No fat disney characters

[Alicia]

Just wanted to start a discussion:P

Why aren't there any fat disney characters?? Ok ok, I know there are SOME, like the Louis in The Princess and the Frog, and Captain Cook's sidekick, but why do they never play a central role? Why are they never anybody that kids can look up to? They always seem to be ones that should be laughed at or made fun of.

Do you think that Disney's worried they might promote obesity by telling people it's ok to be overweight? Or at least get blamed that they are? Or do you think that they think people just wouldn't come to see a story about an overweight character?

If you've read my bio, you'll notice that I'm part of the fat acceptance movement. That doesn't mean I want to encourage people to get fat, but rather, for them to be accepted and loved no matter what weight they are. My weight is a big problem for me. It stops me from joining in with my friends and generally makes life a pain. I don't need the social stigmatism that comes with it either. If I wasn't teased about my weight, I might still be at school. At least then I'd be getting out of the house! Now, I'm not saying that my being overweight isn't my fault. If I had just an ounce of self-control I might be able to put the junk food and chocolate aside for a while. I'm not blaming anyone. I'm just saying, it doesn't help.

I think if I had a character to look up to as a kid - one that embodied the struggles I go through on a daily basis, and somehow overcame them - then I think that my weight probably wouldn't be as big as an issue as it is for me now. For instance if nobody teased me at school I wouldn't be schooling from home.
That's why I created my character, Mipa: sure, she's fat/overweight/obese/whatever you want to call it, but she's also clever and intelligent and funny, and gets around the issue of her weight and is still a success on the african savannah. Why can't Disney have more characters like her? (if you want to read about her, see here: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=14565). If there had been a cartoon about her when I was a kid, I might not have felt like I was the scum of the universe for so long. I feel better about myself now, but my weight is something I need to start controlling, because it's getting beyond a joke.

I'm going to stop ranting now so feel free to discuss. If you've felt discrimination in this area then please say so. You're not alone.

Bai!

[Daenerys]

Well uh, I didn't read all of this. But, uh, yeah good point, not sure why.

[Alicia]

Sorry, lol, I was ranting a bit:)

[YFWE]

I think this topic is better suited to animation or even films as a whole than just Disney. It's not often you see overweight main characters from any studio, not just Disney.

[Alicia]

Good point, but I figured I'd keep it at least slightly related to disney and cartoons:). What are your thoughts though?

[AdAstrα]

I think your theory about them not wanting to promote obesity might be somewhat accurate. I could understand that in a way, because it has become such a significant problem in many societies today. However, having an overweight character play an important part in a movie could also be seen as an opportunity to promote acceptance. An opportunity that should be used whenever possible in my opinion, because unfortunately, a lot of people are very judgemental.

[Alicia]

Thanks Qopr!

[AdAstrα]

No problem

[Eli_Ayase]

Ugh. Isn't Pumbaa fat!? Lolz. Barely in any movie you can find fat characters (maybe never will find).

[AdAstrα]

Yes he is, but he's just in there for comic relief, really. He isn't a main character.