Sunday, October 22, 2006

How To Raise A Hooker

I’m not crazy about some of the dolls being created for our girls these days. I don’t generally participate in bans and I don’t think the Tele Tubbies are gay. But the idea of creating dolls that dress like hookers doesn’t really appeal to me either. I think there are better choices.

Barbie has been a staple in girl toys for generations. I have my issues with Barbie and the images she projects, but I allowed my daughter to have them, once she asked for them. I didn’t introduce them to her before that. The antes been upped with the introduction of the Bratz line of dolls, by MGM Entertainment.

This line of doll has pouty, Angelina Jolie, come-hither lips, big eyes, lots of make-up and skimpy clothes. I’ve objected to them since I saw them and have encouraged my daughter toward other dolls. The other school children are serving to circumvent my work. Everyone has Bratz dolls, backpacks, shirts and other products. It’s everywhere.

We have told our 6-year-old that we don’t’ have Bratz. Then last year she got one for Christmas from someone else. I allowed her to keep the doll, as this particular one was dressed appropriately. Still don’t like those lips, or rather I don’t like what those lips convey to my daughter, but she kept her.

A Bratz doll is on the top of her Christmas list. She’s been asking for one for quite a while. My wife was borderline on the idea and was encouraging me to find another doll with better fashion sense. My Mother agreed, making a fine point: Wonder Woman doesn’t have many clothes on either and I have no problems with her.

So I conceded, saying that I will not buy her one, but if Santa gives my daughter an appropriately dressed Bratz doll, then I will be okay with it. Actually we ordered it yesterday from Amazon. Gotta love free shipping. We shop for Christmas all year long. It helps us with expenses and decreases our seasonal stress.

This morning my wife came into the office while I was blogging and apologized. Bratz is introducing another toy. This had baby Bratz in a dance club, dressed in club wear (tit bibs and ho shorts) shaking their stuff. The toy has platforms for the dancing babies (babies referring to the age of the dolls and not as a sexual inference). My wife said she agreed with me, that these toys are getting out of control.

These Bratz are flying off the shelves and it is hurting Barbie enough that she has introduced her own line of whorific dolls called Bling Bling Barbie. Again with the eyes, lips and club wear.

As I stated earlier, I don’t do the whole ban thing to well. I am certainly not a Victorian, puritanical nut job. I believe in teaching all pre-teens about their bodies and safe sex. I don’t see teaching as some kind of permission slip to have sex. I do not wish for the good old days of discrimination and social oppression of women. But I’m not sure that these toys are appropriate for children, that’s all. I am going to provide you reader with some pictures of the dolls. You may up your own mind about them. As for me, I’m going to allow Santa to bring my daughter on, so long as he brings one that doesn’t look like a hooker.


This is back-to-school cloe from the Bratz line of dolls. I find her dressed appropriately and have told Santa that if he brings her one, then this is the one to bring. She's cute. I don't have a problem with her. The next little one, on the other hand, I have some concerns about.



This little darling is wearing a thong. A baby in a thong. There are so many things wrong with this. For the love of God, what is MGM Entertainment thinking with this?




These are some Bratz Babies, dressed for a night on the town. These girls aren't any better than thong-along above.





These little hookers are ready to grind and groove at the local discotech.



One of the teenaged Bratz dolls.






This is new Barbie line known as Bling Bling Barbie. It was developed to compete with the Bratz. Notice the change in Barbie's lips and eyes. How about that tit bib?



Does it bother anyone else that the Bratz Babies are dressed more scantily than the teenagers? We have enough sexualization and exploitation of children as it is. I am fearful of encouraging young children to act and dress in a sexual manner. Predators already claim that the child actually wanted it in the first place. I would think that this would only exasperate the situation. Babies in thongs are an easy line for me to draw. Obviously not so with others.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's OK Jack, Monica Lewinsky collected Bratz dolls and she turned out OK.

Anonymous said...

Jack,
I have a daughter turning 7 on Nov. 8th and a 5 1/2 year old daughter and I don't allow the Bratz dolls either. But, the older one did receive a Bratz two years ago and now I don't even know where it is. When we are at the toy store they don't even look at them. They have stated this fall they would like a "Barbie" for Christmas, but I also have a problem with that too. You see, I hated these dolls as a child so I haven't gotten my girls into them because I didn't like them. I'll just have to wait and see on the "Barbies", but most definitely the "Bratz" are out!!!! Amazing.

Anonymous said...

Like heavy p, I don't have kids. Perhaps that influences my observations. These Bratz (a horrible name) dolls fit right in with the culture that puts 5-year-olds in "beauty pagents." Like jon Bonet Ramsey. Those little girls wear more makeup and fewer clothes than many hookers. Not that I'm an expert. ;->

Anonymous said...

Bratz Dolls are horrible and they shouldn't of been made or even put out onto shelves for parents or other people to buy for little girls. I have a 4 year old and never will she ever get a Bratz Doll, little girls who play with these dolls are going to think it's okay to dress like them or wear their make-up like them, and there is no way I'm going to let my little girl look like a little slut. Sorry if I offended anyone but thats what they look like and their a bad role model towards children.

Anonymous said...

My daughter now eleven was allowed to have bratz when they first came out with the more appropriate clothes. Before when she had the barbies she was telling me she was fat and needed to lose weight. Although she was very small for her age. With the bratz we pointed out with the bigger heads and odd shaped bodies that god makes every one differant. It helped dramatically. By the way. All dolls are for pretend play so if you teach your children that the dress these dolls have are not apropriate for life they will quite understand as my daughter has. Dont over stess on the thong babies just tell your kids those come in their under clothes and now you have to dress them.