Playing With Dolls or Daddy's Wallet?

OPINION PIECE:

I don't know about anyone else, but when I played with dolls as a child, it involved feeding them with a bottle, changing their diapers and wheeling them around in their pram while I played Mommy.

Today however, I grudgingly introduce you to a new online game; Miss Bimbo, which teaches young girls from the ages of 7-16 that girls need breast implants (cost:11,500 bimbo dollars,) facelifts and diet pills (cost:100 bimbo dollars) for their crash diets.

When buying breast implants for the doll, the player nets 2,000 "bimbo attitudes," which increases her popularity on the site.

While the game is competitive between players, it has the benign description: "a virtual fashion game for girls," with the object of the game to ensure that your "doll" becomes the "hottest, coolest, most famous bimbo in the whole world," (Monica Lewinski?) with such sage advice as:

"stop at nothing" or even to buy "meds or plastic surgery" in order to win the Bimbo beauty game.

Securing a billionaire boyfriend is also rewarded with the all important 'bimbo dollars,' perhaps in order to get what?  A tummy tuck?

I sincerely hope I'm not the only person appalled by this.

A child must first sign up with the web site, which then allows the game to begin by giving the new player a naked, virtual doll.

While competing in various ways, "bimbo dollars" are earned and spent to buy sexy outfits for the doll.  The child is also able to spend the money by taking her doll clubbing.

There are numerous tasks given to the player which include plastic surgery or breast implants at the game's clinic.  The child must also give her doll the diet pills which keeps her to her "goal weight."

Aside from all the pink, this is what first caught my eye on the Miss Bimbo web site:

» 2112 online players at the present time and 213 608 registered Bimbos!

Very nice.

Although initially the game is free to play with one's Bimbo dollars, once the virtual cash has run out, the child is expected to top their account up via PayPal or, to send text messages at a cost of £1.50 or, US$3.00.

Remember, that these are children as young as 7!

Bill Hibberd of the parents' group Parentkind says that the entire concept sends a dangerous message to young girls.

"It is one thing if a child recognises it as a silly and stupid game," he said. "But the danger is that a nine-year-old fails to appreciate the irony and sees the bimbo as a cool role model. Then the game becomes a hazard and a menace.

Children's innocence should be protected as far as possible. It depends on the background and mindset of the child but the danger is that, after playing the game, some will then aspire to have breast operations and take diet pills."

He added that the game posed a financial danger for parents if they did not keep an eye on the text messages their children sent.

With already 1.2 million players in France, the French have already condemned the doll and the game -  with one parent already threatening legal action after his daughter charged over US$200 to his mobile phone, without his knowledge.

There are also currently 200,000 players between 9-16 on the British web site.

Another parent said that he was appalled when he saw his two daughters Katie, (9) and Sarah (14) playing the game.

"I noticed them looking at possible breast operations and facelifts for their bimbos at the game's plastic surgery clinic," said Mr Williams, a 42-year-old accountant.

"Katie is far too young for that kind of thing and it is irresponsible of the site's creators to be leading young girls astray. They are easily influenced at that age as to what is cool."

The creator of Miss Bimbo insist it is harmless fun.

The creator of the game is Nicolas Jacquart - a 23 year old web designer from Tooting in London who said:

"It is not a bad influence for young children. They learn to take care of their bimbos.

A euphemism for behaving like pimps perhaps?[/q]"The missions and goals are morally sound and teach children about the real world.

If they eat too much chocolate in the game it is bad for their bimbos' bodies and their happiness levels compared to if they eat fruit and vegetables, which reinforces positive, healthy eating messages.

If they are having problems with boyfriends or at work, the bimbos can talk through them with a psychiatrist.

The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them, just reflecting real life."[/q]Having read what I'm able to on the web and the web site itself, there's no way that I would recommend such a place for anyone's children - in fact I would suggest that they steer clear and even go so far as to block the web site from their young children's inquisitive eyes.

You ought to be ashamed Nicolas Jacquart.  At age 23 you should know how impressionable extremely young children are - or perhaps you do know and are no longer a web designer but in the field of exploitation.

The Age
Virtual Doll a Troubling Game for U.K., Parents
by Karen McVeigh

CNN.com
Alarm as Dolls Get Breast Implants in 'Miss Bimbo' Game
(no byline)

Image Sources:

Miss Bimbo

CNN.com
Alarm as Dolls Get Breast Implants in 'Miss Bimbo' Game