RSS
Home
Dora the Explorer gets a sexy new makeover- Mattel takes it too far
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.gif)
One of these girls is the new Dora the Explorer and the other is a Bratz girl. Can you tell the difference?
UPDATE: To read a more current posting about the new Dora, including a picture, click here.
As the mother of a young girl, I know very well that there are very few characters out there aimed at girls that offer the kind of message I feel comfortable with. There aren't a lot of spunky, non-sexualized girl dolls and tv characters. Instead, preschoolers are bombarded with characters like Bratz and Barbie, two very adult characters. On top of that, Disney offers very gender-stereotyped Princesses like Sleeping Beauty and Ariel the mermaid, who use their smarts primarily to land a man and their happily ever after.
So when I find a little girl character who is smart, curious, spunky and NORMAL looking, trust me, I cling to her. Dora the Explorer is that girl. She solve mysteries by using her brain and her tools. She fearlessly explores the jungle and the rest of her world, learning new things along the way. And most important of all, she looks like a little girl, with a little pot belly and no curves. That is how little girls look. Is it so much to ask that a cartoon character of a little girl actually looks like a little girl?
.jpg)
Dora the Orignal
Apparently, for Nickelodeon and Mattel, who own the rights to Dora, yes, it is too much to ask. They have already manipulated Dora into doing things that don't make sense for the little explorer- she has been turned into a princess (huh?) and a mermaid (what?), clearly just to compete with the Disney Princesses. But now they are taking it a step further; the two toy companies have announced their plans to sexify Dora.
In a press release sent out last month, it was announced that Dora is growing up. "This groundbreaking initiative, featuring fashion dolls and accessories, is a completely new brand extension that empowers girls to influence and change the lives of Dora and her new friends," claims the press release. And how are they going to empower the new "tween" Dora? "As tweenage Dora," trumpets the release, "our heroine has moved to the big city, attends middle school and has a whole new fashionable look." Fashion? Apparently, that is the only way toy companies can think of to empower little girls.
The marketing research crew did discover that girls love that Dora solves mysteries, so they are keeping some of that, just moving it to the mall. But why would it take a bunch of high-tech research to discover that girls like to use their brains? Why would it even be a question? And why must the spunky, thoughtful girl become a clothes-obsessed fashion plate? Is that the only way girls can "mature"? Sure, she does a little sleuthing on the side, but that isn't what her persona will be about anymore. Mattel is bragging that girls can "magically transform" their Dora dolls by changing her hair length, jewelry, and eye color. Dora isn't about spunk anymore, she is about lip gloss and sexy skirts. Don't kid yourself if you think otherwise.
So far, Mattel has only released a silhouette image of the new Dora. Out of curiousity, I found an image of a Bratz doll and turned it into a silhouette to compare. Can you figure out which one is the hyper-sexualized Bratz girl and which is the intrepid explorer Dora? Don't feel bad if it isn't immediately obvious that the second image above is Dora. I was a little surprised by how close they look, myself. But I do feel bad for Dora and for my daughter. Sexy Dora isn't cool and neither is Mattel. Shame on you, Mattel.
UPDATE: To read a more current posting about the new Dora, including a picture, click here.
To add your name to a petition opposing the new sexy Dora, click here.
To read the whole press release announcing the new fashion-fetish Dora, click here.
To read "Beyond Bratz and Barbie: A doll gift guide that inspires a healthy image for girls", click here.
To read "Barbie Ban Bill proposed in West Virginia", click here.
To read ""Let's Go!" No Makeover for Dora" from the Packaging Girlhood blog, click here.
Related Articles:
Comments
