It seems that Ursula, Ariel's nemesis in "The Little Mermaid," has lost her curves. The once full-figured character has been transformed into a much smaller version of herself for a new Disney Villains Designer Collection of figurines and beauty products.
These are photos of Ursula "before" and "after" her forced slim-down:
According to the Disney Blog: "Designed and carefully crafted to capture the essence of evil at its best dressed, the Villains Designer Collection re-imagines the stylish wickedness of classic Disney Villains." Apparently part of this "re-imagination" involves making Ursula lose two-thirds of her body weight. But was putting the evil sea witch on a cartoon diet really necessary?
She's not the first character to undergo a transformation. Strawberry Shortcake went from looking like Raggedy Ann to having long, flowing locks and a lither figure. The same goes for Rainbow Brite, and even My Little Pony was forced to slim down. Companies seem to think that thinner means more commercial value.
Disney is clearly trying to make their traditional evil women into hip ladies that younger women want to aspire to be like -- or at least look like. I wonder why that vision couldn't include some body diversity.
Jezebel's Dodai Stewart put it best: "... was Ursula forced to go on a crash diet so she could model for beauty products? Because that's bullsh*t." Amen.
LOOK: The Disney Villainesses Re-imagined
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Our country revolves around our fast food habits, which has resulted in a nationwide obesity problem. We've turned diseases associated with obesity such as diabetes and cholesterol common.
Since the eating habits that children develop at a young age will transition with them throughout all stages of life, I believe it is better for them to become health conscious sooner.
Due to the fact that with eating disorders, the effects on our bodies can sometimes be reversible through eating correctly. This is not so much the case with obesity related problems such as those mentioned earlier; once you are diagnosed with diabetes, you have it for life.. and they influence future generations genetically as well by allowing them to become more susceptible to those problems.
I do not believe in the "children should not be so concerned with their weight because they are still growing and have a fast metabolism" line because like I said earlier, their eating habits they develop now are their eating habits for life.
I see no problem with children becoming more health conscious instead of over indulging- simply because they are children, have a fast metabolism, are still growing, and "should not have to worry" about their weight yet. The eating habits they develop as a child sets them up for life.
This is true, after a fashion. Thinner plastic molds mean higher profits for the same amount of plastic source material.
You'd think that Disney would have the sense to either not do Ursula at all, or go the extra mile and make a new mold. Unfortunately, while it costs cents to make a toy, a new mold costs tens of thousands of dollars.
So Disney would only have a 30x mark-up instead of a 50x mark-up per unit. That alone in my opinion is worth it to keep from looking completely foolish over a doll.
Let the adults design things. Don't let the fetishistic weirdos who want emaciated boyish androgynous women anywhere close to mainstream goods.
I wouldn't go as far to say as nobody likes it -- there's at least one person in the world who does.
Don't speak for the masses when you're only one voice of very little reason.
Disney, this is not the way to do things. As a 4-year old, Disney is pretty much everything to a girl, and this will not make the issue any easier to discuss with children. That little girl loved to pretend to be Cinderella, and loved Ariel's hair - what would she say if she saw Ursula had to lose weight to suit current "fashion"?
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Everywhere I look there is more of this 'thin is better' bs.
I for one am so sick of the anorexic look. It does nothing but make a woman look like she has a teenage boy body. If i wanted to look like a boy, i'd have a sex change. People...women are supposed to be curvy and have breasts and hips! Now, I get that ursala was a little bit more than curvy but so what. No need to change her into anorexic. Sick!! Bad move disney!