What do you think of Disney’s newest Princess?

Back in December we introduced Princess Sofia : https://whatsupwiththemouse.com/introducing-princess-sofia/

She will debut on November 18th on Disney Junior, and well… there has been a lot of criticism of her non-Latina look. She has blue eyes, light skin, light brown hair…

Disney responded on Princess Sofia Facebook page,

“As we approach the premiere of ‘Sofia the First’ on November 18, I wanted to check in here and thank you once again for your warm welcome for our new little princess. Some of you may have seen the recent news stories on whether Sofia is or  isn’t a “Latina princess.” What’s important to know is that Sofia is a fairytale girl who lives in a fairytale world. All our characters come from fantasy lands that may reflect elements of various cultures and ethnicities but none are meant to specifically represent those real world cultures. The writers have wisely chosen to write stories that include elements that will be familiar and relatable to kids from many different backgrounds including Spain and Latin America. For example, Sofia’s mom comes from a fictitious land, Galdiz, which was inspired by Spain. There are wonderful stories coming up in which Sofia and her family celebrate a winter holiday called Wassailia (reminiscent of a Scandinavian Christmas), and go on a picnic in Wei-Ling, an Asian-inspired kingdom. Most importantly, Sofia’s world reflects the ethnically diverse world we live in but it is not OUR world, it is a fairytale and storybook world that we hope will help spur a child’s imagination. It’s one where we can have flying horses, schools led by fairies, songs that have a Latin beat and towns with markets like those found in North Africa. Together, this creates a world of diversity and inclusion that sends just the right kind of message to all children — “Look around you, appreciate the differences you see and celebrate what makes us all the same.” I am eager for you and your children to meet Sofia and experience her world together!

Nancy Kanter – Senior Vice President, Original Programming and General Manager, Disney Junior Worldwide”

Modern Family’s Ariel Winter voices Princess Sofia and Tim Gunn voices Baileywick, the castle’s prim-and-proper steward. Sara Ramirez joined the cast of Sofia the First as the voice of the Queen of Enchancia (and Sofia’s mom, Miranda) and Wayne Brady joined the Sofia cast as the voice of Clover, a talking rabbit.

What do you think? Will you watch?