I did the unthinkable...

[cami713]

having a little girl play with a doll that looks and glamorizes looking, dressing, and acting like a tramp will encourage little girls to do the same. You are or will be what you play with.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sorry, but any kid who emulates a DOLL has bad parenting, it's not the doll itself, IMO. Most kids can tell the difference between a doll and real life. I've always played with dolls, and I know I dont I have to look like Barbie to be pretty. Most of my female friends played with dolls. We all have healthy outlooks on life, and our appearances. Of course, there will be people on the opposite side of the spectrum, but I really think most kids are intelligent enough to tell the difference between "this is a doll I play with," and "this is how I should look." Most kids are much smarter than people give them credit for.

I agree 100% with Sara, it's a DOLL. I don't have any Bratz, and don't really care for them, but if I had a daughter who liked them, I wouldn't hesitate to get her a few. I'd prefer she liked AG or Barbie, simply because I like those, as well, so would enjoy buying them more.

Dolls are meant to stimulate the imagination. I'm big on imagination, so I really think anything that gets kids thinking outside the box is great. Truthfully, I couldn't care less if they are playing "Bratz are the meanie sluts," they're playing, and thinking for themselves.

The only thing about Bratz that bothers me is their marketing campaign. The girls in the commercials are well over 10, yet the dolls seem to be made for about the same age group as AG. Most of the girls in the commercials look more like 14 year olds to me. Which isn't a problem if 14 year olds are into them, as well, but if they feel they need to have older girls in the commercials, perhaps they should be marketing to those same girls.

This issue sure comes up an awful lot here, and I suppose I can understand why, when we're all fans of the uberly-safe and wholesome AGs. But it really does seem to come up about once a month, I think I might save my comments and just repost them everytime this comes up, lol.

[colettedenali]

I read an article several months ago about marketing to children- it's a common practice to use children a few years older than the target age. Apparently, children like to play with toys that are portrayed as being for older kids. Interestingly enough, AG doesn't do that- their ads picture children of the precise target age.

While I think Bratz are absolutely appalling, I must commend them on their diversity. The Bratz dolls depict people of color far moreso than most other doll lines. Of course, this diversity combined with the dolls' questionable lifestyles may actually be negative- implying that girls of color are all part of an "urban" lifestyle that values sexuality over real critical thinking and imagination.

Just a few 2am thoughts...

[Felicity Merriman]

I don't understand this thing people have against Bratz dolls. It just seems so silly. I don't see how they could possibly be such a bad influence on kids. Im not saying I think they're a particularly good influence, but thier just dolls. It's not like just becuase a 10 yr. old has a doll wearing a short skirt and halter top, she's going to start dressing like a Jezebel.

[gritsmommyof5]

I TOTALLY agree that it all starts with good parenting.

But studies show children are influence by the media and even what they play with.I have had five kids and I promise you I see the difference how they play/pretend with certain toys.

That's why we (personally) try our best as PARENTS to provide a positive learning/play experience for our children.
Of course we fail miserable at times..LOL

I am not saying your a bad parent at all if you allow your children to play with Bratz. That is a decision your family has to make. I am just sharing how we personally feel about them.

[LindaL]

Funny thing about the Bratz dolls. After Christmas I think almost 3 years ago now, I bought about 10 of these on clearance at Target for $2.xx each, thinking they would be good for gifting, etc. I can't even give them away to anyone I know--my girls, along with their friends, hate the Bratz dolls (thank heavens!) So what I've done is donated the majority of them to toy drives, etc. Thanks for the reminder--I think I'll dig out whatever is left and donate them to toys for tots this year.

Linda

[Wrinklie Alert]

Originally posted by Felicity Merriman:
I don't understand this thing people have against Bratz dolls. It just seems so silly. I don't see how they could possibly be such a bad influence on kids. Im not saying I think they're a particularly good influence, but thier just dolls. It's not like just becuase a 10 yr. old has a doll wearing a short skirt and halter top, she's going to start dressing like a Jezebel.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, I agree! I have a bratz doll... don't know what happend to her, but anyway, I don't think bratz can have THAT bad of and influense on kids... I mean, it is just a doll. I like the bratz babyz and bratz dolls. I WANT them. Of course, I personally hate the idea of a 10 year old going to school dressed in short skirts, halter top, boots and heavy make-up, but hey, the bratz have a target age of 10-12, but are the bratz dolls them selves 10-12? No. I think they are more like 13-15.

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ December 02, 2005 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Wrinklie Alert ]</font>

[CasualAGFan]

I agree with Cami 1000%. I'm a fashion doll girl, all the way. I still like AG. I don't understand why some people consider Barbie and Bratz to be the anti-AG. I was actually very surprised when I read the article online where Pleasant Rowland said she created AG to be an alternative to Barbie and Cabbage Patch Kids. AG and fashion dolls, they're just too different kinds of dolls, that's all. When I hear the phrase, "Barbie alternative", I think of The Happy To Be Me Doll or something like that. To me, it's like saying Hot Wheels are the anti-Lionel Trains or that popcorn is the anti-French bread since they're both carbs. Besides, I grew up with Barbie and am not even close to being anorexic or bulimic. No offense to those who are anti-Barbie/Bratz, just my extremely humble opinion and [img]graemlins/money.gif[/img] .

[mayergirl]

If I may, as another person who has done a research paper on Barbie (and actually found them to be an incredibly good influence on girls), I found that Barbies were created as an alternative to baby dolls. It wasn't saying there was anything wrong with baby dolls, it was just to give girls a different kind of doll to play with. Likewise, AG was created as an alternative to Barbies, designed to create a doll the girl's own age to play with. I'm a big supporter of Barbie, but not Bratz. I think Bratz is irresponsible. Not to say that Bratz is a bag influence or to attribute to them any power a doll doesn't really have, but to say instead, that glamorizing trampiness is just as irresponsible as glamorizing violence. Neither make a child do something they otherwise wouldn't have, but they do take away precious moments of childish innocence. Children who have to be told why they can't wear fishnets or midriffs at 6 years old learn too young about some of the evils of this world. Better to let those lessons wait until they cannot anymore. That's just my opinion.

[Pressed_Flowers]

They are just dolls as several people have said. A doll doesn't make a girl into tramp anymore than video games or Marilyn Manson make people kill. It starts with education and involvment and several parents are too lazy to do this. They'd rather have parental codes on their TVs. I feel the more a kids knows the less they will learn by experementing. I speak from expereince. My parents didn't shelter my sister and I as children, we were taught "the birds and bees" at a young age and because mysterious was taken away from it at such a young age we didn't feel compelled to learn about it by doing the way I know several people I knew did.

[MemoirsOfMimi]

I categorize fashion dolls differently then my AGs. I collect Barbies and Bratz because I like the way they look. Barbies for beauty and Bratz are just fun and remind me alot of anime characters. I can do some redressing, which I don't do with my Barbies, and they're fun gals to have around.

HOWEVER...I am an adult collector with no children. I wouldn't give Bratz dolls to any girl under 12 any sooner then I would put most fashion dolls in their hands. It's not just Bratz that have a "sexier" look to them...there's even Barbies that are aimed at adult collectors for their sex appeal. So I think that they're fine for girls over 12, but should be remarketed to older girls. In my opinion, of course.

BTW, my AGs are my loves...they don't have their own universes like the Bratz and My Little Ponies, they are in my universe. [img]smile.gif[/img]