Mom declares war on Baby Bratz dolls
Categories: Money & Work, Media, Toys & Games
James Lileks would be
proud. A mom in Louisville, Kentucky is joining many other parents around the nation in speaking out against MGA
Entertainment's Baby Bratz. The doll line is composed of baby girls who look like they just walked off the set of a
Christina Aguilera video. Stacie Bostic is particularly upset over the model her daughter purchased, which came
with a pair of underwear that, uh, left little to the imagination. The company called the infant thong a "manufacturing
error". There's an error here, all right - but I think it occurred months before this abomination went to
manufacturing.
(Via Toy News)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
L. 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
Eeeeew! I won`t buy these dolls just because their big heads creep me out.... but what`s underneath is even creepier.
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Carrie 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
Yikes! So far we have been able to keep away from Barbie and the like, only having baby dolls, but I know the time is coming, as our two year old who thinks she is 13 is already asking for Barbies. I can't believe those bratz babies...will have to make sure to stay away from that aisle as well in the toy store. I hope the modification to the dolls clothing is done soon, as I am sure that will be on her wish list before I know it.
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MelissaS 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
Bratz are verboten in my house. My childless sister in law calls them the "hoor-z" of the doll world.
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Morphing Mama 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
Dude, that's just downright creepy.
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jessica watkins 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
your right, I never liked bratz. they look well, off.
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Stefanie Garcia 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
My daughter received one of these for her birthday and I absolutely won't let her play with it because of the "thong" she's wearing! I heard that the manufacturer was recalling them, so that you could take it back to the retailer and they would fit the doll with real panties, but Walmart and Toys R Us haven't heard of this at all! Anyone else heard of this?
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nichole 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
I think this is the craziest thing ive seen yet.my 5 yr old got a bratz baby for her birthday they need to strap diapers on them mesh thongs dont cut it.who in their right mind passed the approval for this.we are worried enough about how kids are dressing anymore let alone having a baby doll telling our children its ok to walk around like this.i have a 5 3 and2 yr old who would want them thinking this is ok.even barbie and ken wear normal underwear now come on.how much money would it take to make a plastic diaper.
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Tracy Lagary 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
I totally agree that the thong is totally wrong. It wasn't a manufacture defect it was a company thinking it was the right thing to do....WRONG on there part. They should have a mailing list and send us all new panties.
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Gayl Killough 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
The thing is that additional piece of fabric is not really a thong. I repeat it is not really a thong. It is attached to the skirt. (The picture can be misleading.) It is there to help keep the short skirt in place and I really appreciate that from a practical standpoint. Without it, the skirt would ride up all over the place. The extra piece of fabric makes it function more like a skort or shorts. Plus it provides a little bit more modesty too. Functional, more modest, yet under attack.
A doll can wear no underwear at all or the imprinted kind, and that is not questionable usually. But add a functional addition to a doll
wardrobe and it is turned into something dirty by well meaning adults.
As an adult doll collector who likes to display and even play with my dolls too, I am very thankful that piece of fabric is there. Real life people don't need it so much because there is enough gravity on real people to help counteract a skirt rising up, but things do work different on doll scale. Plus, if the additional piece of fabric was not there, think about all the dolls lying around in kids' homes that would have the short skirts up in various ways and showing the area underneath to the world to see because the short skirt is not kept in place.
It is really a practical idea that is poorly misunderstood. Much like the Bratz and Boyz themselves.
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tracy 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
I understand as a doll collector you might like it...But as a mother of young girls I DON'T....They are meant for girls of all ages. I don't misunderstand the Bratz dolls at all...I let my kids play with them when some friends didn't let them...But call it what you want...it's a THONG....and it's not meant for little girls to see and play with and you should see people staring at this cause they are seeing it as a THONG too. I am not usually on eof these mom's that get in an up-roar about stuff but this I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Frank 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
all you crazy moms need to relax, you are the ones that are seending the wrong message to your daughters by telling them that it is wrong, kids dont know what a thong is, and anyway its underwear, whats wrong with underwear. theres a frekin war going on, people are dieing at your taxpayer expense and you worry about some company puting a thong on a doll, geez give me a break if you werent so busy complaning about a thong you would realize that the president is crazy and that ultimately nothing matters because the chinese are going to take over the world anyway.
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Rebecca 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
My husband bought our daughter a "Big" Baby Bratz doll because we thought it was cute, and, let's face it, I'm 25 and I bought me a regular Bratz doll long ago that I'm in love with. Well, MY Bratz Doll is a grown up in my opinion but she doesn't have this "strip of material" on her clothing.
Anyway, we didn't know what we would find under the baby doll's skirt. And were QUITE embarrassed when we saw it.
My question is, if it's "only a strip", why didn't one of the people making the doll say "Uh, no that's going to look suggestive"?? Why didn't someone suggest a full pair of bloomers or little black shorts to be attached to the skirt, in order to keep the skirt in place?
I understand the need for the fabric, but I don't understand the thought pattern of not adding MORE fabric.
I actually think someone is trying to corrupt today's children, and it's sad.
Anyway, you can buy them diapers but they're like $15.99. That's not cool.
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nichole 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
On the whole war note why are we so concerned about a doll well lets see do you think our soldiers want to come home to there children playing with thong babbies or would they want the people to send a positive message to their kids.if they are out there risking their lives companies should do a better job protecting their kids from provacative dolls.yeah its underwear but not a 2 yr olds underwear.would u let your young child walk around in a thong because its still underwear then u have as many problems in your head as these stupid companies.
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Patie 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
Well I am not a mom yet but I bought this doll for my nice because she wanted the piggie that comes with the doll. My mother is currently reading the "Three little pig's" book to her. I figured the doll was ugly but why not buy it.
Well once I opened the package everyone in my household automatically noticed the thong. So don't tell me we are over reacting. I thing this is discusting and inapropriate.
Now about the material. Don't tell me that they just put it there because of gravity because let me tell you something. That same material that makes the thong is all around the skirt. If you pull that material down to the thong you have a full pair of underware. This was done intentional. It takes alot more time to cut out a thong form that black material than to just use all the material to make an underware.
This was thought out and planed. I know because I sew clothing and have made many doll outfits for my nice, and there is no way this was a mistake or defect.There is so much access material from the thong that when I sewed it together again I was able to make shorts out of them.
If you tell me it was used for gravity so the skirt don't move or there was not enough material or that it was a defect. "WELL I JUST PROVED YOU WRONG."
Not to mention when I went to the description of the dolls on the website I was suprised to read what it said in the description. Quote on Quote "Look out, these Babyz already know how to flaunt it, and they're keepin' it real in the crib." Now everthing els of the description is ok. But this part is outrageous, how can you describe a childs doll like this.
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pam peck 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
people, people, people......this is a doll. for a child. we all wear underwear! if we don't make a big deal out of the fact that this "could be" a "thong" our children will not make a big deal out of it either. i suppose most of you think that the teletubbies are evil and gay, too. RELAX.
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pam peck 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
oh and by the way... i have 6 children. from 19 to 4. none of them are drug addicts, alcoholics, hookers or serial killers. they are either in school (1 in college)or working (working for a major insurance company making more money than i am). they play sports get good grades and respect their elder and themselves.
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pam peck 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
oh and by the way... i have 6 children. from 19 to 4. none of them are drug addicts, alcoholics, hookers or serial killers. they are either in school (1 in college)or working (working for a major insurance company making more money than i am). they play sports get good grades and respect their elder and themselves.
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Gayl Killough 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
In response to why more fabric was not used-more fabric means higher cost of production. It may seem like a tiny amount per doll, but with millions of outfits made, every cost is considered in mass production. If it were truly meant to be an obvious thong, it would have been completely separate from the skirt. I still stand by my earlier comments that it has a practical purpose. Yes it would be even cheaper to not include the extra fabric at all and unfortunately thanks to some over-reactive comments, I think that is where it will head. So let me get this straight. No underwear would be better than a modest strip that does indeed help keep the skirt in place? If you played with dolls more, this would be more clear to you that the strip is indeed helpful. For what it is worth, most of the new Bratz have painted on underwear.
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Gayl Killough 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
Also, I agree that the company does want to produce an edgy doll with attitude and I don't think the company is purely practical either, but the point is that there is a practical purpose to the extra strip that may not be obvious at first. I would hate to see something that is helpful in displaying the doll be taken away because of how it is perceived by someone else. I appreciate it on the regular Bratz. The bigger problem is that the Babyz have outfits just like the regular Bratz instead of baby outfits. As for my own personal Babyz, I personally don't care for the adult looking outfits on them and I redressed mine in baby outfits with diapers. However, my personal taste does not support "war" or misrepresentatation.
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Trish 12-18-2005 @ 6:37PM
I believe the Bratz dolls send out too many of the wrong messages about how to dress, and it's up to the parents to set the standard for their children. For those who say that parents are overreacting to this either don't have children themselves or are not aware of the impact these dolls can have on a child's self-esteem (this is what you need to look like to be cool). You may say it is or isn't a thong, but based on the way the dolls are dressed and their product description, how can you think anything else?
By the way, I've never seen a "strip of fabric" used to hold on a doll's skirt before. And I don't buy the argument that it's cheaper and saves on fabric! Parents, be active in your child's life and help them find good role models and make good decisions. Fortunately, my 4 year old thinks Bratz are ugly. So fortunately, I won't have to explain to her what a thong is.
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