Originally Posted By DlandDug I knew it! <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-02-19-sexualized-girls_x.htm" target="_blank">http://www.usatoday.com/news/h ealth/2007-02-19-sexualized-girls_x.htm</a> EXCERPTS: >>Advertising and media images that encourage girls to focus on looks and sexuality are harmful to their emotional and physical health, a new report by the American Psychological Association says.<< >>The panel defined sexualization as occurring "when a person's value comes only from her/his sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics, and when a person is sexually objectified, e.g., made into a thing for another's sexual use." The report cites Bratz dolls, in particular, for "sexualized clothing such as miniskirts, fishnet stockings and feather boas." "Although these dolls may present no more sexualization of girls or women than is seen in MTV videos, it is worrisome when dolls designed specifically for 4- to 8-year-olds are associated with an objectified adult sexuality," the report says. Isaac Larian, CEO of Bratz doll manufacturer MGA Entertainment, based in Van Nuys, Calif., says he "adamantly disagrees" with the report's assessment of the dolls. The company has sold more than 125 million worldwide in the seven years the dolls have been on the market, he says. "These are the clothes that are worn if you go to schools anywhere in the USA," Larian, a father of three, says. "They are not sexy. Bratz dolls are caricatural plastic dolls. They don't even look like real human beings. They're cartoonish."<< So is it true? Girls today go to school in fishnet stockings and boas? Why, back in my day...! Seriously, I have always found Bratz to be the most annoying of the "precocious" toys aimed at very young girls. I think kids have a pretty small window of opportunity to be young and innocent before they're plunged into the world of sexuality. Or am I just a fuddy duddy?
Originally Posted By trekkeruss You must be, seeing as how parents have managed to buy 125 million of the dolls. If parents objected to the dolls, then they wouldn't have sold so well. But then maybe the parents are just weak, and break down when their little girl whines until they get one.
Originally Posted By jasmine7 I cannot stand those Bratz dolls. I hate how they're all about style over substance. Some might say that they're no different than Barbie dolls, but at least Barbie had great jobs as a doctor, vet, astronaut, etc. The Bratz are all about looks and nothing else.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^They are just plain ugly too. And the name of the product is hardly redeeming either.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Sometimes a toy is just a toy. Toy guns don't turn little boys into killers. Toy dolls don't turn little girls into sex objects. When the media blasts us all with violence and sex 24x7 we're supposed to get upset about TOYS? Sorry. I'm not going to.
Originally Posted By ecdc I don't know, trippy. I'm usually the last one to get bothered by these kind of things, but the peddling of skank to little girls like it's something cool? That disturbs me. And it isn't just these dolls. While I read about Paris or Brittany (remember the good old days when Paris was just a beautiful French city...) I just roll my eyes or occasionally chuckle at the stupidity. But little girls are looking at these two as role models, according to a study in Newsweek. I just assumed everyone saw them for what they are...apparently not.
Originally Posted By pecos bill It just seems like another step in the wrong direction to me. As a Disney fan, I tend to lean toward the more wholesome stuff, and find these dolls to be a little over the top. I think a better name for them would be Slutz!
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <I don't know, trippy. I'm usually the last one to get bothered by these kind of things, but the peddling of skank to little girls like it's something cool? That disturbs me. And it isn't just these dolls.> I'm with you, on both counts. I don't think little girls should be encouraged to think of skank as the way to go, and if the APA has in fact determined that these skanky things contribute to something harmful to their emotional health, then maybe parents will take notice and stop buying their 4-8 year olds everything they want just because they want it.
Originally Posted By DAR <<but the peddling of skank to little girls like it's something cool? That disturbs me. And it isn't just these dolls.>> Tell me about it. Last Christmas I was shopping for my niece. I was going to buy here a nice pair of jeans and a top. I swear I couldn't find anything I felt was appropriate for an 8 year old to wear. Instead I ended up buying her Disney monopoly instead.
Originally Posted By inlandemporer One of my nieces was very upset that neither her parents nor any of us aunts and uncles got her one of those annoying things for Christmas. But you know what? She's six and she's over it, and she's better off for her parents setting boundaries.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I don't know, trippy. I'm usually the last one to get bothered by these kind of things, but the peddling of skank to little girls like it's something cool?>> I think your skank meter may be overheating. Take a close look at the photo... click to enlarge it. Yes, there are a couple of short skirts, but that is the fashion for young girls today. There were no tight form-fitting tops, no cleavage, no bare-midriffs, no piercings, and no tattoos. What is setting off you skank meter? The fact that they have full lips?
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka <<There were no tight form-fitting tops, no cleavage, no bare-midriffs, no piercings, and no tattoos.>> Nearly all of the doll's outfits are skin-baring and tight. There have been tattoo dolls before but I can't remember if they were Bratz or Barbie. I don't think there's anything wrong (or necessarily sexual) about tatts and piercsings. The outfits DO look like something a street walker would wear...right down to the fake fur jacket and platform shoes. They even have bedroom eyes. LOL My daughter has a couple of the dolls. She doesn't play with them all that mauch. I'm not crazy about them but I've also discussed appropriate clothing with my daughter on many occasions. We always talk to her about modesty and the appropriateness of certain clothing. I don't think she's been harmed by these dolls at all.
Originally Posted By bloona It seems to be saying that girls main objectives in life are shopping for clothes and finding a boyfriend. Although my 4 year old son is mad on pirates and scooby doo, so his main interests in life at the moment are steeling (treasure) and making traps for monsters!
Originally Posted By DlandJB She's six and she's over it, and she's better off for her parents setting boundaries.>>> That's exactly it. Parent probably, for the most part, don't really pay attention to what is being peddled to their kids. TV is babysitting and if you have braincells and ears, it is hard for an adult to sit anywhere near the screetching that comes out of children's cartoons these days for any length of time. So the kids absorb it like a sponge and they want it all. The Bratz dolls make Barbie look like Mother Theresa sometimes. I'm very glad I don't have any little ones now. But when my kids were young (until about age 9) they were only allowed to watch videos or public television. They had little or no exposure to commercials and it made all the difference.
Originally Posted By DlandJB I think your skank meter may be overheating. Take a close look at the photo... click to enlarge it. Yes, there are a couple of short skirts, but that is the fashion for young girls today. There were no tight form-fitting tops, no cleavage, no bare-midriffs, no piercings, and no tattoos.>>> Next time you are at a Target or somewhere where they sell kids' toys, go take a look at the display. Or tune into the Saturday morning cartoon.
Originally Posted By teddibubbles I feel the same way DlandDug. my 9 year old grandgirl wants them! BUT I coundnt find anything BUT them at our Kmart ( only big store here!) I think its becuse nothing is out there on the shelf But them bad things! its like TV ! I siting on my pc typeing and listen to cartoons she is watching! they are GARBAGE! little hints and so on of adult content! ...... this is off topic kind of. but where is all the cool stuff we saw as kids? I know they have somethings on payfor cable stuff. but I want her to watch warner brothers stuff we saw. bugs and cute kittys ,pups leghorn, all that cute stuff.. where is johnny qwest? and all that old stuff? why dont the play that on some cartoon tv? ... man I hate that she don't get the good stuff! pump them full of garabage junk! toys /tv.
Originally Posted By DlandJB It's true - garbage in - garbage out. Why can't we let our kids be kids a little longer. They have a lifetime to be adults.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka <a href="http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/-/Bratz---Girlz-Night-Poster-C10120024.jpeg" target="_blank">http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/12 59/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/-/Bratz---Girlz-Night-Poster-C10120024.jpeg</a>
