GWSS 1001 - Gender, Power, and Everday Life: "The Only Girls With A Passion For Fashion!"

* The dolls are marketed online at their fully interactive website www.bratz.com. The dolls aren’t sold directly from the site, they are, instead hyped up with their pictures plastered all over the place with links to how one can buy on from a retailer near by. These dolls are definitely marketed to the young ‘valley girl’ type. These dolls are only interesting in fashion, pampering puppies, and now, a Bratz fantasyland with their new breed of Pixie dolls. These dolls are not sold with a price tag, no, that is too old school, these dolls are sold with a lifestyle with a price tag on it, it’s just that that price is not relevant.

* A huge majority of the Bratz dolls are female; there are three male dolls that I came across: One older father figure and two boyfriend material dolls, all three of the males dolls are White. There are four main dolls. Two White, One Black American, One Asian, and one that is definitely not White, but she is hard to categorize specifically, I would say she is Middle Eastern or Persian. All of the dolls are wealthy or at least well-off enough to afford their pretty outfits and expensive accessories. I assume all of the dolls are “hetero-normative,” for every girl there is a boy, but the coupling is not so visible, it is just understood that the dolls are heterosexual; it is a hidden underlying rule. I assume that the Bratz company doesn’t do much with sexuality and relationships because the parents of the companies’ target audience would not be happy with their 6 year old daughters thinking about boyfriends just yet, much less a same sex relationship.

* Bratz has different dolls to appeal to different age groups.
Teen:

Kidz:

Baby:

They have the most popular ones that look about 13-18, and then younger ones that look about 6-9, and then even younger that look around 8 months to 3 years old. Of course, all of then have beautiful long shiny smooth hair, fashionable accessories to go with every stage of life, and a fully makeup’d face. It was kind of weird, it was like some weird photo album of the Bratz dolls and how they have grown up. Upon further investigation of the different types of dolls I discovered that there was indeed a sporty or athletic selection of Bratz, of course they were all so pretty and decked out from head to toe in their awesome accessories.

* I was annoyed by the website. It had loud pop music, tons of flash and java scripts written all over the website that made my computer slow down so much and the dolls themselves all looked like they have had cosmetic surgery. I can definitely see that these dolls will have an adverse affect on young impressionable girls who will grow up absolutely surrounding my images of the perfect body, what the good hair is, and how skin colors are categorized,. My first exposure to Bratz dolls was about 4 years ago, right after they first were released. My little cousin had a couple of them and I thought that they look rather deformed. Sure they were no Barbie, but still, they look so bobble-headish. I wasn’t surprised or angered, just a little disappointed in the lack of diverse representation, or maybe just that I couldn’t identify personally with any of the dolls. I barely identified with Yasmin only through her ethnic name, other than that, there isn’t anything else.

*All of the dolls represented my hair texture, and there was one doll that was darker skinned, Sasha, who was I think the African American doll. I am not African American but she did kind of have my skin color. I believe Yasmin could pass for a Middle Eastern girl, so I guess I could identify with her. I found a picture of the dolls dressed up in ethnic garb.

It looks like the dolls were dressed in a flamingo, Gypsy, genie, tribal and belly dancer style…I thought it was cute and if I had to buy my daughter a Bratz doll, I would have bought her one of these.

According to the quiz on the website, “Which Bratz Are You Most Like?” I am Yasmin.

Who according to the website is “a little quiet, but even without opening her mouth you can sense she’s special. There’s just something about her that seems almost regal. But Yasmin’s not pretentious! She ‘s really open-minded she’s always up on alternative trends in fashion, fitness and beauty!” Because I am “always out ‘n’ about and know how to have a scorchin’ good time. [I] love to read and write and [I am] ‘in the know’ of everything that’s going on. [I am] ambitious and have the smarts to go far, but like to keep it real with [my] gal pals who know they can count on [me] to be true. I thought the quiz was quite funny and soooo accurate! Yasmin is definitely the doll for me! I mean, I am like totally always up on the alternative trends in fashion, fitness, AND beauty. Oh, Bratz…

Comments

yes, i noted in another post's comments that my daughter has TONS of these (mostly from gifts). we even have a Bratz playstation game - no big action, really slow walking (you hear the click-clack of high heels on the pavement) or the character and rollerblade (quite slowly). you go on missions - fashion, striking poses for modeling, photos, etc... scary stuff.

Posted by: rae | March 26, 2007 11:58 PM

Hello ! Very nice site.

Posted by: AdultErqp | August 6, 2007 10:02 PM

i like bratz those are my favorites i have so much i cant even count them i love them because they inspoere me because it is fun playing it and learning more about bratz

Posted by: ayanna | November 10, 2007 09:09 PM

hi this is andrea i like this site vevry nice i also like bratzs even thoe i have 2 of them im lookin foward of geting more for chrismas i hope u send me one please i will be happy and thankyou

Posted by: andrea | November 10, 2007 09:11 PM

They can save bratz the movie

Posted by: youssef | December 1, 2007 09:29 AM

hbao.

Posted by: alexanne | January 5, 2008 12:09 PM

i just luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuv bratzzzzzzzz.i get them 4 my birthday.i do have the play station and i luv it.specially the part of choosing a pet.i hav the movie and i cant help wacthing it reapetedly.i luv it!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: rhea | January 7, 2008 09:48 AM

tung hej jeni ma te mirat

Posted by: astjolla | January 12, 2008 04:01 AM

ypon/gpb,/.t-hp[t-yoj7-ujp]45-78

Posted by: ania | January 14, 2008 07:27 AM

this is the best bratzs I ever had

Posted by: tameshsa | January 22, 2008 09:26 AM

you make me sick. its toys like this that gave a warped image of beauty and a life time of insecurities. Babies dont wear mascara and we shouldnt be encouraging ten year olds to dress like whores. thanks to Bratz we can look forward to many more eating disorders and fucked up teens.

Posted by: tess | January 25, 2008 10:05 PM

its so beautiful bratz..

Posted by: rose | February 18, 2008 06:07 AM

this is the best bratz for me

ilove bratz because is beautiful

Posted by: rose ann | February 18, 2008 06:13 AM

I like you bratz bratz girl cd dvd

Posted by: emel | February 22, 2008 06:57 AM

i like you bratz

Posted by: emel | February 22, 2008 07:00 AM

I love bratz. u may think I am to old to hav bratz but they are cool. from their fashion to their style. It is not just about how they were make up and stuff but it is about style and personaltity. I think whoever wrote this needs to get there facts straight cuz bratz are here to stay. BRATZ ARE # 1 !!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Jasmine | February 23, 2008 12:57 PM

i love the babby bratz / bratz kidz

P.S. GO GIRL

Posted by: Sam | February 25, 2008 06:51 AM

coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

Posted by: Sam | February 25, 2008 06:53 AM

koooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
kat

Posted by: Sam | February 25, 2008 06:55 AM

i don't carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre

Posted by: Sam | February 25, 2008 06:59 AM

i love chrisbrown because he is so fine and i love his songs a lot BY;KYDIRA

Posted by: kydira teairahha walker | March 19, 2008 10:25 AM

bratz jeni me te mirat do te doja qe te isha si ju ju jeni te bukura dhe me shum mend jeni te pa arritshme.

Posted by: dea | March 24, 2008 11:14 AM

OMG i love bratz so much every 1 sez im wierd coz im 12 nearly 13 and i like all the bratz stuff n all yeah bratz rox

Posted by: lucy | March 25, 2008 08:30 AM

i love your style!

Posted by: yulisa | March 29, 2008 07:24 PM

I have all the forever diamondz. The bratz can sing and they rock. I love bratz and i have 42. I'm gonna get three more sport dolls and then that'll make 45. I got the first one Cloe from Toyworld.

Posted by: alice | April 7, 2008 07:29 PM

i just got cross signature

Posted by: tyera | April 13, 2008 01:15 AM

bratz our so cool! i wish i could be the awesome Yasmine yaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh send a message back please!p.s thanks alot!!!!!!!!

Posted by: amari | April 20, 2008 07:03 PM

hi i love bratz all of my friend call me yasmin coz i look like her i am there number one fan i have met them i have got every singal doll there is who cool is that

Posted by: amyknight | May 2, 2008 03:04 PM

bratz me pelqen stili juaj

Posted by: dina | May 21, 2008 08:51 AM

Posted by: dina | May 21, 2008 08:55 AM

dua barbit bratz

Posted by: rita | July 7, 2008 07:26 AM

sfhssdfg

Posted by: esmeralda | July 20, 2008 06:22 PM