those dolls are EVIL

Chill out Ms./Mr. Morals. They're just dolls that little kids use to play and learn to develop their imagination. You can't honestly tell me that you didn't have atleast one Barbie doll in your childhood. Besides they send a better message than overachiever Barbie.

I agree with most of you ..... it's as simple as this: the girls i know who have/had these dolls are having sex before 16yrs. This isn't the dolls fault, but they do help reinforce the "slut" lifestyle.

I think that those dolls are bad for kids, they put forth unrealistic body images and tell kids its OK to be materialistic. The dolls are meant to be shallow girls who have a "passion for fashion' and dress like hookers. At least Barbie often had a job such as Dr. Barbie, Astronaut Barbie, Teacher Barbie, Vetrenarian Barbie....these dolls are all just spoiled rich girls. I wouldn't let my kids play with them.

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Okayokayokay.

I do agree that the dolls are a bad influence. I don't think they will necessarily cause every girl who plays with them to become a prostitute; however, they express the following potentially dangerous messages:

a) Materialism (both in the sense of being spoiled and overly concerned with appearances) is the key to success and admiration;

b) Being a brat (i.e., again: spoiled, materialistic) is okay (and even something to aim for!).

Of course there are those who are unaffected by these 'messages' I mention. Of course there are those who can laugh them off or ignore them. Not all girls are going to buy Bratz dolls and products for the same reasons, either; for example, I have an acquaintance who purchases them to use in puppet shows (where their appeal is that, apparently, they can be easily attached to strings and frames).

However, I'd say that, more often, kids (girls in particular, naturally) are affected by these messages, and buy them for reasons less offbeat. There are too many things in our culture that hold physical appearance paramount already; and materialism finds its best environment to thrive amongst teenage (and pre-teenage) girls, known to be often manipulative, striving to be "cool", and a source of strong peer pressure as a result. Although I realise these things are normal amongst teenagers, I think it these days has gotten way out of hand with influence from the toy industry and the media (WHY are girls calling themselves 'fat'? Why are they in hospitals with eating disorders? Why are they getting plastic surgery? And why is this taking place so DARN early?). The fact that clothes marketed to girls are pretty revealing is also a cause for concern. Why force kids too young to feel sexual attraction to be expressing themselves in a sexual manner (clothes, and Britney Spears, and whatnot)? That's a) ridiculous in its pointlessness, and b) potentially dangerous, in more ways than one!

A recent New York Times report revealed (although perhaps not surprisingly) that something like 95% of women are unsatisfied with their appearances. This needs to change. Appearance is not everything. Think of this: will people from 500 years from now look at a rail-thin woman and think, "God, she's beautiful!"? Standards change. And it's all subjective anyway. (Personally, I find the most attractive those who are described in societal terms as "plain" and "boring", for example.)

I really think we need to be making an effort to de-emphasise appearances in our society. Where does the obsession with looking attractive start? In the teenage years, at puberty. What are we telling girls they ought to be looking like? Something unhealthy and unnatural. I think Bratz are a contributing factor to this.

- A concerned 18-year-old girl.
insanity_transplant (AT) hotmail (DOT) com.

Thanks.

U really think Barbie is better? Barbie got f'ing pregnant, how is that for role model?? huh? I think Bratz are great, and Bratz are teenagers, sum teenagers dress like that, and not all their clothes are "hoochie"!

The thing about fashion is...it can start off with the simple mantra of "I must wear what my peers are wearing", but it doesn't always stop there. I'm a 19 year old girl, and I see these Bratz dolls and their competitors, the My Scene dolls in stores and I think the clothes they wear are cute, but I wouldn't ever buy them for my little cousin. Remember the days when you could get a cute, frilly, pink nightgown that didn't in anyway resemble lingerie, and it came with a tiny matching one for your Barbie doll? I used to love the idea of little girls and their prized playthings dressing alike. This is the reason that companies like American Girl have such an older fanbase. I would hate to see the day when you could dress just like your Bratz doll. I just don't think that this kind of fashion is something that I want to mold the young mind of my favorite 7 year old.

I think that Barbie had a role in defining our standards of beauty today. Think back to the era when Barbie first appeared in that adorable black and white bathing suit. Girls who had curves, who had a figure, were beautiful. The skinny, boyishly figured girls were considered rather homely. Frankly, when I have a daughter, I won't give her dolls that are "women". She can have an American Girl doll, matching clothes and all, and hang on to her childhood. When she's 16, I will teach her how to walk in 3 inch heels, buy her first designer bag for her, and teach her everything I know about fashion.

I don't think that 12 year old girl really is a 12 year old girl...can we say "Devil's Advocate"...and even if someone is big for their age, they could wear clothing thats a little bit big instead of a little bit small. Wear shirts that are too short, and your stomach gets attention. You may find that you like it, and dress to "impress" more often, which is never a good idea.



Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.