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Artist Draws Disney Princesses as Plus Sized Women

- by Maria Spanadoris

There is something that did always drive me nuts about Disney Princesses.  Basically they were always too perfect. In fact, being a princess at times came across to me as almost this comical idolization of reality. Some of them looked like they had the surgery to remove the third rib.

But Crystal Walter takes things to a different level with her drawings.  It’s going to sound crazy, but she draws them as if they’re normal, plus sized women. And I think that’s what makes it amazing. It’s normal. This shouldn’t be a crazy idea. Plus sized women make up 70% of the US population and here’s Crystal with this radical idea. Check out this article which talks about women’s sizing. I’m not making this up!  It’s a majority of this country.

But isn’t the point? It’s not radical. If 70% of women in this county are size 14 can I have a princess who might be greater than a size 0?

So I went through and found some of my favorite drawings of her. Needless to say, but I”ll be following her.   I think she’s making a difference here.

 

  1. Who doesn’t love Elsa? And when I see those fight scenes with her I did think she might be a bit too skinny to deal with walking on the ice! 🙂

 

2) I love that she “Dad Bod-ed” Prince Ali!

 

3) “Fat people run”. This is so true. It’s not to me so much how you look but how you feel and act.

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Fat people move. ⠀ ⠀ Fat people run, fat people dance, fat people do yoga, fat people swim… you may not see us represented in the media, or even in public because we’ve been shamed into doing physical activities in private for so many years. ⠀ ⠀ But we do these things. ⠀ ⠀ Obviously not every person can do everything, and even if they aren’t able they’re still worthy of respect and representation and love. ⠀ Even if they don’t engage in much physical activity they’re still worthy of respect and representation and love. ⠀ It’s nobody else’s business why they make that choice. ⠀ ⠀ Now, perhaps it shouldn’t, but it DOES take a huge amount of bravery for fat people to share their physical journeys online, so here’s a few of my favorite active fat folks on Instagram: ⠀ ⠀ @roblympian ⠀ @300poundsandrunning ⠀ @crazycurvy_yoga ⠀ @mynameisjessamyn ⠀ @plussizescuba⠀ @deadlifts_and_redlips⠀ ⠀ …Also, It took me a long time to decide to redraw my Pocahontas, mostly because the first version I drew of her early last year is still one of my own favorite things I’ve ever made. 😅 ⠀ ⠀ 🪂⠀ ⠀ #fatactivism #plussize #fatjoy #illustration #disneyfanart #plussizeart #plussizefitness #losehatenotweight #dietculturedropout #bodypositiveart #fatart

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4) Cinderella looks amazing here.  Just like actually one of my Aunts so this really touched home.

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A MESSAGE: Yesterday, I was featured in an article on Scary Mommy, and today, this article has been pushed onto Yahoo, which is cool and all, because I love when people reach out to hear and share my message and my art.⠀ ⠀ The trouble is that the way the article was titled and worded, came across as sounding like I think being fat is better than being thin, and that being thin is unrealistic. My stance has always been that all bodies should be seen as equal. No one body shape is better than any other, and nobody is a better person than any other based on what they are or are not able to physically do. ⠀ ⠀ It is true that the original art of these characters I've redrawn was unrealistic, in that their waists are all, without any exceptions, narrower than their heads. But all physical human bodies are realistic, regardless of slimness or fatness, because… they are real. ⠀ ⠀ I focus on making these characters fat simply because I know the struggle of growing up fat, so I can relate, and it helps me. I needed to see the heroes of my favorite stories look more like me, rather than only physically relating to villains or comic relief characters. Good people come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and that needs to be more apparent. ⠀ ⠀ I feel like sharing something personal, and I'll put it in the comments below. TW for talk of eating disorders and suicidal ideation. ⠀

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5) See, she’s not just giving gal’s the new look, but guy’s too!

6) Ariel, looks a bit healthier than skinny Ariel in this shot.

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“I just don’t understand how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad…” ⠀ ⠀ {EDIT, just to say that I found out @colormecourtney has been doing a #colormemermaid challenge, so if you want to see some amazing and diverse merbabes, check that hashtag out!}⠀ ⠀ I’ve been having a hard time lately, and don’t feel comfortable sharing much about it here. But I will say that I find it disheartening that the only people who check in to make sure I’m okay lately are… how can I phrase it… men with dubious intentions?⠀ ⠀ I know there are a lot of people who care. And to be fair, I don’t reach out for support when I need it either. Because everyone is going through something right now, and I don’t want to add to their stress. ⠀ ⠀ Just let this be a reminder to you to check up on the people you love. Whoever is coming to mind right now. No excuses. ❤️⠀ ⠀ Anyhow!⠀ Enjoy some fresh Ariel art, and some amazing Ariel cosplays. ⠀ ⠀ 🧜🏽‍♀️⠀ ⠀ #disneyfanart #fatactivism #arielcosplay #bodypositiveart #littlemermaidfanart #fatjoy #plussizecosplay #fatliberation #illustratorsofinstagram #neoqlassicalart

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7) This Brave shot might be my favorite because I always thought of the character as a big woman who could take down a bear.

8) I love how Belle basically looks the same in her dress and I love reading her quotes.

 

9) Honestly, these are things you have to read!  I love her quotes.

 

maria
Maria Spanadoris

Maria Spanadoris an experienced online writer with a passion for general entertainment stories. As a Greek mom, Maria brings her unique perspective to her writing, infusing her work with warmth and humor. She has been writing online for over 20 years, starting her career at thecelebritycafe.com. Since then, Maria has honed her skills as a writer, developing a talent for crafting engaging and informative content that keeps her readers coming back for more. Whether she's covering the latest celebrity gossip or writing about her own experiences as a mom, Maria's writing is always relatable and engaging.