Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Sad Times for Feminism...


What are we doing to our daughters? I was pretty amazed when the Bratz dolls came out, -- remember the hoopla over Barbie, who apparently spawned a body image crisis, -- but I was absolutely shocked to my core when I saw a BLING BLING doll for the first time. They look like miniature crack whores (or the Pussy cat dolls, take your pick). Oh no they don't! *ghetto accent* Oh yes, they do, and they're being marketed to little girls!! Oh no they ain't! They sit on the same shelves as Bratz, Barbies and My Little Ponies. Btw - the side pic doesn't do their blue eye shadow and glitter lipgloss and glitter costumes any justice!

True story: I was in Walmart with my two year old yesterday and The Sweetness requested french fries (he always does when he sees the golden arches). So mommy obliges and gets Sweetness a Happy Meal.
Due to the excess of lunchers, we needed to share a table with another woman and her two little girls. Requisite greetings and mutual adoration of children were exchanged, before we all proceeded to get on with the business of stuffing our hungry faces with ketchup dipped fries.
Mother of Girls says: "When we get home, Mommy's going to make you a CD of all your favorite music. Would you like that?"
Little girls (ages 3 & 5): "Yay!!" munch, munch, munch...
Mother: "What songs shall we put on our CD?"
(In my head, I'm choosing - When You Wish Upon a Star, Theme from Aladdin, Who Let the Dogs Out, maybe something poppish by Britney, etc...)
Little Girl: "Fergie! Yay!!!"
Both little girls then stand up, do that famous Beyonce move - you know the one - and begin singing "my humps, my humps, my lovely lady bumps", while Mommy Dearest clapped for them. Did I mention that these girls were THREE and FIVE!
Sick, sick, sick. Not right.
Just. Not. Right.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

For some reason my first post didn't save. Damn computers. Being a mother of a 3 yr old girl that story makes me ill. Brianna listens to some of my music, but I screen it. She's a big fan of the Wiggles, Disney and Sesame Street. NOT FERGIE. I absolutely refuse to let her have a BRATZ, they are hideous and yes look like sluts. What message are we trying to convey to our little girls? Are we trying to give them complexes earlier. I am so in agreeance with you.

Wylie Kinson said...

I've been having trouble, on and off, with blogger since yesterday!
Anyway -- my kids (even the 6 year old) are into 'kid songs' - the Fisher Price tapes, the "I Met A Bear" echo songs, Disney, "Who Let the Dogs Out" etc...
My 6 year old does like my 'Killers' cd, which I play when we're driving, but under no circumstances do I let him hear songs like Sexyback, or Hollaback Girl, et al...

Unknown said...

I have a 5 year old daughter-who unfortunately has 3 teenage brothers so I have to try hard not to let her get some very unsavoury influences, cos they think its funny to get her to say stuff.
She does like Gwen Stefani and Madonna but I promise I always skip hollaback girls!

I won't buy Bratz either-they look like tarts on crack. Luckily she hasn't pushed the issue-yet

Anonymous said...

u guys are so stupid....music by fergie is not even half as bad as other music that is shown on the media...I suggest not to fuckin worry about kids listining to fergie...come on get a life!!!!fergie is the bomb okay.....

Anonymous said...

well in my opinion they may be oung but yeah let em be free ther gunna grow upoto parets either fighting or slip up and when they start to like music more all u will here is shit piss bitch hoe slut crack baby and its okay well mayybe for like 11-13 year olds well payce bitches

Anonymous said...

why the hell do u think that bratz and my scenes look like the pussy cat dolls, the pussy cat dolls arent crack whores!!! and bratz rock their just like any other doll

Anonymous said...

bratz are not bad. they dont look like f***** slut hose if u dont like em dont buy em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

if u dnt like bratz dont buy em u dnt need 2 b complainin 2 other ppl n wut does it matter if lil kids r listenin 2 fergie she dnt even say nothin bad n jus 4 ur info those rnt even bratz dolls on tha pics at least get ur facts strate b4 u start disin on em

Anonymous said...

Those are not even bratz they are mysene dolls and brtz are not whores they are not even real!

Anonymous said...

Haha! Sorry for laughing, but those comments written by "anonymous" are hard to read, and written by someone who should be paying more attention to her spelling/grammar lessons in school than dressing up her Bratz doll...

Anyhow, Yes. Everytime I walk into a toy store I'm slightly sickened by the dolls marketed to children. I don't need to go over an explanation as to why or how, because you've made a good point of it already. But who styles these dolls? Who desidgns the outfits? And then what knob approves them for production?

If you think Bratz dolls are bad, try watching one of their brainless and shallow cartoons... Have a bucket ready, you might puke.

As for music... I don't have children yet, but I can only imagine how difficult it must be. I hear enough from my friends who are elementary school teachers...

Anonymous said...

don't you dear say that about bratz that is just one picture its called wanted and they are supposed to look like that , i never used to like bratz but i watched the show and i loved it and no it is not shallow and brainless it is about following your dreams and never stopping until you get there and that when life gets hard you will get through it , i mean i wanted to be a designer but i never done anything but now after watching the movie and episodes i am practicing researching doing better in art and always looking on the internet for competitions and i am only 12 and if you look at bratz more closely everyone wears make up and thay would look crap without make up on, and as for the clothes well they give you ideas of how to look good and get some fashion sense i mean i used just to wear a tracksuit and trainers but now i look good jeans funky top and boots now i always look good its how people express themself and thats what bratz do so there and if you think bratz are sluts well that means you am boring and shallow and just bloody blind and omg u don't let your children have bratz your children should be allowed to do what they want and express themself in their own ways but you just lock em up like prisoners i mean c'mon barbie is worse they am anorexic and they have got family ones out and wedding ones out i mean omg! when you look at bratz you think teenagers but when you look at barbie you see well your mom!!! so its either express yourself have a passion 4 fashion follow your dreams get a good life or just get laid at 14 and get married .

Anonymous said...

Well I think that for a twelve year old, you really need to brush up on your spelling if you even intend on getting a job!
I agree with you, bratz dolls are a really bad influence for young girls (and some boys...)music on the other hand, I think that fergie is a great singer and so are some of the other "top of the charts" artists, i request that you invest in the radio edit versions - they bleep out any course words.

Anonymous said...

I think its quite pathetic that you you need doll's & Stupid sayings & t.v shows to help you somwhere in life, im only 14 but i do see little kids listening to dirty songs & playing with slutty dolls, and thats what thewy want to look and sound like.

The look of the dolls make young kids feel like that how you have too look to be pretty and don't realise that its not pretty at all.

When i was younger it was all barbie and i have too say the old barbie was alot better as it was more less-revealing and now as barbie has too compete with bratz, myscen etc they had to slut her up a little. Its like they have betrayed everyone.

Btw that picture is of myscene dolls -Not bratz

;]

Anonymous said...

And your right about the show it is about values, and friendship and helping each other out. Andy Mcparrot person to tell you the truth kids design most of those clothes. they have contests for them.
have any of you been to bratz.com
try it
naybee it will change you perspective on things.
Why are you saying stuff like slut and whore.
Let your kids express themselves, you cant control them like that.
Coming from a kid, if you tell them not to do somtihng they will just do it, or want to do it more. People they are just toys!!!
if you have anything you want to say message me here alishogirl@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

oh and if you see the bratz clothes they sell youll see that they arent trying to get your children to look like that
also your kid doesnt want to look like the doll
they want to wear merchandise with the doll on it.

Anonymous said...

I would really like to know why people in their right mind would say there is nothing wrong with these dolls. Ok, I dont have children but I have a younger sister who is 12... and thank goodness she isn't into dolls. The bellies cut out of their shirts, mini skirts, hooker boots. If there is nothing wrong with this then let your daughter dress this way... we should be teaching out children to be appreciated for their minds and hearts, not their bodies...