Fictional characters get makeovers

According to The New York Times, fictional characters are being redesigned in an effort to bolster sales by appealing to both “parents’ nostalgia and children’s YouTube-era sensibilities.”

Strawberry Shortcake’s updated look was introduced on Tuesday. The new, flirtier Strawberry Shortcake has apparently lost her appetite for sugary desserts and is now on a fruit diet. Jeffrey Conrad, head creative designer of American Greetings, explained that this change in food preference is part of a new “fruit-forward” theme. It appears that the cartoon star also dyed her hair pink, started wearing lipstick, and replaced her calico cat with a cellphone.

Other makeovers in fictional character land include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with “more muscles and less attitude” and Care Bears with “less belly fat” and “longer eyelashes.”

But Care Bears are supposed to have belly fat! Even cartoon bears have to be skinny now? And Ninja Turtles with less attitude? What is the world coming to?

A new Mickey Mouse is in the works, but I don’t really want to know how that’s going to turn out.

Greenwashing

I found out about the Rainforest Action Network’s Greenwash of the Week videos through Feministing and wanted to share. Bria and Robin do a great job of highlighting environmental issues and corporate hypocrisy. Their newest video is about GM’s new ad campaign, which tries to portray the company as environmentally friendly and forward thinking when it is anything but.

I also like this video from a few weeks ago, in which Bria and Robin discuss the ridiculousness of marketing recycled Barbie accessories as socially conscious and environmentally friendly. They link issues like thoughtless consumption, environmental toxins, labor issues, and the oppression of women. You can watch all the videos here.