Reimagining Disney Characters With Realistic Bodies

See how one artist transforms beloved Disney characters into more realistic representations of the human form.

Davy

• Published in Disney
• April 27, 2024

In a thought-provoking artistic endeavor, one talented creator has embarked on a journey to depict Disney characters with bodies that reflect a more realistic range of shapes and sizes. By challenging the traditional portrayal of idealized physical proportions, this artist offers a fresh perspective on familiar favorites from the magical world of Disney.

Let's explore their imaginative reinterpretations and contemplate the impact of realistic representation in art and media.

1. Elsa

According to Aung and Williams, these characters could potentially "enhance or reinforce our preference for lower waist-to-hip ratios" and contribute to the belief that individuals with such ratios possess morally commendable qualities.

Rather than boosting girls' self-confidence, the appearance of these princesses could have the opposite effect over time.

2. Ariel

3. Cinderella

4. Rapunzel

5. Belle

6. Meg

Aung and Williams chose to focus on a quantifiable aspect of beauty: the waist-to-hip ratio of female characters.

They analyzed screenshots to establish the "minimum waist and maximum hip widths" for 11 official Disney princesses, the main characters from the widely adored Frozen, and seven Disney villains, such as Maleficent from The Sleeping Beauty and Ursula from The Little Mermaid.

7. Princess Aurora

8. Meg

9. Princess Aurora

10. Princess Tiana

Their research unveiled a striking finding: the median waist-to-hip ratio among Disney characters was an astonishingly low 0.535. This figure implies that the characters' waist measurement is only 53 percent of their hip measurement.

This ratio falls well below the widely accepted ideal of 0.7 and, surprisingly, even below that of the traditional Barbie doll, which stands at 0.56.

The researchers emphasized that achieving such an extreme hourglass figure is "nearly impossible to achieve naturally."

11. Belle And Adam

12. Meg

13. Prince Eric

14. Cinderella

15. Ariel

Davy