This Teaches Children...

Yeah, I caught an episode of "Bratz" recently and was so weirded out by it. They make Barbie and her friends look like saints! I'm pretty liberal in my views about children's entertainment and give them credit that they're intelligent people capable of distinguishing right from wrong and smart from stupid, but I do have a big problem with shows that insult kids', especially young girls', intelligence. As a young woman (23), I find myself wishing I could go back in time and stop myself from watching trashy shows like Bratz and reading teen magazines that push unrealistic standards. At the time I thought they were harmless fun, but now I realize how damaging they were to my self-esteem. I get the feeling that the Bratz company hasn't considered what negative effects their show may have on children. There's more to life than cute boys, shopping and rivalries with other cliques, but you'd hardly know it in Bratz Land.

I'm in no way some prude who usually whines about things like T.V. supposedly sending kids the wrong message, but this show irks even me.

I mean, honestly. The characters completely embody the stereotype of shallow, boy crazed, fashion obsessed girls. They could have given the characters just a tiny bit of depth but no. Its just mindless garbage.

Hopefully this show will get taken off the air if enough people will realize how worthless it is.

I've watched quite a few episodes of this show and I got a different impression. It seems they are always trying to get across the message that you're special because you're different and not the cookie cutter image that girls are faced with everyday. They seem to focus on friendship and teamwork to get things done.

In an episode where Chloe, I believe, was running for class president...the point of the episode was to not give up and stand for what you believe in no matter what people are saying about you. She didn't have the most popular platform but it was what was best for the students and the school. The twins started a smear campaign and made up lies about Chloe. Her friends ended up banding together to help her and keep her from giving up, including one of the guys that was running against her.

Another episode featured a girl that was a spin on Paris Hilton. Her name was London Milton or something, lol. Anyway, the Bratz girls weren't very excited about interviewing her because, like Paris, London had a reputation for being an airheaded, party girl heiress. Ultimately, it shows that London is actually an intelligent, strong, grounded person. There is more to the episode but the point of the episode was 'not judging a book by its cover' and that stereotypes are pretty much unreliable.

The twins and the crazy lady in pink that run the rival magazine are supposed to be parodies of Barbie. The perfect and unattainable image that we've all grown up with. The series is basically the Bratz vs the Barbie clones. The latter being the 'you can solve any problem wit shopping, you'll never look good enough, and 30 is old..." While the Bratz girls are all about self acceptance, individuality and friendship.

lol, I can't believe I just made such a long post defending the Bratz cartoon, but seriously, that is how I see the series. I hope you can make some sense out of my rambling.

Just my take on it.
~Alix