The Skanktification of Kids Toys

This past weekend I accompanied my cohort while she bought a toy for her niece. The niece requested a Bratz doll. I guess I've been out of the toy loop for way too long, but I was just a little putoff by these dolls. Have you seen them? They look like your run of the mill, overmakeuped, hooker/pornstar that wears no more clothing than the law requires. Not to be outdone, Mattel has its own line called "Flavas". When did the sleeziest toys become the most popular ones for young kids? I know teenagers try to look older than they are, but since when do 7-year-olds play with dolls that are all about cleavage and midriffs?

It's never too early to learn how to be a snow bunny. It makes lots of sense to wear a skirt outside in the winter.

The bigger picture is Bratz outsell Barbie in many parts of the world and simply reflect every kid's desire to act and do older things than they really are. Every generation is faced with the same suggestion that their toys will harm them, their mindset, and run society into the ground so the Bratz are really nothing new. As with my G.I. Joes, I'm sure plenty of complaints were lobbed toward them implying they'd make all of us raging violent kids. Of course there was one problem with the idea that we'd actually act out the toys stories...none of us owned missile silos nor any laser shooting rifles. While some of the Baby Bratz dolls actually wear skirts, some of them wear the obligatory thong as well. My toys were harder to recreate in real life, while girl toys, with their reliance on clothing and makeup, have much more accessible accessories so kids can realize their imaginations (like the Bratz electronic spin the bottle/truth or dare).

Is this one for real? Suddenly my blog isn't safe to view at work.

Maybe the Bratz dolls won't make an entire generation of girls into prostitutes, strippers, or A&E reality show fodder. I'd like to think that no matter the toys kids play with, it still comes down to their parents (and friends they're allowed to associate with) who must ensure their kids know right from wrong. I played with cap pistols and uzi and machinegun waterguns, etc., all of which looked like the real thing, but I seemed to make out just fine. I'm confident that just because your kid's doll shows lots of skin, wears a short skirt with nylons, and puts on a few pounds of makeup, doesn't mean she'll think that it's the best way to go through life.