I don't think that was the intent of the article. Rather, here was a potential _alternative_ role model which has been rolled back into the "princess" fold. The whole point of Merida, and the reason our family has loved her, is that she's a tomboy. She plays with bows and horses because she finds it _fun_. The message of her character isn't that it's bad to be a girly-girl, but rather that it's OK not to be.

Apparently, many families felt similarly about her character -- that she's a positive role model to have in addition to (not, IMO, in lieu of) the other Disney princesses. Disney changing that seems like a "missed the point" sort of issue -- I definitely had a "what the heck?" moment when I saw the Merida dolls that didn't have a bow, for example. However, I also see the merits of an older Merida as a princess figure. Perhaps she finds she likes dress-up more, in addition to wild rides with mud and bow, as she becomes a teen.

The point of the article is not at all that it's immoral to portray girly-girls, but that it's immoral to set that archetype up as a universal ideal and try to force all female characters into that mold. I don't know how on earth you got the former interpretation.

I'm positively sure there are enough "girly girls" among the eleven Disney Princesses (read: ten Princesses) that one tomboy should not be a big deal.

The only Princess that comes close to Merida in this regard is probably the one I grew up with: Mulan. But Mulan is portrayed as being so beautiful that it almost doesn't matter that she's clumsy and headstrong because her beauty alone would carry her a far way. To a very plain (then) girl this was still a pretty awful message and instead I resorted to reading books that didn't tell me that I had to fit a specific mold I wanted no part of. Now I get to watch Merida and watch my friends' kids watch Merida and I'm glad they have a mainstream choice that tells them it's okay not to be one of the other ten Princesses.

There is nothing wrong with giving kids a choice. If anything, changing Merida to fit the usual Princess mold is pushing girls to believe that "girly girl" is the norm and tomboys are unacceptable.

"I read the article as saying that it is immoral to portray girly girls"

You should try reading the article when you claim you read something.

Sorry, as opposed to we must always show them princesses to give the girls the right role models?

You are for this?

Girls should be discouraged from being too feminine (princesses) just as boys should be discouraged from being too masculine (fighting, guns). Both are debilitating to children and childhood.

Are you arguing against strict gender roles or for them?