Movies and books have the widest reach. They hold the power to influence minds, especially young, impressionable ones. Children learn the most from the type of entertainment they consume. Hence, representation in the media is crucial. Representation becomes even more important for young girls who grow up watching certain kinds of women characters on screen. They end up believing that those quintessential characteristics are the only yardsticks of ‘beauty’. That in order to feel ‘loved’ by someone, you also have to ‘look’ a certain way. In an effort to change this perspective, a 30-year-old illustrator Crystal Procknow from Wisconsin came up with a brilliant idea.
She realised, as a fan of Disney movies, that most Disney princesses are showed to be skinny. So in order to show the princesses that children adore, she decided to make a chubby version of them in a series called “Chubby Disney ladies”.
Here are some of her creations:
- Elsa and Anna from Frozen
In an interview with Buzzfeed, she had this to say, “According to the majority of kids’ movies, stories, and TV shows out there, evil people are fat, or they’re dark, or they have big noses. Consciously or unconsciously, we look at people through these filters from a young age. “
- Moana from Moana
- Tiana from The Frog Princess
- Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
- Jasmine from Aladdin
Seeing a Disney princess, or a superhero who looks like us helps us to embrace ourselves. It promotes self-love and increases self-confidence. Without representation, one might feel misinterpreted or unheard.
We need more artists like Crystal to foster self-worth and help children to embrace their ethnicity, culture as well as their bodies.
You can check out her Instagram account: @neoqlassicalart
