Mirroring?

So, this morning the BBC did a story on the APA's report on the sexualization of young girls. One of the things they mentioned (in a whole lot of things) was the Bratz™ dolls. They had a statement from Isaac Larien, the CEO of MGA, who makes Bratz. He said it was just "plastic toys, for God's sake" and that it "isn't a role model". He also said he was "looking at Bratz dolls on my desk", and "I have never heard one person say 'I bought a Bratz doll because it looked sexy'."

I had Barbies™ when I was a kid (well, technicaly, I had Midge and Alan; my sister had Barbie and Ken) and I don't think I'd have wanted a Bratz (a Brat?), but of course back then nobody would have thought Bratz were the slightest bit suitable for a 9- or 10-year-old. You can argue about whether Barbie ever really was, but I can say I didn't, at least consciously, think of Midge as a body-image goal.

But how can you look at these Bratz and not acknowledge that the company is selling sexy? Look at those eyes, those lips, those clothes? Tiny miniskirts, tube tops, cropped shirts ... "A passion for fashion", says Bratz. And this is the fashion sold even in the children's department in stores, yes indeed.

One of the other things they mention was the depiction of girls as sexual accessories, so to speak, of boys - and look at Bratz Boyz™. "A passion for fashion... and the Bratz!" says their tag line, and look how they dress. Just like all the commercials - soft drinks especially - which have long annoyed me, almost soft porn in their fully-dressed-men cavorting with scantily-clad women...

So I don't blame Bratz - Larien's just jumping on the bandwagon - Bratz reflect the larger society as seen in the media pretty well. Nor do I blame people for buying them - I'm sure many little girls want to play with them. But I have already refused to buy them for my great-niece, and that's because I wouldn't want her playing with a friend who looked like that - the clothes, makeup, and whole nine yards - and I don't want her playing with a doll that says "My job is to look good for a boy."