'Brave' Creator Rips Disney For Heroine Merida's 'Sexy' Makeover

MILL VALLEY (CBS SF) - A Disney character known for being a headstrong heroine appears a bit different now, and the Bay Area filmmaker behind the movie "Brave" says Disney should be ashamed.

The heroine, Merida, could be a role model for little girls everywhere. In the movie, she is strong, feisty, independent and can shoot arrows better than any man.

This past weekend, Disney added Merida to its "Princess Collection" -- joining the ranks of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White – and has given her a 'sexy' makeover.

"She's got tons of makeup on. Has this sultry, 'come-hither' look with a off-the-shoulder dress. She's got a tiny waist and bigger boobs," said Merida's creator, animation artist and director Brenda Chapman of Mill Valley.

The new-look Merida is not what Chapman imagined when she made the film "Brave" for Pixar animation film studio. The movie has won an Oscar and a Golden Globe and has grossed $550 million.

"All those Disney princesses weren't complete without their true love," said Chapman. "So, this one, I wanted her to be complete by being who she was."

Moreover, Merida's character is modeled after her own daughter, Emma.

"I don't really understand what Disney is thinking about," said Emma. "I don't understand why. What's wrong with the dress wears? She's comfortable. It's not girly, but it's Merida."

An online petition to try and change Disney's decision to give Merida a glitzy do-over was started by amightygirl.com, which pushes for better images of women in media. The petition quickly went viral and now has more than 160,000 supporters.

Disney has no plans to undo the change and says the new-look Merida is the same strong and determined character she ever was.

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