Any parent who buys into this entire line of sleaze dolls should have their heads examine. What values are you trying to pass on to the next generation? The values of MTV and music videos? Shame on you for not standing up to the marketing machine that has created this disgusting line of dolls.
Previous generations have had to contend with the Barbie line and its impossible body shape and ever increasing emphaise our outer beauty. The Bratz line takes us even farther down the sewer with the shallow, sexy-bomb personas of the Bratz girls. If they marketed them as stripper dolls it might actually be closer to the truth then simply bratty girls. Which by the way actually used to be a trait people would discourage rather than celebrate in the form of a plaything. Maybe that is the relationship, plaything toy for future playthings?
After the "Lil'" Bratz line whats next? Sleezy toys for your toddler?
Time warp to 16 or probably more likely 13 when your teenager wants to go to school dressed like one of these these slutty dolls. Simply sick.
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Barbie for President?
What Message are we Trying to Send to Little Girls?
Bratz for Prostitute?
“In addition to dramatic physical change, the timing of puberty has a major impact on psychological adjustment” (Berk, 2003, p. 201).
Dire Consequences or Natural Change?
Whether the integration of sex in everything from toys to clothes has had an effect on the physical growth of little girls or whether it is partly a response to the change should not be the focus of attention. Early maturation in girls, no matter what the cause, leads to multiple psychological effects. The consequences range from low self-esteem to endangerment at a young age in an attempt to fit in with an older crowd. “Early maturing girls were below –average in popularity, withdrawn, lacking in self-confidence, and psychologically stressed and held few leadership positions. In addition, they were more involved in deviant behavior (getting drunk, participating in early sexual activity) and achieved less well in school” (Berk, 2003, p.201). Of course, with all studies, there are plenty of girls that do not experience any of these consequences, but there are enough that these issues need to be addressed. Along with the problems mentioned above, early sexual activity (with the high probability of sexually transmitted diseases), is one of the consequences for young girls trying to fit in with an older crowd which on the outside they may seem to resemble physically. This issue is only encouraged by the questionable clothes that are advertised and the toys that are sold to young girls.
“Some lingerie makers offer entire lines aimed at nine-to-twelve year olds. Cosmetics companies market strawberry perfumed lip gloss and chocolate-scented nail glaze. Yet few so-called tweens have the emotional tools to cope with these stressful expectations” (Hunter, 1999).
Ideal Woman or Ideal Hooker?
As I looked up two main brand dolls that are both extremely popular, Barbie and Bratz, I was shocked at what I found. I remember playing with Barbie and hoping that one day I would have her legs and be able to wear all those fabulous high-heels. Barbie has changed though, in an attempt to stay current and popular she has adopted a new clothing style and many new racially appropriate friends. Mattel has been criticized for many years for Barbie’s image of “perfection” and they have made some changes, but granted that physically impossible body is still a marvel and does not reflect our society at large. However, compared to a new line of dolls, Bratz owned by MGA Entertainment, Barbie looks like a saint. Sexy nighties, reminiscent of Victoria’s Secret are included in their “sleepwear” collection; black, thigh high leather boots paired with teeny skirts and even smaller tops are an “outfit”, and those are just the clothes. One has to question the image of “beauty” this company is portraying through its dolls. Huge made up eyes and pouty lips that look like they’ve experienced an overdose of collagen. I was shocked to see what age range the majority of these dolls and their products were being sold at when I checked out Wallmart – 8-11 years old.
“Even more troubling than the physical changes is the potential psychological effect of premature sexual development on children who should be reading fairy tales, not fending off wolves” (Lemonick, 2000).
Where Have All the Childhoods Gone?
What exactly are our expectations of children as they begin to morph into teenagers and then young adults? Our society depicts a constant flow of sexually explicit material found everywhere from advertisements to clothing lines geared toward younger girls, while still maintaining ideals of when girls should start dating and what is appropriate behavior at certain ages. “ Mothers say they constantly set limits on everything from clothing to music but feel they are swimming against a tidal wave of sexual messages targeting an ever-younger set of girls” (English, 2005). Not only are girls experiencing difficulties fitting in and then problems with the peer pressure of an older crowd but they lose out on an important developmental stage when boys have yet to even become noticeable. “Between 8 and 12… girls are in their so-called latency period, when they turn their backs on boys and bond with their peers – other girls. When a girl’s body develops early, she is more likely to hook-up with a boy – and leave her group of girl friends – before the latency period is done. That has all sorts of harmful social, academic, and psychological consequences” (Lemonick, 2000).
"When the Bratz and Bratz Boyz are in London, they always hit their favorite pub for fish 'n' chips! They love to chill out and play darts while lookin' good in the latest fashions. And boy do they look scorchin' surrounded by the English charm of this pub, with wood-grained bar and Union Jack decor!" (caption on Wallmart site selling this "toy", part of the Bratz London collection)
Conclusion: What Families Can Do
Children are going to want all the new popular toys they see advertised on TV but that does not mean they have to succumb to mass culture. Even though parents may at times feel overwhelmed, they are the ones best equipped to teach their young daughters that regardless of what physical changes they are going through they do not need to look like “prostitots”. A safe, warm, and open home is the best antidote to our sexualized society. Girls need to be told the dangers of sex at a young age, that includes speaking about STD’s and what men may think of if they’re dressed a certain way. Parents need to realize and then emphasize the importance of their children’s childhood. Even if that means setting limits that do not match their daughter’s perception of the world around them. Parents, not the media, are still the boss.
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