Bratz!

I'm sure you have all seen Barbie's competition slutting it up on the television. The Bratz line of pre-teen fashion dolls has started a cat fight with the once queen of the teen fashion scene. To date, 80 million of these sexed up dolls have been sold worldwide. These dolls are marketed towards young girls ranging from 6-12 (my guess at least)and show no real signs of stopping. The company responsible for these mutant dolls recently released a line of Baby Bratz, equipped with blinged out baby bottles and thong underwear. Many parents are in an uproar over these dolls and the affects they have on young girls. Yet millions and millions of parents give in only to quiet the annoying crying and screaming of their hellspawn. And then they wonder why their 15 year old is pregnant and still trying to fit into a halter top. You've got to wonder how much damage these dolls do. Do young girls who play with them end up slutting about the halls of junior high? I know of a few universities that will be studying the after affects of owning such dolls. My only suggestion to parents that fear their pretty little princesses will grow up to be street walking floozies is this; don't buy your children toys that promote or encourage such behavior. Adbuster's Magazine had remarkable insight to the Barbie Vs. Bratz extravaganza in their latest issue. Here are some noteworthy quotes. "The creator of Bratz attempted to sidestep any body image-related controversy by making the dolls in the distorted image of fairly flat-chested (though still svelte)teens. And given their extremely stylized features- the hydrocephalic skull, squid-like eyes and spindly legs that seem to continue up to sternum height"...etc. "Seeing as how they haven't yet reached the age of consent, not too much should be expected career-wise of the Bratz." In reference to the Baby Bratz line, "...these toddlers of ill repute have enjoyed brisk sales, despite having just barely mastered the arts of walking and putting on lip gloss. It's unlikely that doll-collecting pedophiles could account for any truly significant share of the sales."
These dolls are fucked up. That's it. Personally I think that gender-specific dolls are silly, if your little lady wants to play with firetrucks, fine...doesn't mean she's gonna be a hardcore lesbian when she grows up. Parents need to step back and look at what they are buying their children and ask a few simple questions.
Is this okay for my child? Does this toy have the capability of altering my childs view of gender roles? How will this toy affect my childs self esteem and will it cause unnecessary self-image issues? I don't have children, but I care about what corporations do to them. No child should be referred to as a 'mind-share'. No child should be bombarded with subversive advertisements everyday. Brand loyalty starts at birth; teach your kids to be loyal,but not to a corporation.