Disney Princesses With Realistic Waistlines Spark Body Positivity Debate

We all love a Disney film!

They’re the magical, colorful, all-singing, all-dancing distraction that we need in this mad world.

That’s right Snow White, clap your problems away girl.

But it’s no secret that when it comes to women… Disney can get it a little bit wrong…

WHERE ARE THESE DEERS WHEN I NEED THEM?! I’VE GOT LOADS OF LAUNDRY THESE BUNNIES COULD DO IN NO TIME. SELFISH CREATURES.

Whether it’s only being good at house-work and baking, not speaking very much at all or being a general push-over one thing is for certain, a lot of us question whether the Disney Princesses are good role models for our daughters and other little girls.

Today, we’re looking at the much-debated waistlines of Disney Princesses. They’re sometimes too small to spot but we’re going to try looking anyway…

Mulan is just transfixed. WHERE do their internal organs go? HOW do they find clothes that fit properly? WHO WAS THIS CUP OF TEA FOR ANYWAY?!

So let’s look at the realistic re-imaginings of some of our favorite animated heroines.

1. Ariel – The Far Too Little Mermaid?

(Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios)

GIRL. Never mind the people. Get to where the carbohydrates are! Sure, she falls in love with Prince Eric pretty quickly but imagine the first time she tries bread? We’d happily give up our voice for a nice crusty baguette.

The Still Little But Not Starving Mermaid

(Image Credit: BuzzFeed/Loryn Brantz/Walt Disney Studios)

Just as gorgeous, just as magical but a version I’d much prefer my daughter to grow up with. We get that they’re cartoons but they should still promote a healthy look!

 

2. Jasmine – A Whole New Waistline

(Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios)

Her waist is TINY. We are so confused as to where she’s storing her digestive system…

 

But oh my freakin’ god look at mini Raja the Tiger! He’s adorable, and the only thing we actually want to stay small here.

“Tell me Princess, now when did you last let your stomach decide?”

 

(Image Credit: BuzzFeed/Loryn Brantz/Walt Disney Studios)

Because if you listened to it you would definitely look more like this. It’s amazing how much healthier Jasmine looks. She’s still fairly skinny but that’s fine, (all body shapes are beautiful) what matters is that there’s enough space for her ribs and intestines.

 

3. Belle – Tale as old as time, a very small waistline

Ah yes, Belle, the superior Dinsey Princess. She’s smart, feisty and kind and was dumped in this butter-colored ball gown. It’s criminal.

Anyway, much as she’s famed for being one of the first ‘progressive princesses’, animators still insist on corsetting her waist to about half the width of her neck. These articles are usually followed by a lot of women protesting they have the figure of an original princess… but a basic understanding of anatomy would say otherwise. Unless your neck is bigger than your waist please don’t start on us.

(Image Credit: BuzzFeed/Loryn Brantz/Walt Disney Studios)

The curse is lifted and Belle can breathe again! What a transformation, cue the end credits so she can go and enjoy that feast Lumière was banging on about in Be Our Guest.

 

4. Elsa – Let that corset GO

You know Elsa? Queen of both Arendelle and switching up an outfit from day to night.

Oh, the power that comes with a costume change. 

So in between building ice castles, magic-ing up new dresses and giving literal life to a snowman what does Elsa do with her time?

I’ll tell you one thing, it’s not eating.

(Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios)

We love that Elsa becomes a strong, fearless Queen, but her eyes are wider than her belly. *AGAIN* we KNOW it’s a cartoon but why don’t the guys look like this? Sure, they’re broad shouldered hunks but they’re not anatomically impossible are they? Unlike a lot of the women.

Do you wanna build a healthier ideal for little girls? YES!

(Image Credit: BuzzFeed/Loryn Brantz/Walt Disney Studios)

Oh, look! Elsa is still a beautiful, stylised cartoon! Except now she can loosen the laces on her corset and take the deep breaths she needs to power out mountain top ballads.

 

5. Pocahontas – The free spirit with a very constricting belt

(Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios)

Fair enough, this strong, independent woman has amazing athletic ability and her skills as an ambassador are off the chain.

But whilst her raccoon friend lives his best life in his birthday suit and John Smith struts about in some practical adventure-wear, poor Pocahontas is girdled with an incy wincy waist.

Whilst Pochontas’ proportions aren’t quite as extreme as other Princesses’, it’s still interesting to see her with different dimensions…

(Image Credit: BuzzFeed/Loryn Brantz/Walt Disney Studios)

Just as athletic, just as beautiful. The only question left is, how do we get our hair to do that in the wind? Instead of just blowing straight in our face?

6. Sleeping Beauty – Once upon a dream I finally threw out this corset

A truly relatable Princess. Never mind the prince, she just wants some shut-eye.

She looks shocked here, she knows her hair shouldn’t be thicker than her torso, and yet.

(Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios)

So the three good fairies bless Aurora with beauty, a good set of pipes for when she has to bag a strange hottie wandering in the woods and something about not dying when she touches a needle. We don’t know, we don’t think it’s that important anyway.

Thankfully, this artist has blessed Aurora with the gift of a corset that doesn’t sinch her in quite so much…

(Image Credit: BuzzFeed/Loryn Brantz/Walt Disney Studios)

Aurora is still working her forest-peasant chic (it’s a hard look to pull off but she’s doing us proud) with a wider waistline.

So do you prefer these differently proportioned princesses?

Some people are naturally skinny/slender, so is it fair to call the original designs ‘unrealistic’? Well, we think that even the naturally skinnier ladies amongst us would agree that their hair and necks aren’t thicker than their waistlines. Sure, cartoons are unrealistic by their nature but why are these dimensions used so frequently, almost exclusively, for Dinsey heroines? It makes them the sole “body ideal” for little girls and little girls shouldn’t feel that their hair needs to be bigger than their bones!

So, whilst small waistlines aren’t necessarily a bad thing, maybe it’s time for more body diversity? We love how strong and athletic Moana’s build is for example:

Let’s have heroine’s of all shapes and sizes, it’s the one way Dinsey should be like real life!

What do you think? Does Disney need more realistic body types for its leading ladies? Or are they “just” cartoons?

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