Disney Defends Anorexic Minnie Mouse In Holiday Ad Campaign

Is nothing pure anymore?

That’s the question many Disney fans have been asking since the corporate giant teamed up with department store Barney’s on a holiday ad campaign featuring an anorexic-looking Minnie Mouse.

Minnie, along with a few of her popular Disney character friends, have received makeovers for the campaign “Electric Holiday,” which now renders them rail-thin and reminiscent of starving runway models.

Should skinny Minnie eat something?

After the images surfaced, many body image activists became enraged by the unhealthy ideals being promoted by a company that represents everything PG and pure. But in a joint statement today, both Disney and Barney’s are defending their position:

“We are saddened that activists have repeatedly tried to distort a lighthearted holiday project in order to draw media attention to themselves.”

Since when was Disney high fashion?

Barney’s creative director said that the makeovers were necessary for the creative execution of the campaign, which promotes chic and high-fashion styles that you can no doubt buy at Barney’s. But critics say that Disney is contributing to a dangerous, widespread problem by taking classically loved characters and making them virtually unrecognizable in an unhealthy way. Activists, plus-sized models and actresses have all joined the fight against the campaign.

A spokesperson for SumOfUs, a consumer watchdog group, notes that the campaign represents corporate giants trying to push the envelope as far as they can:

“Corporations will continue to push the envelope in terms of sex appeal, and as citizen-consumers it’s our job to push back and fight for healthy bodies in the media.”

Yet in Disney and Barney’s joint statement today, the two companies claim that this type of backlash is simply the result of organizations wanting media attention, and they are going to move forward with their original plan.

The campaign is set to launch on November 14th, 2012, at Barney’s New York store on Madison Avenue.

Source: Examiner