Are Disney princesses too sexy?

I’m not sure if you’re aware of the rebranding Brave character Merida recently suffered. Once a normal-looking girl, the redheaded heroine received a substantial makeover… For want of a better phrase, she was “sexed up”.

There are now reports that Disney/Pixar has reversed its decision to make Merida’s hair a little glossier, her waist a little slimmer and her neckline a little lower. But how does the way our childhood heroines look affect our own self-perceptions?

Like Barbie, many onscreen females are somewhat idealised, to say the least: think Lara Croft, Esmeralda, Jasmine… the list goes on. Then think about plot lines  Prince Charming falls for Cinderella after she gets a makeover. Would he have fancied her in rags?

And it’s not just cartoons that do this to their female characters: Danny in Grease loses interest in Sandy as a sweet schoolgirl but loses his mind when she “shapes up”, smoking, squeezing into black leathers and grinding around like she’s got ants in her pants.

Now I’m not going to lie: I loved to see Ariel swish her red hair and watch Belle swirling across the dance floor in her twirly yellow dress as a youngster. Girls love that stuff. But there’s something really refreshing about Merida: she isn’t obsessed with her appearance and her entire aim in life isn’t to marry someone rich and handsome. I didn’t love the film, but her character was a break from the norm.

Columnist at The Times, Caitlin Moran, wrote of the original Merida: “This is the first Disney heroine ever not to have massive knockers, a 12-inch waist and the kind of mouth that could suck a potato up a straw. Well done, Disney! Well done for finally entering the 21st century.”

And of the ‘new and improved’ version? “A new picture of her showed her with a jacked-in waist, bigger tits, a lower-cut top and a load of eyeliner,” she says. “On top of this, Merida was no longer holding her bow and arrow and was, instead, standing with her hands on her hips, in the internationally recognised pose of, ‘I am a bit of a vapid pain in the arse now.’”

Moran points out that the “non-sexy, non-married, galloping, bow-shooting Merida” earned Disney £354 million at the box office during its first year of release. “Listen: Merida wasn’t for you, you bloodless, cash-counting idiots,” she says. “She was for every ten-year-old girl who hates itchy dresses and kissing, and just wanted to carry on being herself for a bit longer.

“You can’t put a price on a girl being able to watch a big Disney movie that says that’s an OK thing.”

Now I’m not going to come right out and link this sort of sexualisation to an increase in the number of young girls in the UK with eating disorders, or to a rise in demand for cosmetic surgery. But I do think it’s important to think about what we are exposing young girls (and boys) to. 

Let’s encourage them to do more with their lives than becoming thinner, sexier and more marriageable! Let’s show them how to become dignified rather than Disneyfied. And let’s make sure we stand up to the industry giants when they mess with the heroines who, like Merida, just want their “freedom”. That’s something we at Liberti are passionate about.

(This is the last ever Liberti blog from Joy Tibbs. To keep reading her insights, please visit the blog site of our ‘brother’ magazine, Sorted by clicking here. You can click here to visit her website or follow her on Twitter: @joyous25.)

The dream that became a nightmare

You may have noticed that my blogs have been quite focused on human trafficking recently. I'm not going to apologise for this. It is something I feel passionately about and desperately want to see eradicated. But rather than writing another fact-filled blog of protest, this week I decided to write a poem from the point of view of a trafficked woman.

Perhaps poetry isn't your thing, and I realise I can only imagining what it must be like to experience such horrific circumstances. But maybe it will help you do the same. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Traffik stoppers

He came and gave my father money;

promised a land of milk and honey

He guaranteed a better life;

I’d learn a trade, I’d be a wife.

This had always been my dream;

this cat had always chased the cream

I’d see the world, I’d fall in love;

this man was sent from God above!

                         











But far away from friendly faces

I serviced men of many races

This is how I earned my bread;

my life suspended by a thread.

I’d never felt such utter shame;

they cut my hair, they changed my name

Kept under the hand, not just the thumb;

my heart so uncomfortably numb.

Every night I turned that trick;

They made me sore, they made me sick.

I didn’t dream, I couldn’t sleep;

My hope was gone, I dared not weep.

I longed for sunshine on my skin

but day and night I was kept in

Mastered by a tiny key

I prayed that God would rescue me.

Some vowed they’d take me out of there

but once fulfilled they didn’t care

My jailor locked me up with fear;

his words a curse, his smile a leer.

                         

One day I managed to escape

but I was found and tamed with rape

To my throat he held a knife

until I begged him for my life.

If ever again I ran away

he said my family would pay

He covered my face in black and red;

no dignity left, no single shred.

Three times I found myself with child

after I had been defiled

But even they from me were taken;

my babies stolen, lost, forsaken.

Why did I ever leave my land

for a language I didn’t understand?

Why had I sold my soul for this;

the stolen sex, the stifling kiss?

                                   

And then the men in blue they came;

I opened my legs for more of the same

They locked me in a metal cage;

I knew they’d make me earn my wage.

                                                     

Instead they sat and questioned me;

they brought me endless cups of tea

Trapped behind another door;

with words I’d never heard before.

                           

But then a stranger brought me light;

she fought for me with all her might

She risked it all to rescue me;

to cut me loose, to set me free

She told me I was no one’s slave;

for me a man his life he gave

To give me hope, a destiny;

this man named Jesus paid my fee.

It sounded an unlikely tale;

I had no faith in any male

But she spoke from a melted heart

and offered me a brand new start.

She helped me overcome my fears;

she gently wiped away my tears

Free to laugh, to sing, to dance;

I gladly seized that second chance.

But I am not the only one

to live a life without the sun

To suffer ever new disgrace;

ensnared within a cruel embrace

It won’t take one, or two, or three

if we’re to set the captives free

If we’re to make the traffic stall

to block it off: for once, for ALL.

It won’t take luck; it won’t take magic; it’s up to US to stop the traffik.

If you want to know more about human trafficking, visit A21 Campaign's website. It offers plenty of information and ways to get involved.

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti magazine, and in its parent publication, Sorted. 

Time to stop the traffik

According to the BBC, at least 400 African children have been abducted and trafficked to the UK (and subsequently rescued) by UK authorities over the last four years. However, this 400 only numbers those who have been rescued; just stop and think for a minute about what has happened to those who haven’t.

Experts claim a growing number of witchdoctors and ‘spiritual’ healers are involved in the trafficking and abuse of these children. It is believed some of these abductions are being carried out to facilitate ‘Juju’ (witchcraft-related) rituals, which often require human blood.

Victims have explained how rich clients pay witch doctors to remove hair from the child’s body and then make incisions into the arms, legs, head and genitals to obtain the much-coveted blood.

Many of these children are repeatedly told they are evil and that they are responsible for bad things that are happening around them. Some even convince themselves that they somehow deserve the abuse they are suffering.

Those who have been rescued are afraid to name their abductors in case they or their families are tracked down and harmed. And many are afraid to talk about the Juju rituals because superstition tells them something bad will happens to them if they do

The US State Department claims Uganda has become one of the main source countries for children being smuggled to the UK, with 9,000 having been reported missing over the last four years.

It’s a profitable business, with traffickers earning as much as £10,000 per child. And with Ugandan authorities unable to cope with the problem, it looks as though it will continue, and even escalate, in the future.

So what can (and must) we do about it?

First of all, we need to pray. James 5:16 says: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous [wo]man avails much." Jesus makes his opinion on children very clear in the gospels: they are extremely precious in his sight. So we should be praying for these dear children fervently and frequently.

Second, find out if there is a scheme in your area targeting this terrible crime. Cambridge Community Church (C3), for example, recently invited 80 churches from across the region to attend a talk given by Ben Cooley, CEO of Hope for Justice. The aim was to unite, inspire and equip local churches to take action. With anti-trafficking initiatives unrolling across the UK, it’s time for you to get involved!

Imagine if your son was abducted and mutilated for a superstitious ritual, uprooted from his home and living in constant fear and pain. Or if your daughter was stolen from you and forced into a life of drugs, violence and prostitution.

Of course, it’s not just children that are being trafficked. Many adults are also trafficked and forced to become sex workers or, basically, slaves. With statistics showing that 99% of trafficked victims are never rescued, it’s time to stand up and be counted.

“I firmly believe that if we work together we can establish the momentum to change history,” says Mr Cooley. “We can make this county a hostile environment for traffickers and see trafficking end in our lifetime.”

Don’t turn a blind eye… It’s time to stop the traffik.

Visit these sites for more info: http://hopeforjustice.org.uk; www.stophumantraffic.com; www.stopthetraffik.org/humantrafficking/background.aspx; www.notforsalecampaign.org; http://stophumantrafficking.com.

Read more from Joy in the upcoming issue of Liberti and its parent magazine, Sorted.

 

Danniella Westbrook chooses God over Gucci

Photo credit: BBC

You often hear American actresses mentioning God, but I was surprised to hear former EastEnder Danniella Westbrook talking about her new-found faith.

The actress, who is sadly better known for her nose-destroying coke habit than her acting skills, has turned her back on the drug that cost her £250,000 and almost killed her.

And, while Gucci and Prada used to be her only ‘gods’, Danniella says she is now a born-again Christian. “If you had told me two years ago that I was going to be Christian, I would have laughed. I used to tell people, ‘I’m way past saving’,” she claims.

Her mind was changed after a visit to the Sanctuary Church in California; a church pastored by former drug addict Jay Haizlip.

During her first visit two years ago, she recalls feeling “something so spiritual and amazing” that she felt like crying. “After a few visits I found myself walking up to the altar to ask the Lord for forgiveness for my sins,” she explains.

Danniella’s previous experience of church was being told 'thou shalt not do this', at which point she would start thinking about what she needed in Tesco! But she was overwhelmed by the fact people at the Sanctuary were so alive – and that they were there of their own volition. “The worship started and I thought it was amazing,” she says.

"Being English, I wanted to get up and dance but I was too embarrassed. I didn't know God; I didn't have a relationship with God. Jay started preaching and it was like he was speaking right at us.”

The former Dancing On Ice contestant has now been clean for ten years and she, Kevin and their two children regularly attend the church, where Katy Perry’s parents have been known to preach. And when they’re not at church, they often pray and read the Bible together.

“People are so cynical about religion in the UK. Before I came to the States, I had never seen a church like this. Here, people don’t just pray – they call out to God and sing and cry.

“People tell us, ‘Oh no, you’re in the God squad now.’ But they don’t get it. I have no interest in being famous any more unless it can help me to spread God’s word. I really think I have been put in this position to help people.

“God speaks to me in so many ways. I talk to him and it is definitely a two-way conversation.”

Although she hasn’t ruled out another return to EastEnders in the future, she has certainly turned her back on the shallow life she was living.

The actress is now looking to return to the UK to share her new ­beliefs in a nation that seems to have forgotten about God.

“I feel that me working on EastEnders and becoming a Christian might be God’s way of leading people to the Lord,” she reveals.

Her priorities are very different now. “Fame and celebrity are false idols, says Danniella. “Too many people today worship at the altar of celebrity but there is a spiritual vacuum inside them. That hole can only be filled by God.

“Fame and money mean nothing without a solid spiritual foundation. I know because I had everything, and it meant nothing. I realise some people will be shocked by how much my life has changed, but I've never been more serious about anything in my life. The most important thing in my life now is family and God.

“I truly believe God has saved my life and I want to bring the message back to England and open a church there. The whole point about this church is that it is fun. There is no reason why religion has to be boring. I believe there is a gap in the UK and we can fill that gap.”

Read more from Joy in the next issue of Liberti magazine or in Christian men’s mag Sorted.