A Reddit user has bashed the work of an artist who created curvy renditions of Disney princesses, insisting that ‘fat’ is not a ‘realistic’ depiction of the characters.
The images, created by the artist Ashleigh Beevers, show princesses such as Ariel and Belle with curvy figures, tattoos, and pin-up-inspired make-up.
Beevers’ reinventions are a stark departure from Disney’s typical body standards, which have often been slammed as unrealistic and fat-phobic.
Image: A Reddit user has bashed the work of an artist who created curvy renditions of Disney princesses (pictured), insisting that ‘fat’ is not a ‘realistic’ depiction of the characters
Reaction: The Reddit user wrote this comment after seeing a headline presenting the curvy drawings as ‘realistic’, though it’s unclear whether that was the artist’s intention
Many have also pointed out in the past that bigger characters in Disney movies, such as The Little Mermaid’s Ursula and Robin Hood’s Sherif Of Nottingham, are often depicted as evil or stupid—something that has been deemed problematic in films aimed at young children.
But the Reddit user found the curvy reinventions ‘unrealistic’, and claimed they don’t match the princesses’ living conditions.
She wrote about the topic on Reddit after seeing a headline on Imgur, which stated that the curvier princesses depict what the characters would look like ‘if they had realistic proportions’.
It is unclear whether Beevers actually intended to make her curvy characters look realistic. On her website, she called her illustrations, which also include reinterpretations of Ursula and Merida, ‘curvy interpretations of some cutie princesses’.
The Reddit user, going by Veethebunny, felt that the images were the opposite of realistic.
‘Can we stop classifying ‘realistic proportions’ as fat please?’ she wrote before referring to Ariel, Belle, and Pocahontas successively.
‘Like seriously? Do these people really think a mermaid who swims constantly would be fat? Or a woman living in France before the French Revolution would be fat? Or a Native American girl who constantly runs around and maybe helps to carry heavy things and hunt would be fat?’
Different: The curvy reinventions are a stark departure from Disney’s typical body standards, which have often been slammed as unrealistic and fat-phobic
Portrayal: Many have also pointed out in the past that bigger characters in Disney movies are often depicted as evil or stupid—something that has been deemed problematic
Opinions: Other people said the princesses’ silhouettes lack realism not because they are curvy, but because of their hourglass shape
Another Reddit user pointed out that depicting a curvier body in pre-revolutionary France might not be completely inaccurate, writing: ‘Well… in this case I’d have to at least acknowledge, historically, if you look at the aristocracy, fatness and obesity was a thing but it was a sign of opulence and wealth.’
Veethebunny added in the original comment: ‘Every time I see articles like this one it makes me so mad. They boast about “Oh think of all the little fat girls that look at these skinny princesses and hate themselves!” but fail to think about the little skinny girls who hear people talk about how being skinny isn’t “normal” or “realistic” and feel bad about themselves.
‘There are two sides to every coin, skinny and fat kids get picked on for being skinny and fat. This type of s**t isn’t for “teh liddle gurls” it’s for fat, vain adult women who feel insecure because of a freaking cartoon.’
Other people said the princesses’ silhouettes lack realism not because they are curvy, but because of their hourglass shape.
‘Their head is wider than their waist, and on top of that, their hips are almost triple the size of their waist. I dare you, go and find someone who looks like that,’ someone wrote. ‘Just because they’re drawn “cartoonishly thicker” doesn’t make them “realistic.”‘
‘Honestly these “realistic proportions” would make me feel even s******r than just the normal thin drawings,’ another person said. ‘It’s like, oh yeah of course there aren’t really people that thin and nice, its a cartoon. But with the “realistic” one it’s just a reminder that there’s always people with more hips and smoother curves, whether they can achieve the cartoon or not, still more.’