Culture

Bratz books banned

by ppeggy | September 18, 2008 at 08:17 am

1791 views | 6 Recommendations | 7 comments

I had my first experience with a Bratz doll last weekend at a garage sale. My three-year-old granddaughter was delighted when she found a never-opened Bratz box with a tiny doll and dozens of tiny accessories. She bought it for a loonie. When we got it home, I could see I had made a big mistake in letting her purchase it. The doll represents the very worst of consumer values. It's very good news that Scholastic Inc. has listened to parents and banned the Bratz books from their lists. Meantime, I have surreptitiously thrown away the posters from the box as well as many of the little accessories. Grandma needs to brush up on the products being pushed to kids these days so she can recognize the bad ones.

The largest distributor of children's books to Canadian schools has decided to yank all Bratz books from its roster after parents and psychologists complained the controversial dolls promoted "precocious sexuality."

Scholastic Inc. distributes its products through school-based book fairs and clubs, selling books to students and teachers at discounted prices. But after a North American campaign spearheaded by the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood against books and products featuring the popular Bratz dolls, the book distributor has relented.

The company confirmed Wednesday that its fall product line for schools no longer includes the Bratz brand -- a switch from last year, when Scholastic said the books appealed to "reluctant readers" and its job was to "offer materials that appeal to children where they are, not where we would like them to be."

In a statement, Scholastic declined to comment on Bratz books, saying "the books we offer have been selected by an experienced team of editors who consult with our teacher and librarian advisers and review thousands of titles.

"Our goal has been and continues to be to provide quality, affordable books that meet the wide range of reading levels and interests of today's students and help every child develop a love of reading."

The Bratz book line is a spinoff of MGA Entertainment Inc.'s top-selling fashion dolls notable for their skimpy wardrobe of miniskirts, high-heel boots and feather boas.

[q url="http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/reallife/story.html?id=d817e213-9116-4610-9d86-0c6f840cb3d4"]

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rpshen

at 14:21 on September 18th, 2008

That's ridiculous. Did Barbie books also get banned?

knitsteel

at 04:02 on September 19th, 2008

actually I'm ok with Bratz dolls and the movies. I haven't seen the books. If they are anything like the barbie books, they are not high quality literature, but don't need to be banned either.

Jordan Yerman

at 04:32 on September 19th, 2008

I just don't like how their little eyes seem to follow you... though visibly skewed younger, Bratz aren't much different than Barbie, which also pushes a weird, impossible-to-attain world of too-perfect beauty and materialism. Most (but not all) toys do this in one manner or another, I think.

Emilio Lizardo

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:20 on September 19th, 2008

Bullwinkle Invited For Dinner

To fight this kind of subversive children's literature is exactly why I am developing my new 'Praise God and Pass the Ammo' series of children's books.

The 2nd draft of Book 1, 'Daddy Teaches Sarah How To Kill and Field-Dress a Moose,' is almost ready, except for a few of the illustrations, which my editor feels may be a little too realistic. Negotiations are currently in progress ...

bobemm

at 08:54 on September 19th, 2008

It's funny that you requested one of my "cheap talent" pix to illustrate your article. Maybe Bratz should be banned from middle aged photographers too!

rumana husain

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 23:57 on September 21st, 2008

ppeggy, I like this story. It's good stuff. targeting one particular brand isn't right when there are other barbies around, but it might help toy designers and manufacturers to think twice, and hard...what is right to promote and what is not. i am posting an image of a simple hand-made toy that i finished making a week ago.

Miki Gross (not verified)

at 15:26 on April 11th, 2009

I think this woman needs to get a life! There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Bratz dolls. It is filthy minded, goody 2 shoes women like this one, that think they are some kind of moral barometer for mankind, let alone her granddaughter! I feel sorry for the granddaughter. The grandmother probably fills her mind with other useless garbage, too!