Bratz: A Weapon of Mass Destruction
A new trend; a new fad; a new influence; a new plague.
Bratz: The new trendy fashion icon, known to attract massive attention from young girls ages five to twelve. The fashions of Bratz vary from ‘Winter Craze’ to ‘Nature Girlz’, to ‘Punk Scene’ to ‘Preppy’.
They are just dolls, but what does their clothing, image and attitude really say about them?
I have a seven-year-old cousin who is a very typical seven-year-old girl. She loves flowers, the color pink, and dolls. But not any dolls, however- Bratz dolls.
One day when I was babysitting her, it was raining so we stayed inside. After resorting to watching Disney movies and playing Go Fish, she decided that she wanted to play dolls.
“Okay,” I said, and she brought down her big case of plastic dolls. She laid them all out”Yasmin, Cloe, Jade and the others. We played for a while, and then I began to really look at them. She had a pile of clothes and a row of dolls in front of me, and I couldn’t piece together what I wanted them to wear. Every item of clothing had been either see-through, fishnetted, or looked as though some horny porn star had just ripped it off.
“Why aren’t you redressing Cloe, Tori?” she asked me, holding her clothed doll up.
It was hard for me to answer. I couldn’t tell her what I was thinking in my mind, which was ‘Why do they have to dress like strippers?’. I just answered, “Because I don’t know what she wants to wear.”
An hour had passed and we had stopped pretending with the dolls, but we were just taking some time and brushing the dolls’ hairs and finding the best outfit to match their permanent make up. Out of the clear blue, my cousin takes Yasmin in her hands, runs her fingers through the dolls hair and looks at it dreamily.
“I want to be just like Yasmin when I grow up.” She said.
“Why?” I asked.
And she looked at me and said, “Because she’s skinny, pretty, and…she looks like a boy would really like her.” She paused and got really quiet. “Boys only like pretty girls who wear make up. Mommy says that they don’t, but I know they do because Bratz have big boobs and wear cool clothes and they say that boys like it.”
At that point I realized what these ‘harmless, plastic, little figures’ were doing to the young girls of the generation.
These dolls have gone from just being ‘cute and harmless’ to being ‘bad examples and provocative.’ There are many supporting answers to why I say this; a great deal of them could be found if you just think simply.
I grew up with Barbie as a child, as many girls of my age did. I could even say that some of Barbie’s clothes were not always appropriate, but then I would have to say that Barbie’s careers and home and fashion for girls are able to overrule and make up for it. But I’m afraid that if you could look at the fashion choices of Bratz, you could agree that the extent of damage is far too gone.
Bratz dolls have given the young girls of our generation the impression and idea that beauty lies of what is outside, even if that’s not the case at all. They have set the image of a 20-something-year old prostitute into the mindsets of girls’ ages 5-12. The dolls have corrupted the lessons that mothers have taught their daughters from their ancestors’ ancestors. I believe that these simple ounces of molded plastic have done damage for now, and I honestly believe that it will continue to get worse if these dolls continue to dress, act and promote to dress and act like them.
Yes, they are just dolls. Yes, you may think they are stupid. But out there, there are girls that use them as role models and it is our duty to stop them from using their judgment now as bad judgment in the future.
I know these are not the greatest examples of the Bratz dolls’ fashion, but I believe they are almost enough to get my point across. I encourage you to look in the Bratz aisle next time you go to a store.
^ This Bratz doll is wearing a mini skirt. But apparently the doll is supposed to be in the winter weather time.
^ These are Bratz Babyz. Look at their faces, the vibes they give off, their clothes. What do you think?
^ This Bratz is a superhero. Wait, did I mention that it’s a Bratz Babyz Superhero?
^This Bratz is a nail stylist. In my opinion, she looks like a woman from a Montley Crue video.
^She is a hair stylist. It’s a shame”they could’ve just said Las Vegas Strip and they could’ve gotten an add for Playboy.
<3 Tori
Comments would be appreciated.
Comments
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Oh, and what the ƒuck is up with the babies wearing make-up?
nimrodidiot, April 18th, 2008 at 07:38:06pm
I agree with you and all, but I think the parents should be around to play with them.
I mean, the parents could teach the kid that it's not all about looks on the outside. They could teach their kids to play 'teacher' or something productive with the dolls. Just to teach them that you don't have to show your skin to be a good/pretty/loved person.
Other than that, it was a great blog. :thumbs up:
nimrodidiot, April 18th, 2008 at 07:29:18pm
insainley amazing blog!
FaLlEn _ AnGeL, February 2nd, 2008 at 02:24:03pm
I agree with this... all the way.
It's a fact that young girls base their dolls after how they see themsleves.
They make their dolls look how the girls want to look themselves.
If a girl thinks that she's really guly, she might make her dolls look like sh*t (gouge her eyes out. Ruin her hair, or pretend to torture their dolls).
Bratz dolls just promote girls to dress like sl*ts.
At least Barbie's do more than dress sl*tty.
They have jobs (teachers, flight attendant, doctor, vet).
I remember playing with barbies when I was younger. And my favourite Barbie doll was the dentist Barbie. And for years after that, I wanted to be a dentist. i never once thought about wearing makeup, or dressing like a sl*t.
After reading this, I will NEVER let any of my kids play with Bratz, or anything close to them for that matter.
Steph:DonaNobisPacem, January 4th, 2008 at 11:25:04pm
Greatblog. Bravo. (clapp, clapp)
They look like Prostitutes. Ickk.
ROSLYNN, January 4th, 2008 at 01:36:55pm
I knew this was going to happen. I never liked Bratz. I always thought they produced a bad image. You are completely correct; they show little girls to find role models if scantily clad women wearing the perfect makeup with the perfect figures. Girls today will learn to idolize women like that instead of true idols like Elenor Roosevelt and Roslind Franklin.
What gets me more is the parents who buy them that instead of yes, a Barbie. Barbies are simply classic, and aren't quite so scandelous. Or instead of a doll, paper and crayons, (god forbid)!
Kay. I'm done ranting.
Ghostie., January 2nd, 2008 at 08:42:16pm
i cant believe girls feel this way because of dolls D:
i used to love bratz but they never did this to me.
i just saw them as dolls
although i stop collecting them before they went terribly overboard
NiMrOd_1995, January 2nd, 2008 at 04:45:56pm
Holy crap..
Who knew that little plastic figures known as dolls could have such an affect. It makes me glad that I never owned one, but worries me that many little girls at the moment do. They're being brain washed by society. It's sick.
threeam., January 2nd, 2008 at 04:41:35pm
i really like this blog.
my cousin who has add and is 13 playes with these,
and my cousins that are much younger than her play these.
i know that just like the child you were babysitting, they want to
be like the bratz when they are older.
it's really sad.
and even their names, 'Bratz'
will that teach a 4 year old to be a brat?
idk.
but bratz are skanky.
;D
Fallop!an Cwac Cwac., January 2nd, 2008 at 03:27:29pm
"...but I know they do because Bratz have big boobs and wear cool clothes and they say that boys like it.”
wow, I thought that was sad.
I grew up with barbies, and knowing myself I used to make them to very wierd things such as inslave the ken dolls and make the ken dolls take care of the babys and dress up in tutus when the females watched the fashion show :coolio:. But I really agree with you on those dolls, they are sick looking and they send the wrong message. People think they are just dolls but little kids can be influenced by dolls. I remember getting mad at my aunt for buying my cousin those dolls. (luckily my cousin in into arts and crafts now).
Mycophobia, January 2nd, 2008 at 11:41:28am
This is a really awesome blog. Luckily, when I was younger, I understood Bratz were complete sl*ts. Their 'Pretty 'n' Punk' period really pissed me off the most. But none of my friends did. I went for the more respectable Myscene dolls (:
But yeah, I totally totally agree with this blog. It's really well put. If only other people outside of GSB could read this!
Zwitter, January 2nd, 2008 at 10:52:27am
I think people with your opinion can't except the fact that the people in society put more pressue on young girls than anything else, so then they start blaming a plastic doll? I respect your opinion, but I think you're on the wrong track. A young girls peers and parents have much more influence over her than any plastic doll ever will, but they neglect that. They don't step up and be parents and say, hey, you know what, that is just a doll, you don't have to be like that. I can think of plenty of my younger relatives who play with bratz, and they're perfectly fine. Why? Because they have good parents.
You just can't blame a lump of plastic for sh*tty parenting.
Kurtni, January 2nd, 2008 at 10:06:25am
...Ok! I admit it! When I was like, 10, I had one Bratz doll. The original Cloe. They weren't anything like they are now, though. My Cloe wore a blue t-shirt, flared jeans, and boots. When I stopped playing with dolls [only two years ago, heh] I saw a commercial for a Bratz doll...And to tell ya the truth, I was horrified. They looked like sl*ts, and I didn't want to have anything to do with them.
I really like this blog. =]
I agree with you.
lishaaaaa, January 2nd, 2008 at 08:10:13am
Barbie doesn't really reflect the reality either, as you said, but it does a much better work than Bratz.
Barbie dolls that come with equipment for a work, are usually vets, doctors, fashion designers or stewardesses. There are obviously "superficial" works too, such as hair dressers, dancers and so on. But Bratz seem to always have those jobs where the utter side of you matters the most.
Also, they do not look at all like people do.
And about the way they're dressed; I completely agree with you. Sure, there are strippers in this world, it's not to be ignored, but what's good about being a stripper? And what's good about making children idolize stripperdolls?
My sister is 9, and she and her friends love Bratz. A few months ago, when they were all at our house, her friends began talking to me. They mentioned a few boys that they fancied, and how he had chosen between two girls. The rejected girl was sad, and I tried to cheer her up, telling her that he was just a stupid girl, and she was so funny and pretty that only an idiot could turn her down.
She looked up at me and said;
"But Kristina's boobs are bigger. Mine aren't even visible."
And yes, I blame Bratz dolls for this. I'm sure there are more girls than your cousin and my sister and her friends that have been slightly brainwashed from these dolls.
I hope their popularity won't last much longer.
I really liked this blog. I'm glad someone brought the subject up :]
Lissie!, January 2nd, 2008 at 07:35:18am
i agree with you. Although i think that parents shouldnt let their children grow up in that kind of world where barbie dolls, pink, and fairies and girl things.
I think that this restriction is what causes most kids to think a certain way. Parents are the main influence of children, and raising children into a baised life is not fair.
thats why if i ever have a kid, theyre gonna wear read n green, and theyre gonna be playing cars and dolls, but not stripper dolls.... idk, would my kid even like dolls? iunno, i hated them when i was a kid... there wasnt much i could do with them without growing bored of them for a minute..
ok, back to the point lol... i agree with you , and this has to be aa very great blog. thanks.
Vegemite, January 2nd, 2008 at 04:56:33am