone to internalize... especially not children and those who looked up to Merida as an example of a strong girl/woman.
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