Artist's Recreations Of Disney Princesses As Plus-Size Girls Sparked An Intense Online Debate

Some people accused the artist of promoting obesity but in reality it promotes what is normal and natural

Damjan

• Published in Disney
• August 31, 2020

Crystal Walter, an artist behind the Neoqlassical Art website and Instagram page, attracted a lot of attention recently with her drawing series, where Disney female characters are reimagined as plus-size women. Although most of the people reacted positively, some members of the Internet community accused her of “glorifying obesity” and promoting harmful behavior and lifestyle.

Artist was surprised by these accusations because she intended to raise awareness about the representation of women with “large bodies” and how we should love ourselves the way we are. She never intended to promote obesity.

“I’ve never told anyone to get more fat, or that being fat is more desirable than being thin. Simply that fat lives are equal, and just as worth living as any other.

The way our culture is designed is to constantly provide the means of gaining fat, while simultaneously living in crippling fear of the result, and shaming people who do get heavier,” Crystal says.

Anna

Jasmine

As a teenager, she developed chaotic eating habits. She started to skip meals and exercise much more than recommended - just to lose just a few pounds. But the weight always came back, and then some. One thing led to another, and Crystal started to suffer from depression.  

Aurora

Tiana

Ariel

Pocahontas

“Growing up, I couldn’t find any positive fat role models in the media. Historically, fat people have been demonized, or used for comedic effect, or to visibly show that a character is less intelligent than their slimmer, more cunning counterparts.

This is hideously damaging to a developing child, and like many others, it led to me despising my own body. I could not physically relate to the characters I loved, like the Disney princesses I’ve re-drawn,” Crystal said about her personal experience.

Merida

Moana

“It’s true that the Disney characters I draw were unrealistic, to begin with, in that their waists were all smaller than their heads, but the reason I draw them fat is not to make them ‘realistic,’ it’s to see myself in them. To help other fat folks see themselves in them.”

Maleficient

And other people were supportive:

Esmeralda

Snow White

Tinker Bell

Ursula

Crystal believes that the humankind needs a cultural shift. “One that provides more nutritious options in places where there are none.

One that encourages fun activity, and safe places to do those activities. One that’s closer to nature and is based on kindness. One that encourages bigger people to get out and live life, not to lose weight, but just to thrive as they are.”

Rapunzel

Belle

Mulan

Cinderella

People reacted differently to Crystal’s art. Some of them criticized it:

Crystal says that overweight people are “just people—not people in-waiting” and don’t deserve to be laughed at, or stared at “with fear, disgust, or pity.”

“Glorifying anything that is constantly shamed by the rest of the world is not the same as encouragement to be more of that thing. It’s just recognition that the thing does not make you a bad person, or any less of a human being. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

And she also shared some advice for young aspiring artists: “Find a cause that hits home for you, and something that people need, and work for that.

If your subject inspires you, that will give you the fuel to keep going when you’re not yet receiving great feedback or monetary compensation. And never be afraid to ask for what you want, that’s a powerful tool that gets shamed out of us early in life,” she said.

The illustrator once again emphasized that this doesn’t imply that being thin is “bad” or “unrealistic.” She wanted to send a message that all body types should be recognized and accepted, no matter how they look or how much space they occupy. 

Elsa

Meg

The artist told the reporters that her project is about positive representation. The absence of it motivated her to reimagine female Disney characters and create role models for people with different-sized figures.

Crystal wanted to be an artist ever since she was a little girl. “When I was a kid, I would usually answer, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ with, ‘An artist.’ And if not that, then a rock star. I went through a brief phase in 8th grade where I dressed in boys’ clothes and thought I could be a rapper, but didn’t we all? But, through it all, being an artist of some sort was the goal, and what do you know, I made it!”

Cinderella And Tiana

“This was the biggest wakeup call on my journey to loving my body, realizing that weight and joy absolutely do not correlate. Weight and quality of life do not correlate,” Crystal expressed her opinion.

“Through my experience, I’ve found that whatever size you are when you’re living your most joyful, fulfilling life, is the size you’re meant to be at that time.”

Damjan