The Bratz doll controversy

I found Bratz dolls, and the issue of sexualized toys, to be a charged issue while working on today's front-page story. A number of parents and others that I interviewed were deeply disturbed at how Bratz were being marketed to adolescents and even toddlers.

They were also alarmed by the marketing of a stereotype they felt both objectifies girls and suggests they mostly care about boys, shopping and looks.

Other parents -- even some not thrilled by how risque the Bratz dolls look -- felt the dolls were not a big deal, and any negativity could be offset by good values instilled in the home.

How do you feel about Bratz dolls, and the overall issue of sexualized images being marketed to young girls?

Do you allow your daughters to play with Bratz dolls or are they banned from a place under your Christmas tree?

-- Mark Sommer

Comments

[Lisa Patterson]

If you ask my daughter's if they like the Bratz they will roll their eyes at you and tell you they are "hootchie mommas". Thankfully, the values and morals I have raised my children with, are stronger than the advertisers ploys. If parents are complaining about these dolls and the way they influence girls, then why are they buying them? Standing in line at Walmart, the woman in front of me ad a Bratz doll in her cart and did nothing but complain how sexual the doll appears and how she hates them. But yet, she still purchased the doll. Maybe the real problem here is not the doll's sexuality but the fact that parents do not say NO to their children and mean it!

[McBea]

No Bratz in my house. This topic came up on a tv talk show recently and there was one woman who said she doesn't think Bratz dolls can influence how her kids think and feel. When she was asked if she would buy the doll if it came with a toy sized pack of cigarettes she looked horrified and said NO WAY! The intended conclusion being that on some level, even though she denied it up and down left and right deep down she felt that the dolls had some influential power.

I think shes right.

[PaWolf]

The 'BRATZ' story is appropriate and overdue. Our kids need no examples like what would be better named Mammy's Lil' Hos'

[rebecca]

I'm actually a high school senior and I had to go shopping for some toys for a charity drive I was running. When me and my friend went into the aisle where the Bratz dolls were, we were shocked! She was wearing a "skirt" if you could even call it that. We both thought that maybe it was just that one doll that was like that, but sure enough all the rest were the same. It was just so disturbing to s that because I have never seen anyone in real life with an outfit that skimpy let alone on a doll that is meant for children! We see little girls dressing up as Hannah Montana or Dora the Explorer for hallowen but what would happen if they dressed up as a Bratz doll?! Seriously, add some pants and a cute jacket. The kids will like it just as much.

[rebecca]

may i also just add:

take a look at this picture. if this was a picture of a real human, what would your first thoughts be??

oh, by the way, don't think your eyes are decieving you if you see the doll's underwear from the position she is standing in. you can definetly see them.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/03/31/svDOLLS.jpg

[MS]

This is great marketing. newsflash most girls in highschool just care about boys shopping and clothes and little girls look up to older girls... I would never allow my daughter to play with Bratz but she does have Barbie's which is very similar to Bratz.. Bratz are just more obvious.

[Olivia]

I totally agree with your post, Mark. I think MGA are taking advantage of the idealistic image young girls have of the perfect woman to make a profit. I honestly can't go upstairs in Woolworths on fear of seeing their ugly heads and mini skirts filling the shelves.

I'm currently writing a speech on the influence dolls have on young children and some of the comments posted have been a great help :).

Oh and check this out, it's just disgusting.

www.mgae.com/.../BratzFashionPacks.asp

[S. Waddell]

I think that Bratz dolls are fine.The comments that are being made are rediculous.My daughter enjoys them.Mattel Manufactured a Barbie back in 1997 that was pregnant.Now what type of example were they setting.Now that was to much.Move over Barbie you had your day.Besides all little girls can identify with the Bratz even ethnic people. I do own that doll that Mattel made its in ment condition.

[Sasha]

I never wanted to "look like barbie" when i was a kid. And my daughter doesnt want to look like a Bratz doll, they are TOYS they ar not supposed to set an example they are mediums for the childs imagination, they are supposed to be different from real life, thats what is fun about them. Do people get so angry that GI Joe comes with guns? Which is more dangerous, skimpy clothes or automatic weapons? If we raise our children to think for themselves they will not see toys as models for themselves.

[Momma]

For all of those parents complaining about the Bratz dolls, have any of you actually sat down with your children and played dolls with them? I do. Good morals and ethics comes from parental guidance, not dolls. In all my years of growing up, the dolls in my house, even when I was younger, never kept their clothes on anyhow! I can't even begin to tell you how many naked dolls there were around the house. Go to gargare sales and look at the dolls...trust me, most of them will be naked. To you I say 'grow up' children. You're the same people that complained about the movie the 'nutty professor' and how it portrayed fat people. Utter nonsense. Stop complaining and take life for what it is supposed to be - fun. The little mermaid has a fin; her doll has a fin. Are our children to believe that they too could have a fin? The only thing wrong with Bratz dolls is that it takes an army to get them out of the box. If you're seriously worried about some doll affecting your child, then you should probably just pack up your belongings and move out to some remote island where there's not much chance of any influence from anything but coconuts - oh wait, the word 'nuts' is used; better think of something else....

[momofagirl]

Couldn't agree with you more, Momma. I am a mother of a young daughter (yes, she does own a couple of Bratz dolls), and I find all of the controversy regarding Bratz dolls a bit silly.
I was born in the early '70's and when I was young I received a Barbie Skipper doll that actually grew a 'gasp' chest when you turned her arm. Yes, a chest! Her name was Growing Skipper. I played with her soo much that she stopped growing after awhile. I don't believe I was damaged in any way by playing with her. I had plenty of Barbie's that were considered overly sexual for their time. Sun Loving Barbie in her bikini, Fashion Photo Barbie in her glitsy gold bodysuit promoting the glamour of life as a fashion model. Guess what? I tore their clothes off, used my imagination, and gave them whole new personalities.
If you don't like the Bratz dolls with the skimpier clothing, there are many other options such as pajama's, winter clothing, and sports wear that aren't the least bit revealing, are actually kind of cute, and will fill your daughter's desire for the doll. This is what I do and my daughter is fine with it....afterall, it is my money. My daughter has a Cloe Bratz doll that is wearing pajamas, a housecoat, and bunny slippers.....the Disney Princess dolls show more skin than this doll does. There is nothing sexy about her at all, and frankly I find that the big catoonish heads make them look even less sexy.
When Barbie first came out, mother's were in arms about her...they hated her and wanted her off the shelves. Someday, when we are all grandma's, Bratz will seem tame, believe it or not.
Instead of worrying about a plastic toy soo much, why not put that energy into keeping an eye on who your kids are becoming friends with, who they are watching on TV, and what musicians they are listening to. It's the Lindsay Lohans and Britneys that are really influencing our kids. I don't recall ever wanting to look like my Barbie as a child, but I do very vividly recall wanting Molly Ringwalds red hair, and wearing jelly bracelets up my arm like Madonna.

[Gina]

I cannot believe all the hype over the Bratz dolls and sexuality! You have to be kidding. These dolls are toys, their heads are too big for their bodies, their feet are never the same size and they are almost cartoonish. Some people have to complain over everything. Bratz are making the hit, not because of the clothes they are dressed in but because they are toys unlike Barbie that if you have one, you have them all.

[beth]

Do any of you realize how many anorexic girls there are in this world? My best friend is 17 years old, and she pukes up her food (if she even eats anything) because she thinks she's too fat. She won't wear swimsuits because she is ashamed of her body. And I have no doubt in my mind its all because of society's "perfect body" hype. Girls grow up playing barbies and bratz, with their tiny little waists and their big boobs, and perfectly shaped legs and butts. And momofagirl, can you honestly say that you never wished for your boobs to grow? unless, of course, you we're lucky enough to be blessed with perfect boobs yourself. I grew up wishing for my own body to be beautiful. I wanted boobs so bad, I was embarrassed because I never grew past a small B. I wouldn't wear shorts because my legs were just a little fat. I'm pretty thin, I have a good waist and a decent butt. But I'm not as "perfect" as I always wanted to be. And yeah.. I blame it on barbies and teen magazines. I'm only 21, I don't have kids yet but when I have them, they won't be playing with Bratz.
I bought a doll a few years back, just because it was adorable.Her little tummy sticks out... She has no unnatural curves- she doesn't even have boobs, i'm hanging on to that one. That's the kind of dolls my girls will play with.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2993247524_49e9d0eb73.jpg?v=0

And about the mermaid dolls... kids might wish that they can't be a mermaid.. but that's completely different. The issue here is that girls (and women) COMPARE themselves with other women. They see something and think "do i look that good?"
little girls do that too.
so if you want your children comparing themselves to BRATZ dolls, so that when they're older they feel the need to wear those clothes and go on diets and wear skanky makeup and get their lips surgically enhanced..
when you start having those fights with your daughters about how they look like trash... remember these dolls.

[Raven]

I am 19 going on 20 and I bought my first bratz doll when they 1st came out. I thought they were adorable and still do. I don't see anything "sexy" about them. I agree with those who say that this controversy is ridiculous. Girls should be allowed to play with these dolls if they want, if they grow up to be tramps it's not the doll's fault. It's the parents. These dolls re based on TEENAGE GIRLS! Of course they love to go shopping, look pretty, and hang out with boys. So do I! Seriously, grow up and throw your hate onto something that deserves it rather than this peice of plastic.

[Sarah]

I am an 18 year old and i played with barbies growing up and was never influenced by them negatively in fact i enjoyed how barbie came with outfits for bein a doctor teacher ect. i was disgusted when i saw these bratz dolls being sold for little kids, ive seen sex dolls with more coverage, i flip when my mother buys them for my 10 year old sister and im about as liberal as they get