I hate it when something that could be interpreted as degrading slips right past me.
A few months ago I was talking to my little cousin about what toys she would like for Christmas. I was trying to get a little market research done so I could anticipate what the top toys for Christmas would be.
The number one thing on her list was the Bratz dolls. She even took me to the website to show me all the interactive features.
I thanked her and that was the end of it.
A few weeks later all of these stories started coming out about how Bratz dolls are bad for girls, they encourage them to be promiscuous and dress inappropriately, and no good mother would ever buy such a toy.
I had to scratch my head because don’t a lot of dolls do that? Didn’t Barbie teach us that we need this skinny little figure to dress up to go out with Ken in his cool car? Don’t other dolls wear makeup? Aren’t there even dolls where girls can apply the makeup themselves? Perhaps the issue is that the Bratz dolls take all of this and go too far with it.
One mother blogged:
“I also have a problem with the faces on the Bratz dolls. Most of them are wearing far too much makeup. And when you add the pouty, diva-like expression on the faces of the Bratz, it’s just too much. I think there’s something to be said for role-playing teenage and adult years with dolls, but I’d like for that role-playing to be wholesome. Why are we encouraging our girls to act bratty, to wear too much eye makeup, to be a diva?” [Source]
I’m not saying I am for Bratz dolls or against them. I’m just amazed, because like I said the thought that Bratz dolls could be a negative influence on our young girls never crossed my mind. Now I have to ask myself why is that.
What do you think, would you buy your daughter a bratz doll?
14 responses so far ↓
1 Chris // Dec 13, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I have bought Bratz dolls for my niece because they are some of the only cute Latina dolls you can find, at least in my area. As for the clothes and make-up, geeze, I didn’t think it was anything much more than Barbie except these girls have bigger eyes. I just didn’t see getting her a white doll with blond hair. She’s kind of out grown Dora.
2 Rebekah // Dec 13, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I see it as basically the same thing as your No thank you to rape post, just because someone chooses to wear makeup/ let thier kids play with dolls that do does not an open invitation to rape/sexism make. My kiddo plays with them, and I get no end of hell for it, but you know what, If people think a small child playing with dolls is going to turn her into a “whore”as one mom so colourfully told me, they should move to Iran and don a burka.
3 srah // Dec 13, 2007 at 5:04 pm
I think that the difference between Bratz and Barbie is that Bratz are supposed to be pre-teens (teens? I don’t know, I’m not that familiar with them) and Barbie is supposed to be an adult. So Barbie is modeling adult behavior/dress and the Bratz are modeling pre-teen behavior/dress. I suppose either one has to be taken with a grain of salt. Fortunately I don’t have any kids so I don’t have to worry about either!
4 allena // Dec 13, 2007 at 10:10 pm
I would only buy them for my daughter, age 7, if she REALLY wanted one. This is because I have found that making a big deal about this kind of stuff — ie saying NO repeatedly, explaining why not, etc, only makes her want it MORE. It adds this sort of rebeliousness to the toy, which acheives the opposite of what u want. So I keep my mouth shut about the TOY- and instead am sure to instill my values in other ways, and ignore the toy. Eventually, it gets thrown out
or forgotten about!
5 (army)wife // Dec 14, 2007 at 10:30 am
I think sometimes it can be a double edge sword. On the one hand, you give your young girl these dolls and some say she is going to turn into a whore. On the other hand, you give them “wholesome” role-playing toys and for girls that’s cooking and housecleaning toys, baby dolls…all the things that teach them how to be a good housewife. I think rather than parents blaming how their child grows up based on toys, parents should be looking at their parenting skills. If you give your girl a Bratz doll to play with, but at the same time teach her how to dress and act appropriately or give her a play kitchen, but teach her how to be an independant young woman, she’s not going to grow up to be a stereotype based on her toys. Toys do not raise children.
6 Liz Fuller // Dec 15, 2007 at 11:42 am
Bratz dolls are a symptom of a larger trend in our society for girls to grow up faster and to see their bodies as measured by their sex appeal rather than health and strength. I think if my daughter wanted a bratz doll I’d probably buy her one and pay attention to how she played with it - what did it tell me about her own self-image, fears and dreams - and then try to engage her conversations about those root issues.
I’d focus on the core issues (if any) and let the symptoms take care of themselves.
7 Samantha // Dec 16, 2007 at 12:38 pm
This is a great blog and all your responses are so inspiring. however to add my voice…I don’t believe the Brats doll is any diferent than the romance novels we read. Young teens read them, believe that romance should live happily ever after so we get caught in bad relationships, compromising ourselves hoping its Prince Charming. There’s a new Author called Trillion McKnight whose book every woman should read - The Vanishing Kind.
8 Liz Fuller // Dec 16, 2007 at 2:29 pm
update - okay, I hadn’t given any thought to Bratz dolls (ever) until I read this post yesterday. But now with your question still floating somewhere in the back of my mind I happened upon some posts for 4 $15,000 scholarships being issued by Lionsgate entertainment associated with the recently released Bratz movie (which I had also been unaware of).
But due to your post, I was curious. After watching the trailer - he message of the movie appears to be - be yourself, don’t succumb to peer pressure, be loyal to your friends - which all seems positive.
And the scholarship is being awarded to kids who answer the question, “What are you most passionate about in life and how would you use this scholarship to help you grow?”
So now I’m thinking of changing my answer (perhaps they are changing their image) but I’m in favor of anything that helps girls tap into their passion, their sense of self and their ability to make a difference in the world.
9 anne // Dec 17, 2007 at 1:26 am
I don’t like Bratz dolls because they look so inhuman. Barbie doesn’t really look human either but at least her facial features aren’t totally cartoonish, and you don’t have to unscrew her feet to change her shoes - that’s just weird. And Barbie’s body has gotten a little more realistic in recent years; she has something of a midsection now.
I do, however, rather like what’s termed “fashion dolls.” I had Barbie and Cindy and some others as a kid and they got me fantasizing about being an independent adult with my own stuff. They’re not baby piss-n-poo mommy trainers, and they’re about the only children’s media in which the “Smurfette Principle” is reversed and girls are the central characters. One thing I like about Barbie in particular is that she’s been in several different careers, many of which are traditionally male-centric. That said, I could do without all the pink (you can make a kick-ass non-pink Barbie house decorated to your own liking out of an old set of bookshelves).
You can choose to bring Ken into the mix, or not. You can also choose kid-friendly clothes for Barbie. Every outfit I’ve seen for Bratz has been overly vampy - all feather boas and low-riders. My concern isn’t that Bratz “teach girls to dress like sluts.” My concern is that they imply that, if you’re a girl, sexxay is paramount over everything else you could be. Girls get too much of that message as it is.
BTW, not to sound like a Mattel spokesperson, but they have African American and Latina Barbies, and they have ethnic facial features. Asian Barbie is still conspicuously absent though.
10 Tracee Sioux // Dec 30, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Bratz are absolutely not welcome in my house. I threw a huge fit when my daughters soccer team was named Bratz last year. They (commissioners) refused to change the name so I had to listen to “Go Bratz Go” all season. I signed up to be the coach this season and changed the name to Happy Feet.
Sends much better message.
http://traceesioux.blogspot.com/search?q=go+bratz+go
11 Loryn // Jan 2, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I think the issue with the Bratz dolls stems from the cartoon television show. Although there is a message about being yourself, and “girl power” the enemies on the show are other women. The Bratz feed into the perception that women are always going to be against other women. Bratz succeed because they are clever, but also because they are more fashionable and attractive. To me they send a negative message which they try to cover up with the silly mantra of “girl power.”
12 Frederike // Jan 11, 2008 at 3:12 am
I find certain things in society more worrying than a Bratz doll… beauty pageants for girls aged 5/6+ looking like the reincarnation of Barbie…
Living painted babies! To a lot of people that seems normal, now that’s scary.
13 India // Jan 26, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Barbie did a lot damage to girls. I like the Bratz because they look so cartoonish and most girls know they are not real. So they are just looking at girls who look cute and alien like. I love the concept.
Yall just don’t get it. The problem is white women have a hard time with Black features being considered beautiful. LIKE BIG LIPS BIG EYES and big butts.
14 Tamara's Garden // Apr 29, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I see a lot of people who look like Bratz, I look more like a Bratz doll than I ever would a Barbie. My little girl is still small but DNA will suggest she will look more like me than Heidi Klum
I want her to feel like the world sees her as pretty inside and out too! I hated being told that Barbie was pretty, implying I was not. I love the ways my kid plays with the Bratz, they are funy and cute and a lot of play animals get rescued and a pretend magazine is being “published”- when she had Barbies is was Princess whatever waiting for her Price to save her. Bratz are welcome her anytime- better a Bratzy girl than a Bimbo Babs 
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