Disney Slims Down Villain Ursula

Disney has upset fans and concerned parents once more, this time by taking some of the most popular villains and slimming them down for a new collection of dolls and merchandise. Ursula of “The Little Mermaid,” in particular, is looking mighty different.

In the 1989 movie, Ursula wasn't exactly the stunner (but she still had a certain charm): she had blue skin, bad white hair, clown makeup, and was also quite overweight.

The new Ursula, the one who can now be seen on Disney’s new merchandise or bought as a doll as part of the new villain collection, is so different it doesn't even feel the same character.

For starters, she's slimmer – almost a size 0, voices online are saying.

You can see the new Ursula in the image attached to this article. For those who don't remember the old one, she used to look like this.

John Balen, director of hardlines for Disney Store, says that the new villains (Ursula included) are modern takes on the old characters.

They're also stylized and more up to date with today's trends, something which was clearly not on Ursula's mind at the time she was plotting her sweet revenge on the Little Mermaid.

“The Disney Villains Designer Collection is a unique, stylized and fashion-forward take on these iconic characters,” Balen says.

“Our design team created a frightfully beautiful collection that is a new and exciting interpretation of the classic Disney Villains we love to hate,” he adds.

While there's no denying that the new villains are gorgeous – no one is arguing against that – the fact that Disney is slimming down characters kids have known to be heavier could send them the wrong message, concerned voices are saying online.

The Huffington Post, for one, argues that, with this modification, Disney confirms the impression that thinner is more commercial. Kids too will one day grow up to believe the same.

“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,” the Post writes.

Jezebel agrees: “It's obvious they wanted to transform these nostalgic, children's characters into cool, hip, Sephora-friendly ladies whose style you admire, even if their MOs have been distasteful (especially you, Cruella). But was Ursula forced to go on a crash diet so she could model for beauty products? Because that's bull[expletive].”

Via: Disney Slims Down Villain Ursula