bratzzzzzz

bratz dolls. aw, they sound so...cheeky, cutely mischevious, innocent, harmless, benign.

but. for me, i find them utterly, totally offensive. not just as a mother of a young daughter but also as a wo-man. yes i sound like a burly ole lezza. a diesel dyke, a grass muncher (oh god apologies to the gay community...i'll get to the point) but, the fact is i'm just a boring ole, mid 30's summat mama looking at these mutants in the toy's aisle and wondering why mothers aren't burning these places down!

why, oh why, are you getting your knickers in a twist over a flickn' DOLLY, bidster, i hear you cry.

look. our little girls are only little once. no inhibitions, perfect natural beauty, singing,playing, fascinated by the great outdoors and mother nature's fruits and then...we give them little prostitutes to play with. fantastic.

to me, they represent something really stinking rotten about where we're at as women and mothers. and even worse we're handing this down to our innocent, unsuspecting daughters.

our little girls don't need to be gazing at little, plastic porn stars whilst they're in that valuable 'play-zone' where everything else pales into insignificance apart from them and their toys.

these dolls are turning our daughters' minds to make up, big hair, teeny tiny skirts, bras (BRAS for five year olds FFS!)..basically all the accessories of a fully sexually active ADULT. take a really good look at one next time you find yourself in the toy's aisle. is there any part of a bratz doll you think is adding value to your child's playtime?

our children have the right to a childhood, to be little kids. do we really need to force this shit on our girls? aren't things tough enough as we age as women? could we not, at the very least, give something of worth to our girls; teach them a self confidence that goes beyond any kind of look that says 'yup, i put out'.

and that's why these dolls are so particularly hateful. because these dolls' image is burning itself onto our girls' minds as the way to look, to be.

we had a neighbour once whose little girl was 7 years old. she was well and truly indoctrinated into all things american but particularly the bratz thing. she would come over and talk about her weight problem and that she needed to lose weight by walking everyday with her mother (total nightmare), constantly talk about people in terms of how pretty they were, how their hair was, what they were wearing and so on and so forth. and she isn't alone. i hear it and i see it every time i get on a bus or go to the shopping centre.

and of course, bratz aren't solely to blame for this twisted mess, the whole picture is vast and complex, but as a doll they are playing an important part in the child's play. these dolls belong in a damned sex shop not with our children.

and before you say anything, i'm no wierdy prude. i believe in women having a healthy sexuality whatever that is, of course, but i also believe that kids have a right to their childhood and to learn about sex and the feminine wiles when the time is right and it ain't at 4 years old.

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