Kiss My Knits!

Um.. buy her a Bratz doll and knit clothes for it?

Um.. buy her a Bratz doll and knit clothes for it?

I really, really don’t like the Bratz dolls. I showed her a picture of a doll I could knit, and she’s cool with that, so she’s getting a nice rag doll and seems very enthusiastic about it.

I really, really don’t like the Bratz dolls. I showed her a picture of a doll I could knit, and she’s cool with that, so she’s getting a nice rag doll and seems very enthusiastic about it.

Yeah I don’t like them much either. They tend to look too skanky. For a teenager sure, but for under 15-16?

Yeah I don’t like them much either. They tend to look too skanky. For a teenager sure, but for under 15-16?

Yeah, Bratz dolls are completely skanky. I was watching one of those VH1 shows, not I love the 90s but something like that, and they showed a clip of the cartoon, OH MY GOD! Of course, when shown back to back with the He-man clips meant to show all the gay connotations in it, you have to wonder. Still, I wouldn’t sit through a whole show of it. Nor would I let any kid.

Yeah, Bratz dolls are completely skanky. I was watching one of those VH1 shows, not I love the 90s but something like that, and they showed a clip of the cartoon, OH MY GOD! Of course, when shown back to back with the He-man clips meant to show all the gay connotations in it, you have to wonder. Still, I wouldn’t sit through a whole show of it. Nor would I let any kid.

No children of my own, but…

As a concerned aunt, I have to wonder about the lessons being sublimated into the up-and-coming female generation. Before Bratz (which my niece, unfortunately, loves) there was PowerPuff Girls – and maybe I’m over-reacting, but I was *horrified* at some of the subtle messages that were going out in that show! (stuff like, “if you can’t win with intelligence and physical aptitude, play the vamp card and you’ll get your way!”)

Sheesh.

And people turn around and wonder why kids act the way they do….

No children of my own, but…

As a concerned aunt, I have to wonder about the lessons being sublimated into the up-and-coming female generation. Before Bratz (which my niece, unfortunately, loves) there was PowerPuff Girls – and maybe I’m over-reacting, but I was *horrified* at some of the subtle messages that were going out in that show! (stuff like, “if you can’t win with intelligence and physical aptitude, play the vamp card and you’ll get your way!”)

Sheesh.

And people turn around and wonder why kids act the way they do….

What’s scary to me is that Bratz is the ONLY line of non-caucasian dolls that one can find in many places. My daughter is half white and half black, and it’s hard to find non-white dolls that I want to give her to play with. Thank goodness for the internet, I guess!

What’s scary to me is that Bratz is the ONLY line of non-caucasian dolls that one can find in many places. My daughter is half white and half black, and it’s hard to find non-white dolls that I want to give her to play with. Thank goodness for the internet, I guess!

Check out my daughter’s favorite line of dolls, Groovy Girls. I think the majority of them are white, but it’s not an overwhelming majority. There are definitely some good non-white offerings in a wide variety of shades. They have fun clothes and are shaped like little girls instead of curvy women, they don’t wear makeup, and they actually smile. They’re available as both plush dolls and mini bendy figures. Target carries them now.

I’m with you. I don’t know why the “skank” dolls are the multicultural ones. I have my suspicions involving unconscious messages about race and sex, but I won’t get up on my high horse here. I’ll just say that it stinks.

I’m knitting a doll for my daughter from Toys to Knit and she’s very excited about it. And given a choice, she picked a nice cafe au lait shade. Take that, Bratz!

Check out my daughter’s favorite line of dolls, Groovy Girls. I think the majority of them are white, but it’s not an overwhelming majority. There are definitely some good non-white offerings in a wide variety of shades. They have fun clothes and are shaped like little girls instead of curvy women, they don’t wear makeup, and they actually smile. They’re available as both plush dolls and mini bendy figures. Target carries them now.

I’m with you. I don’t know why the “skank” dolls are the multicultural ones. I have my suspicions involving unconscious messages about race and sex, but I won’t get up on my high horse here. I’ll just say that it stinks.

I’m knitting a doll for my daughter from Toys to Knit and she’s very excited about it. And given a choice, she picked a nice cafe au lait shade. Take that, Bratz!

Oh, I had forgotten about Groovy Girls. I agree, they are fun for moms and fun for kids. Are they made by Manhattan Toy Co? I think so … about 2-3 years ago Manhattan Toy discontinued a similar line of dolls that were basically the same as GG but bigger and with fleecy hair instead of yarn. I surfed around the net and got as many (4-5) different ones as I could find, in a whole range from creamy to deep brown skin tones. She got the last one of that stash for Christmas this year.

Colinette (no, wait, that’s the yarn company …) Corolle makes Asian and African dolls in all of their lines, but most brick-and-mortar stores choose to only stock the caucasian dolls. I suspect that Corolle isn’t the only brand this happens with.

Oh, I had forgotten about Groovy Girls. I agree, they are fun for moms and fun for kids. Are they made by Manhattan Toy Co? I think so … about 2-3 years ago Manhattan Toy discontinued a similar line of dolls that were basically the same as GG but bigger and with fleecy hair instead of yarn. I surfed around the net and got as many (4-5) different ones as I could find, in a whole range from creamy to deep brown skin tones. She got the last one of that stash for Christmas this year.

Colinette (no, wait, that’s the yarn company …) Corolle makes Asian and African dolls in all of their lines, but most brick-and-mortar stores choose to only stock the caucasian dolls. I suspect that Corolle isn’t the only brand this happens with.

Ha! Great minds think alike! My daughter also expressed an interest in Lilydolls, which are the bigger ones with the fleecy hair, right about the same time they started discontinuing them. The thing is, they’re still produced for the UK and Europe. So each year, Santa brings her one. It’s the big ticket item she gets, what with shipping and all. Not that Santa has to worry about shipping, of course. This year she got Elena. This is such a great doll line, I hate that it was discontinued over here!

I’ve noticed the same thing about the dolls. We have a local toy store that stocks wooden dollhouse dolls, and they do stock all colors. However, they sometimes sell out of the Caucasian ones. Net result: darker dolls are a buck cheaper. I’m glad they stock the range, but still. I guess you gotta do what you can to move the merchandise. Oy.

Ha! Great minds think alike! My daughter also expressed an interest in Lilydolls, which are the bigger ones with the fleecy hair, right about the same time they started discontinuing them. The thing is, they’re still produced for the UK and Europe. So each year, Santa brings her one. It’s the big ticket item she gets, what with shipping and all. Not that Santa has to worry about shipping, of course. This year she got Elena. This is such a great doll line, I hate that it was discontinued over here!

I’ve noticed the same thing about the dolls. We have a local toy store that stocks wooden dollhouse dolls, and they do stock all colors. However, they sometimes sell out of the Caucasian ones. Net result: darker dolls are a buck cheaper. I’m glad they stock the range, but still. I guess you gotta do what you can to move the merchandise. Oy.