Reimagining Disney Characters With Realistic Bodies

Disney provided us with a vibrant group of companions as we grew up.

Damjan

• Published in Disney
• April 29, 2024

Growing up, many of us found solace and joy in the colorful world of Disney. From brave heroes to wise mentors, Disney characters became our friends, guiding us through tales of adventure and self-discovery. Yet, while these characters were diverse in personality, they often shared similar physical appearances.

This prompted artist Wyethe Smallish to embark on a journey of reimagining these beloved characters, challenging conventional beauty standards, and celebrating diversity through her art.

Smallish, like many, grappled with her body image issues. Seeking solace and self-expression, she turned to her art as a form of therapy.

Inspired by her struggles and a desire for change, Smallish embarked on a project to depict Disney characters with diverse body types. In her reimagined artworks, Smallish boldly altered the physical appearances of iconic Disney characters, giving them bodies that deviated from the traditional norms portrayed in mainstream media.

From plus-size princesses to muscular heroes, her creations celebrated bodies of all shapes and sizes, reflecting the beauty of diversity in humanity. The response to Smallish's artwork was overwhelmingly positive.

As she shared her creations on social media, they quickly garnered attention and praise from people around the world. Many commended her for offering a refreshing perspective on familiar characters and for championing inclusivity in art.

Smallish's project not only challenges existing beauty standards but also encourages viewers to embrace diversity and celebrate individuality. By depicting beloved Disney characters with diverse body types, she sends a powerful message of acceptance and self-love.

Through her drawings, Smallish wants us to think about our favorite stories in a new way. She wants us to see them from a perspective that shows how diverse people are. Her art reminds us that beauty can look different for everyone and that it's special to accept the things that make us unique.

1. Ariel

2. Mulan

3. Princess Aurora

4. Jasmine

5. Rapunzel

6. Jasmine

7. Cinderella

8. Jasmine

9. Princess Tiana

10. Mulan

11. Jasmine

12. Princess Aurora

13. Princess Tiana

14. Princess Tiana

15. Rapunzel

16. Elsa

17. Ariel

18. Cinderella

19. Rapunzel

20. Belle

21. Meg

22. Princess Aurora

23. Meg

24. Princess Aurora

Old Disney movies are often criticized for giving young girls bad messages, like needing a man to be happy, waiting for the perfect man, and thinking that marrying a prince means living happily ever after.

But these movies also get a lot of flak for showing unrealistic body images. For example, researchers Toe Aung and Leah Williams point out that Disney princesses are drawn with extremely small waist-to-hip ratios that most people can't achieve naturally. They suggest that these cartoon princesses could make people prefer and admire these unrealistic body shapes more, and think that people who look this way are better people.

This can hurt girls' self-esteem in the long run. However, since beauty is subjective, Aung and Williams measured something specific: the waist-to-hip ratio of female Disney characters.

They analyzed screenshots and calculated the waist and hip sizes of 11 Disney princesses and characters from the hugely popular movie Frozen, plus seven villains like Maleficent and Ursula. They found that on average, these characters' waists are only about 53% the size of their hips.

This is much smaller than the widely accepted ideal ratio of 0.7 and even smaller than the Barbie doll's ratio of 0.56.

The researchers emphasize that such an exaggerated hourglass figure is almost impossible to have naturally.

25. Princess Tiana

26. Belle And Adam

27. Meg

28. Prince Eric

29. Cinderella

30. Ariel

31. Rapunzel

32. Belle

As we go through life, we often feel pressure to look a certain way because of what society tells us is beautiful. But Smallish's art shows us that we don't have to follow those rules. We can make our standards and celebrate how different everyone is.

Smallish changing how we see the world. She wants a world where everyone feels included and valued for who they are. So, as we go on with our lives, let's remember what her art teaches us: that everyone is beautiful in their way, and we should celebrate that.

Damjan