When I was a young girl, my sister and I had a tub of Barbie’s. When I was about ten years old, I started seeing Bratz doll commercials on T.V. I wanted one so bad. Eventually my sister got one as a gift, became bored with it, and handed it down to me. And my infatuation with Bratz dolls began.
Recently I’ve seen a lot of negative comments about Barbie dolls and Bratz dolls on the internet. But most of them unsurprisingly have been about Bratz dolls. This urged me to do some research on the topic and rethink my favorite childhood toy and its effect on me.
An article on the Christian based website Pure Hope claimed that “Many toys made for children today deliver subtle, and sometimes not too subtle, sexualized messages.” This is somewhat true. The sexualization of dolls distorts girls’ perception of the human body, but there is another side to this. The more I’ve looked into this topic, the more horrified I’ve become.
A blogger named Liz Nord on the website Secrets of Moms claimed that she would not allow a Bratz doll in her house. She wrote, “The Bratz dolls are wearing ten pounds of make-up and such skimpy clothing that they look like prostitutes. I am confused why these dolls are selling and why parents are allowing their girls to play with them”. But I can tell you why they are selling. They are original. They stand out from a crowd. Many of the things I’ve read online have painted MGA Entertainment (the company that manufactures Bratz dolls) to be monsters intent on sexualizing our children. But I think they are innovators. Bratz dolls preach individuality. Even more so does MGA Entertainments newer line of dolls, Moxie Girls who are marketed towards preteens and have clothes kids can draw on.
Also, who ever said that Bratz dolls were being marketed towards little kids? I didn’t start playing with them until I was ten. After I started playing with Bratz dolls, I never touched a Barbie doll again. Barbie dolls to me teach conformity and made me feel inferior. Barbie could do everything and still look beautiful with an amazing figure. She made me feel awful. When I saw Bratz dolls, I just envied their style. I never looked at a Bratz doll and thought, “Oh how I would love to have a mutant sized head and removable feet…” It just didn’t happen.
But I do wonder if Bratz dolls have had a negative effect on me. I’m months away from being eighteen now. I’m a young woman and I can’t go to school without even a little bit of makeup on. I insist on wearing heels every day and prefer to wear a skirt to a pair of jeans. When I look around my school though, this is a common trend. Are we all of victims of the Bratz generation? Would I still dress like this if I hadn’t played with Bratz dolls? Part of me believes it's just a part of being a young woman. Many young woman start to experiment with their style as they grow into adulthood.
No comments:
Post a Comment