The My Scene dolls have younger sisters that REALLY grow up! These stylish sisters grow from tween to young teen with an innovative growing feature – plus, their fashions & makeup can transform to their new older look!
Manufacturer’s Age: 6 – 10 years (Info and Picture sourced from Toys ‘R’ Us Online catalog).
But this post would not be complete without taking a look at Bratz Dolls, as the ‘My Scene’ Dolls are Mattel’s answer to the Bratz phenomenon.
Bratz Dolls are have over taken Barbie as the most popular and fastest selling doll in the UK out selling Barbie 2 to 1. As long ago as 2003 Bratz knocked Barbie off her perch, and also managed to make her look positively tame (as you can see from these examples below):
(Picture sourced from The Age story ‘What do these do to an eight year old girl?‘)
You can check out the Wikipedia entries on ‘My Scene‘ dolls and Bratz if you want to learn about the histories of the respective franchises, but the entry on Bratz contains some other interesting tidbits, like the story about how MGA Entertainment (makers of Bratz) are suing Mattel (makers of both Barbie and ‘My Scene’ dolls) claiming that the ‘My Scene’ dolls are copying the Bratz ‘doe eyed’ look (is that what we are calling that look?!) and how, in turn, Mattel are suing MGA Entertainment with the claim that Carter Bryant, one of Bratz creators, stole company secrets from Mattel. In addition you can read about the underpaid Chinese workers who make Bratz dolls and the opinions of the American Psychological Association who described Bratz thus:
Bratz dolls come dressed in sexualized clothing such as miniskirts, fishnet stockings, and feather boas. Although these dolls may present no more sexualization of girls or women than is seen in MTV videos, it is worrisome when dolls designed specifically for 4- to 8-year-olds are associated with an objectified adult sexuality
– APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, Feb 2007 Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls
I think that this is what concerns me the most about these type of dolls, (because the above descriptions apply could equally to ‘My Scene’) is that young children (and I do mean young – we are talking about girls from four years old) are being given dolls that embody a very adult and very narrow view of sexuality. While children do not see the world in these terms it is the image that these dolls convey that leave indelible images on their developing minds. Besides the impossible physical proportions, there is the purpose of the dolls. What do you do with these dolls? You dress them in their outrageous wardrobe of clothes that look fit for a porn star and you do their hair and accessorise them. (What else are you to do with a doll whose slogan is ‘a passion for fashion’?). Tween girls play with dolls that represent teenagers and through playing and role playing are learning what society expects of teenagers. And the message is ‘dress tarty, and wear heavy make up’. I could here discuss the influence of the porn culture increasingly creeping like cancer into the mainstream, I could discuss the pressure towards heteronormality, or the unhealthy focus obsession upon personal appearance all of which problemise these dolls for me. But I’ve had two scotches and I am tired so I might just leave it by saying that I wouldn’t give a child a plaything that teaches them to be a plaything when they grow up.
Incidentally, I am not the only one interested in toys at the moment.
Lauredhel has recently examined the Target catalog and found it wanting, while both bluemilk and the Dawn Chorus take a look at the newest Barbie Collectible doll, the comic strip character Canary.
* This post, also by Lauredhel, sheds some light on the bizarre proportions of these dolls.
July 22, 2008 at 11:35 pm
You press a button and she grows boobs? That takes disgusting to a new level.. Barbie did a lot of damage herself in her day, with her figure that is an impossibility in real life.
July 23, 2008 at 8:24 am
Funnily enough, Barbie now is a lot less curvy then I remember her. Mattel must be saving the curves for these ‘my scene’ dolls. The message that these ‘growing up dolls’ send to preteens – ‘it’s all about boobs’. What about the girls destined to be modestly endowed? Or the ones that are bucking the trend of early puberty and waiting for their bodies to grow, instead of enjoying their childhood? And these things are supposed to be ‘appropriate’ (according to Mattel) playthings for 6-10 year olds. Yuk.
July 23, 2008 at 5:30 pm
My mother would only let me have Skipper (the tween barbie) for so many years that by the time I was allowed a normal one, she wasn’t cool to play with anymore. Curiously, my older brother bought me the African barbie when I was 12 (almost in high school) and I had to pretend to play with her for ages to satisfy him. She was probably the prettiest Barbie I’d ever seen so I didn’t mind too much.. What this has to do with anything, I don’t know, but I do know that at the ages of 6 and upwards me and my friends were very concerned with any ‘puppy fat’ we had on our bodies, which is ridiculous.
July 28, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Maybe I’ve got a grudge against Barbie because I never had a real one, only the cheaper knockoffs. But I did want a Barbie because her knees were flexible and moved and I thought that was way better that the rigid hollow legged dolls that I played with. Barbie is so much cheaper than she used to be. You can play her up in the supermarket for $5.99 now. Back in the day I sure that she cost around $30-$40.
July 28, 2008 at 2:57 pm
As a girl growing up, I was so into rugby and a plethora of other sports. I’d be hanging out with the boys most of the time because the girls we’re being passive – always sitting around playing Mums and Dads. How boring is that? I wanted to get out and expend some energy.
Sometimes the boys would laugh at me, and I would always wonder why they would, until someone told me that sports was a “boy thing” only. I scoffed at such statement. But I didn’t continue playing because I still discouraged by it regardless and I was pretty confused by it as well. So I thought I’d let go of it and spot playing. The only male-dominated sport I’m in to today is MotoGP (but only cos I like motorbikes). I remember one time, when the Australia female soccer team won the World Cup (or something like that). I was so surprised because one, I didn’t even know there was a female soccer team for Australia, and two, I didn’t even see a hint of it on the news; the only coverage was the male soccer team losing. Bleugh.
But I think now that I’m older, I’m also much wiser. I love wearing collared-cuffed shirts and ties and seriously don’t give a fuck what people think/say about me when it’s said in an insulting manner. It’s just too bad that they conform to the patriarchal standards of gender identity.
August 6, 2008 at 5:06 pm
How can so much be held in a doll. The Bratz dolls are multi cultural dolls and very popular in over 70 countries.
You also have this war between Barbie and the Bratz with these two companies. I hope they can work something out soon.
August 7, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Carmen,
These dolls represent one of many symptoms of a sick sexualised culture of sexy marketing and consumerism. And I feel that their popularity in over 70 countries is something that is to be questioned, not lauded. But then I, unlike you, am not trying to sell their accessories so without such vested interest I am able to view these dolls with more objectivity and critical analysis.
December 5, 2008 at 8:53 am
they’re just dolls! and they look pretty ugly next to the more delicate barbie. i had tons of barbies growing up and it didnt turn me into a sexualized play thing. kids are not looking at these dolls and thinking of all the sexual connotations. my 6 year old niece in south america has like 20 bratz dolls and she’s fine and she’s gonna be fine because she has good parents that pay attention.
December 14, 2008 at 4:06 am
I like your blog and I agree about those toys.
Greetings
December 14, 2008 at 8:55 pm
sigh – Good parents that pay attention does go along way in ensuring that kids have the best chance in life, but a doll is not just a doll. You are correct that kids don’t look at the dolls and see the sexual connotations, but the dolls do embody a particular ideal about feminine beauty and appropriate behaviour. What do you do with these toys? Well you dress them, accessorise them and do their hair. Bratz dolls don’t come as doctors or vets or do anything other than get dressed with their ‘passion for fashion’ – at least Barbie had ambition beyond looking like a bimbo!
Frau M – thank you.
January 27, 2009 at 11:54 pm
I’m only 13 and my sister who is only 5 has around forty bratz dolls, when I look at how they are dressed it disgusts me, I’m so sick of all the gender identity and focus on having to be perfect and what is with how these dolls look? i mean, they have tiny waists, huge heads and are extremely oddly proportioned…
I agree with this blog
January 28, 2009 at 7:13 am
Thanks Grace. Nice to hear from you
January 28, 2009 at 11:10 pm
super!!
January 29, 2009 at 11:04 am
Bratz and My Scene rules! Fight!
January 29, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Dear Myrtle, your logically constructed argument has made me reconsider the points made by Rayedish as being childish. I think basing your central thesis on “rules” and “fight” was a stroke of genius. Clearly we should socilaise our female sporn to look like whores and concern themselves with geopolitical matters such as fashion and let the men worry about that other stuff such as health, politics, engineering, and education. Rayedish you have been told.
March 14, 2009 at 8:04 am
Excellent rebuttal Stevie.
I’m a boy, so toys like Barbie and the Bratz weren’t part of my everyday life but even now I think that Barbie isn’t as bad as she’s meant to be. Sure, she has the proportions of Paris Hilton and looks like a Playboy Bunnie but even if her physical appearance makes her look bad, she’s had all kinds of jobs and aspirations that a girl can be. She’s been a doctor, a business woman, deep-sea diver, pretty much every job in the world (Even a fast-food short order cook).
But Bratz? There’s just no redeeming factor about them at all. They dress like sluts, they act like sluts and money, fashion, fame and boys seem to be the only thing that drives them
May 8, 2009 at 10:01 pm
[...] May 8, 2009 Compromise Posted by rayedish under Childhood, Personal, feminism | Tags: Barbie, Childhood, Children, Disney movies, feminism, Parenting, Personal, Sexualisation, technology, Tinkerbell | No Comments This is the post where I give a review of the movie currently on high rotation in the DVD player and where I discuss some of the tricky aspects of being a feminist mother trying to raise her kids amidst a culture chock a block full of toxic, pernicious pornified *over-marketed crap. So much of what is marketed at kids, at girls in particular, is not particularly healthy. (While the vast majority of the stuff that is marketed as being for children is extremely gender bifurcated, I think that girls stuff can tend to be worse because there’s a sexual/sexualised element tendency in girls toys - such as these dolls). [...]
June 19, 2009 at 8:46 am
Children DO NOT go around thinking “oh i want breasts just like this doll” they just have these things to have fun and play with, not to think about sex. i mean really, they are 6 years old they want to have fun.
July 5, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I wont buy them for my kid because I would hate her to feel that lairy makeup, pelvic thrusting/posing and porn star outfits ( mini skirts and high heels?)are a legitimate source of ‘fun’ for little girls.
what happened to going to the park? swings? mud pies? craft?
I don’t mind watching little girls play ‘house’, or cuddle baby dolls – it’s quite often what they are seeing at home,mummy and daddy caring for them and their siblings… and I’d be happy to see this kind of nurturing play encouraged in both genders.
But it sickens me to watch very small girls playing at ‘male fantasy cliches’, and it doesnt make it all right because it’s entirely innocent on their part. arranging a small plastic doll to ‘look provocative’ is a long way from cuddling a toy and involving it in their daily playtime.