Disney Princess Article: Defenses for Princess Merida

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posted by WinterSpirit809

Yep, that's right today I'm going to defend Merida, a princess I've seen a lot of undeserved hate. She is number four on my paborito Disney Princess list, and it kills me how much hate she gets, and I don't think people see the good side of her.

Is there a good side of her? Of course there is! There's a good side in everyone, but everyone is so busy focusing on denouncing her for her flaws, that they forget to admire her flaws. Admire her for her strengths.

I admit, I agree that Merida can be a brat, but what princess isn't? They all have bratty moments, why is Merida the only one being hated for being a brat?

Here are a few instances:

"Doesn't she know that refusing an arranged marriage, can start a war?"

I'm sure she knows that, and again that is one of her flaws, and there were three(?) options, so if they were avoiding war, then they would only make peace in one country!

And if you watch the movie again, it wasn't to avoid war. It was because it was tradition. And she was refusing marriage, because she didn't agree with tradition, so she was standing up for what she believed in. Seriously, what's wrong with that?

"She is disobedient to her mother, and she is rude to her as well

Yeah, she's disobedient to her mother, just like all teenagers are these days. So I think that only makes her madami realistic, and it's not like she's the first DP to disobey her parents. Ariel? Mulan?

Again she has flaws, which doesn't make her bad.

"She is not what a princess should be. She should be proper, kind and obedient.

I've heard this several times, and it just recently came to my attention and I have one thing to say- you don't like her because she's not a stereotype?

I don't know why princesses have to be "proper", especially since Merida's role was to be madami than a stereotype.

Why should You appreciate Merida?

-She fixes her mistakes. That's hat people take for granted. She fixed and learned from her mistakes.
-She stands up for herself. As I've stated several times already, she willing defend her case without hesitation and she is not afraid to say what's right.
-Deep down inside, is a big heart. Despite her harsh demeanor, I've seen Merida really does have a big heart. And with this big heart, she made things right with her mother.
- She fights for her mother. People always say how disobedient and rude she was to her mother, that they forget that Merida saved her mother. Remember when she told her father to not kill her mother. See? Merida's not as selfish as everyone portrays her to be.
-She is quite smart. Yes, while this has gotten her in trouble at times, so many people call her an "idiot". She solved a riddle about mending a broken bond. She managed to persuade everyone to "break tradition".

I could go on and on about how great Merida is, and I know these reasons won't make any of her actions right. But just know, all princesses have flaws, and those flaws don't make them any less of of a great princess. As I've sinabi in nakaraan articles, you can't just because they're flawed and hate another because of them.

This, in my opinion, is how Merida should be portrayed.

Merida fighting her father to defend reyna Elinor.

Merida fighting her father to defend Queen Elinor.

abcjkl, pretty_angel92 and 2 others like this

laylastepford You say stereotype, I say standards. Completely different perceptions and ways of looking at it. Otherwise I actually agree with most of this but not all. Also I don't think there's anything wrong with females who want to wait around for romance. Most people on their death bed care more about who they spent their time with and their loved ones than their job or material accomplishments. Love usually brings out the best in us and I think it's natural for some people to want that more than anything else and since creating a child is incredibly relevant to everyone and their future, I also see it as a huge responsibility and I commend the mothers who put more value and stock in their parenting and mate selection as I believe children should come first if you choose to have them. :) I also disagree with "But just know, all princesses have flaws, and those flaws don't make them any less of of a great princess." Some princesses' flaws do make them better or worse and that's how we all choose to rank them. The main point is that it's subjective.

anukriti2409 I know where you are coming from, as I did the defense article for Merida myself. It's easy to see how the same flaws gets overlooked in other princesses while she gets the fire because she's outspoken. However, i disagree that we should like Merida because she's not a stereotype. I love Merida because of her strengths and ability to overcome her short-comings.

Sparklefairy375 I'm not really a Merida fan (she's middle in my list), but I absolutely agree with you! Like Elsa, everyone only pretend her as "dumb princess, rebellious, and do not obey." without see her good side. She is the kind of person who is idealistic and determined. She just want to do what she wants, not because law or tradition. In the point "She is not what a princess should be. She should be proper, kind and obedient." that's the one who I don't get it. Does every princesses must be proper, kind, elegant, etc? Many other princesses have that personalities (Snow, Cinderella, Aurora, etc.) If all princesses like that it will be kinda bored. I even think the different princesses like Merida herself, Poca, Mulan, Tiana, will made the DPs more varied and not only have "damsel in distress" type. Also, I've read several people commented in many media that they hate her as she's Pixar and not Disney, ex: The poll about "which DP do you want to be removed?" a few times ago. Oh my gosh, that is the silly reason. Why if she's Pixar? Disney already owned it yet, so Pixar now is the part of Disney franchise. -_- But peoples around here have a different opinions than us about her, so yeah we can't forced them to changed their perspective.

laylastepford ^ I think the Pixar argument is silly as well. Most people consider Toy Story to be Disney so why not Merida?

MaidofOrleans I completely agree with your article! Merida is third on my list and it kills me how much hate she gets. She has a lot in common with some of the more popular princesses like Ariel and Mulan, and yet she gets flack for the same things they are praised for! It is very hypocritical and really bothers me.

anukriti2409 ^agree so much. It bothers me too that same kind of mistakes and traits are either praised or looked as innocent acts in other princesses while Merida is always bashed around! Merida is my 2nd favorite princess <3

anukriti2409 this is my defense article for Merida if they'd like to read: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/disney-princess/articles/249920/title/merida-character-review-defense I'm loving the Merida love here :D

wavesurf Merida is my fourth currently. There was a time when I hated her, thanks to the Feminazis who gobbled her down and regurgitated her as a smear campaign against literally everyone else-- but especially Mulan--- in the lineup. I don't hate Merida anymore, even though her movie is definitely not my favorite. But I dislike Merida when she is used to bash Ariel. That's my point here. I dislike Belle when she is used to bash Ariel. It's fine to see flaws in all of the princesses...as I have written three LENGTHY articles on all of the flaws in each princess. But Ariel still gets run through the mud in this club, on YouTube, on IMDB forums, and pretty much everywhere ...much more often than Merida does. And around here, Merida is pitted against Ariel, with everyone saying Merida "is more mature and has more self-control" than Ariel, especially when it's as clear as day that Merida is [i]just as impulsive as Ariel is.[/i] Merida also visits a witch to solve her problems, just like Ariel does. Merida doesn't have the self-control to NOT "go change her mother's mind." The whole movie is an example of Merida seeking to change her mother's mind...with disastrous results. How is Merida better or worse than Ariel for seeing a witch? You tell me.... I'm fine with loving flawed princesses. You can love whichever one. What I hate is people telling me Ariel is more selfish, worthless, mean, and has less self-control than Belle, Merida, Tiana, Mulan, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White. Because I see plenty of scenes in the movie where Ariel [i]is the TOTAL OPPOSITE[/i] of the laundry list of nasty traits people swear up and down are attributable to her. I have no clue why... but people around here constantly want Ariel to APOLOGIZE NONSTOP for leaving her home-- which actually became isolating, unfriendly, and cruel to her. If the only thing you are ever allowed to do is sing-- how is that a life? Look. Just as Merida is allowed to refuse marriage as is her personal right, Ariel is allowed to leave behind her abusive dad and become the self-identified human she longs to be. That is only fair. Again, I don't specifically hate-on Merida. I just [i]hate[/i] when Merida ( and Belle and the rest of the whole DP lineup)--- are used as a wrecking ball to diminish any and all of Ariel's qualifications as a good character. This sickens me, and makes me think less of this club!!!

laylastepford ^ So do you just hate when other people have different opinions and express those different opinions? I'm only asking because that's how your comment comes off. Every opinion you mentioned, besides Ariel's "abusive" (not really) parent, is completely subjective which means it's open to interpretation. I could understand you getting upset about things are entirely objective, provable and factual but I don't think you should get so upset about subjective opinions that you feel "hate". That's just my friendly advice to you. And one more thing, similar princesses are going to get compared against each other more often than opposite princesses so that's why Merida is constantly brought up in relation to Ariel, since they have so much in common.

wavesurf ^I did talk about them being pitted against one another, didn't I? Yes, they are. And not just in this club, but off of Fanpop as well. It's the new way the Fandom works. I don't like it. I think it just brings everything down to a lower level, since Merida does almost the exact same number of things that Ariel does, but Ariel receives more of the criticism for being "weaker." And no. I don't simply think this is a moment of me being unable to accept someone else's point of view on the topic. I accept that you don't find Triton abusive ( which is your opinion and which I don't attack you for having). What angers me is that Ariel is made out to be the worst of the worst in a lot of venues. And often, it is other DPs who are used to pick her apart, just as they do with Aurora and Snow White. I don't find that a good thing. Btw, did you read ScarletUnicorn's current wall post this morning? That says everything I'm saying.

anukriti2409 ^There's never been a poll where Ariel hasn't been liked as favorite princess. Still to this date, there are more fans of Ariel than any other princess. So i really don't know how you are claiming that Ariel is considered to be the worst of entire line-up. You'll see soon where Ariel is in the poll of least favroite princess, currently active in this club. I can say she'll definitely in top5 if not top 3, i won't be surprised if Ariel tops the that poll. That's how much she's loved. And i have no problem in that at all. She deserves all the love her fans show her. But i find it amusing that you'd hate another princess because some fan find her more favorite than Ariel. I have never once seen one fan ever criticizing Ariel as openly and unabashedly as Elsa, Merida, Jasmine, Tiana and Aurora. people will compare similar traits in princesses, and which action was better and how it resulted in different actions. I think it let us learn what to do and what not to do, rather than becoming upset/angry/hate for such comparisons

connor3 It was a really good article, very interesting to read. I agree, I will never understand why people hate on Merida. Even the instances you quoted. 1. "Doesn't she know that refusing an arranged marriage, can start a war?" If she would agree on the marriage because of that, does people seriously think that's something good? No, it is something terrible. The whole situation was terrible and there wasn't a good way to resolve the problem. Merida could agree or refuse. She chosed to refuse, and even if it wasn't the very good option, it was the better one. "2. She is disobedient to her mother, and she is rude to her as well Okay, I always have the big problem when people say something like this. JUST BECAUSE THE PERSON IS OUR PARENT, DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN TREAT US BADLY. When the movie started, Elinor was more rude toward Merida than Merida to her. She didn't listened to her. She wasn't interested at all how she spend time, what is her daughter hobby, what is her opinion. She wanted to force her own daughter into marriage because it was tradition. Elinor was far from perfect parent, for me she needed to change more than Merida. Yet she is the one who didn't even apologized at the end of the movie.

wavesurf @Anukriti: You have not seen the internet people say the most vulgar things they could say about a princess--- directed at Ariel? Oh, [i]I have seen it[/i]. It's ugly. And I don't blame you for probably not looking for it... But try looking for it. Ariel is not so universally respected as you might think. She has her dedicated fans who try to defend her against the slew of "charges." The Aurora fans do the same thing, trying to defend Aurora from the backlash. And the same deal with Snow White and Cinderella. No, Ariel isn't loved all the time. And no, the older characters in the DP lineup aren't constantly loved in this day and age. That's a thing of yesteryear. This is why you see new groups of people who staunchly don't like ANY Modern characters at all, because they feel the Moderns have been used to rip into the older characters through advertisements, social media, and the like. That's why there are such nasty comments directed at Merida, Tiana, Elsa, and Anna. Frozen just made this churning pot of "anger," worse. I happen to like some Modern characters, even if I don't love them ( but I am merely one individual). But this is a festering disaster...that I am watching unfold. It's the splintering of the Disney Fanbase. The DP fandom has changed in the last couple of years. It's gotten a whole lot more nauseating to deal with for me. Yes, I would not mind the constant comparisons of one DP to another--- [i] if it actually led to something beneficial.[/i] But it seems to only go around and around in circles of relentless taunting and name-calling. And I doubt anything nice will come of that.

anukriti2409 I don't know how you are claiming that Ariel is seen the worst of it, where as statistics continue to prove other wise. Here's one example of it: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/disney-princess/picks/results/14550/favorite-disney-princess I also don't know how you know what I have seen on internet or not. Every princess has fans and haters both. If we are also going to go the same road as others, bashing around princesses to prove who's better, it surely won't result in anything beneficial. For me, I have made attempts to see good in all princesses even if I don't like them personally, and that's my contribution rather than retiring to think that nothing beneficial will ever come from comparison. Young generation like modern princesses more because they relate to them more as they depict situations, circumstances, address the issues of modern world rather than classic era, which they can very well relate with being born and raised in modern world themselves. If you'll notice adults prefer more renaissance period coz they were born in it and they relate to those issues, those way of communication better. You see too much negativity where there is none, I hope you could see positive things more positive things when people are especially pointing out positives in their articles, like this one.

wavesurf ^Not be belligerent or anything... but your link is from a Fanpop poll [i] that was taken 8 years ago...[/i] which is WAY before Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna and Elsa came to the screen in their respective movies. Of course, Ariel was big back then. DUH. That's like saying so and so was big in the 50s!!! Yeah. Great. Time moves on. That's NOT what is happening today, is it? Nope. Ariel is usually among the first to be eliminated in a Fanpop poll circa 2013, 2014, or 2015. I've been on here for almost three years. I can tell you that that remains the way it is. Ariel gets some love, but not much. Also, you're right. I do see too much negativity in this club, and in the internet discussion of DPs in general. I see negative comments in social media and in advertisements that trumpeted Tiana, Merida, and Anna and Elsa [i]against[/i] the likes of Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, and Ariel-- claiming that these oldest girls are all weak damsels in distress, stupid for falling for men [i] or needing men[/i]--- and equating needing any assistance with making these girls "weak characters"--- while touting that Tiana, Merida, Anna and Elsa "don't need men to save them" and "thus accomplish all that they do without needing help"--- thus identifying them [i]as stronger.[/i] Needing help from males ( or females, parents, friends, or anybody else for that matter)-- DOES NOT make a person or a character WEAK. That's what angers me [i]most[/i] about the way "the current discussion of DPs" works. It vilifies the oldest predecessors in order to depict the newest girls "as accomplishing everything they do while solo." Yes, I'm glad this is a positive article about Merida-- in a sea of plenty of bad articles about her, too. When Brave first came out, there were tons of articles praising Merida-- calling her the "answer" and "the antidote" to the Disney Princess "problem." They vilified Cinderella during that time!!!! Then Frozen came out, and there were oceans of articles vilifying Ariel for being weak, and glorifying Elsa for being strong!!!! The generational aspect is the disconnect here. Arguably, by now-- I've pointed out that EACH of the DPs is lacking in some way. I've been around a long time. This whole thing just cycles in and out, and it just makes me more and more frustrated. The thought of what Moana will do to this discourse...makes me really underwhelmed. I'm not looking forward to what's on the horizon. Another cascade of comparisons due to prejudices, and zingers that don't make any sense after a while. And I really hate the Feminazis for ruling Disney. They sure are disgusting to true "fans" and make everything worse.

laylastepford ^Yes, you did talk about them being pitted against one another, which is exactly why I brought up my comment in response. That's what I was responding to... I think it's your opinion that "Merida does almost the exact same number of things that Ariel does, but Ariel receives more of the criticism for being 'weaker'" and I don't see how that "just brings everything down to a lower level". Well I do think this is you being extreme on a topic because you are using words like "hate" for when people give a subjective opinion. Triton isn't abusive, that's not subjective but you can choose to believe against what can be proven fact. That has nothing to do with this opinion of yours that I am trying to talk about though so let's please not deflect. I dont agree with you that "Ariel is made out to be the worst of the worst in a lot of venues". Did you see the least favorite DP countdown? Ariel isn't even close to being labeled "worst". Elsa, Merida, Anna, & Aurora are all getting much more hate. Additionally, all DPs get picked apart using other DPs because they are all in the line up together. When men compare sports players, they pick them apart by using other sports players in that position. It's just relativity for comparison sake. That's not going to change and it doesn't hurt anything, it just gives a scale for perception. I don't think the process is nearly as bad as you are making it out to be. And yes, I did see ScarletUnicorn's current wall post this morning and I don't see how that has anything to do with what you're saying here. That post was about people using ignorant labels because someone has different perceptions. What you're saying sounds like something completely different. You seem to be saying that you don't like when other people perceive the DPs as different from you and use the other DPs as their parameters. [i]And PS the poll that Anukriti linked to you [u]started[/u] 8 years ago but comments and votes have still been adding to it, as recent as [u]2 weeks ago[/u] and it has [u]2,620 voters[/u] so it's a pretty legitimate opinion to not just immediately write off. :)[/i]

pretty_angel92 thank you, it really sucks to see Merida getting so little love. she's awesome

wavesurf ^ It has no Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, or Elsa in it, though, right? It [i]excludes the input from having the Modern princesses in it.[/i] It makes the users pick between only the Classics and just [i]some[/i] of the Renaissance DPs. Not even all of the Renaissance DPs are represented in it!!! As an accurate estimate of Ariel's "love barometer" on Fanpop, I find it lacking. Why? It's not an accurate representation. It just has a handful of DPs ( someone's favorites probably), of which Ariel is chosen more often from 2007 to the present. It does not mirror any of the Fanpop poll results from 2013, 2014, and 2015 that depicted Ariel beside ALL of the twelve other princesses. This poll is shown to be skewed when all 13 princesses are represented together. Obviously, the comparisons won't stop. I'm sorry you "don't see how this brings everything down to a lower level." For me, it does. I don't like to dice DPs into tiny, tiny fractal pieces and then declare "the winner." Why do you think other people called that person so many names for having a list that didn't feature "Tiana and Merida?" Because there are plenty of people who like to do the one upmanship thing that fans of "sports players do!" The language that is being used in this instance not only attacks that user's favorites, but also attacks their mental "perception" of how to organize the DPs and arrange their personal list. I guess, I see the nasty comments aimed at Tiana, Merida, Anna, and Elsa as partially a deserved "backlash" against the claim that the Modern girls are "stronger or more capable than their predecessors." From where I sit, I'm tired of it all. And pulling up a poll from 8 years ago--- that featured NONE of the Modern girls, and only a tiny spectrum of the girls that were in the lineup at that time--- is not an accurate indicator of Ariel's "love base." It's a poll that was already skewed by its narrow selection of characters. Try a 2013, 2014, 2015 poll that includes Ariel and ALL of the princesses. That's an accurate representation of love for Ariel today.

laylastepford wavesurf: It doesn't exclude, it was made 8 years ago when there were no "moderns" to exclude. And anyways, I was merely trying to point out that it is an example of fans loving Ariel and not calling her the "worst of the worst" as you said. I'm sorry too that I don't see things your way. Please don't feel hatred about this as I am just trying to converse and understand. Since many people here love to rank the DPs, that's going to lead to a lot of dissecting of them. As you know by my articles, I like to rank the DPs in tons of categories so I love to dice them into tiny subcategories and see "winners" as you put it as I like to see the differences between their strengths, weaknesses and outlooks etc. I don't agree with you that my doing that "brings everything down to a lower level". I don't think other people who rank and analyze the DPs on this site are bringing everything down to a lower level either. I don't see how it's low to analyze characters and look at them in such detail. I don't know what you're referring to when you say "Why do you think other people called that person so many names for having a list that didn't feature "Tiana and Merida?"" Yes, the "upmanship" thing you are referring to is called competitiveness and like everything else, it is good in balance. In balance, competitiveness breeds ambition, accountability, discipline, determination and self-confidence. I don't see anything wrong with that, in balance, as I said. I also don't know what you're referring to when you say "The language that is being used in this instance not only attacks that user's favorites, but also attacks their mental "perception" of how to organize the DPs and arrange their personal list. I guess, I see the nasty comments aimed at Tiana, Merida, Anna, and Elsa as partially a deserved "backlash" against the claim that the Modern girls are "stronger or more capable than their predecessors." From where I sit, I'm tired of it all." No one said the poll from 8 years ago was an accurate indicator of Ariel's love base, it was simply an example against the argument that Ariel is constantly viewed as "the worst of the worst". Also since the "moderns" have more in common with Ariel in many ways then the classics and renaissance, that poll exhibits that there isn't some heavy bias against Ariel being the worst or she wouldn't have won that poll. And my countdown poll of favorite DPs does have all 13 DPs and Ariel isn't losing so I still don't see where your claims are coming from.