Editing Mulan (Disney character) (section)

=== Redesign controversy ===

The 2013 Disney princess redesigns portrayed Mulan with features that differ from her film appearance. The artwork featured Mulan with blue eyes, bigger lips, noticeably lighter skin, and golden clothing which does not resemble any outfit she has worn in the film. Her new appearance has caused an uproar due to the [[whitewash (censorship)|whitewash]] of her character. This was particularly troubling as Mulan is one of the few [[Person of color|princesses of color]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wong|first=Lindsay|date=March 29, 2021|title=Lack of POC in Disney|url=https://theunreadinitiative.org/2021/03/29/the-lack-of-diversity-in-disney/|website=The Unread Initiative|access-date=October 27, 2021|archive-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027214500/https://theunreadinitiative.org/2021/03/29/the-lack-of-diversity-in-disney/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Shavon L. McKinstry of ''SPARK Movement'' writes that Mulan's redesign "seem to be directly counter to her personality and character in her film", and also notes how all the princesses of color have been "noticeably pushed to the back or left out completely" from the new Disney merchandise which featured the redesigns.<ref name="multiple">McKinstry, Shavon L. [http://www.sparksummit.com/2013/04/17/bright-like-a-diamond-white-like-a-princess/ "Bright Like a Diamond, White Like a Princess"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025184147/http://www.sparksummit.com/2013/04/17/bright-like-a-diamond-white-like-a-princess/ |date=2016-10-25 }}, ''SPARK MOVEMENT'', April 17, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2014.</ref>

McKinstry argues that Disney "prefers to portray one demographic of princess, simultaneously alienating so much of their fanbase", pointing out that of the "ten Disney Princesses in the brand, six are white".<ref name="multiple" /> The importance of Mulan and other non-white princesses can be seen in the 2009 study of the effects of children's cartoons on the body image of young girls by doctors Sharon Hayes and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn. The study revealed that in the group of girls ranging from 3 to 6 years old, 30.6% of the group would change their physical appearance if they could. Of these respondents, over half would change their hair and over a quarter would change something about their body, such as skin color. Of all girls surveyed, 8% said they would have to change their hair or skin color to become a princess, stating things like they would "change from brown skin to white skin", for example. The interviewed group was predominantly white.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1348/026151009X424240|title = Am I too fat to be a princess? Examining the effects of popular children's media on young girls' body image| journal=British Journal of Developmental Psychology| volume=28| issue=2| pages=413–426|year = 2010|last1 = Hayes|first1 = Sharon| last2=Tantleff-Dunn| first2=Stacey| pmid=20481395}}</ref>

Disney has since altered the coloration in Mulan's design by changing the blue eye highlight to brown, darkening the color of her skin, and changing her clothing to better resemble her attire in the film.<ref name="multiple" />