The world’s biggest toymaker – Mattel, Inc. – whose products include the Barbie doll, won a landmark court order Dec. 3 banning MGA Entertainment Inc. from making and distributing Bratz dolls that were found to infringe Mattel copyrights. The ruling judge, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson, granted Mattel’s request, initiated in 2006, to stop MGA from making most of its multiethnic fashion dolls that when a jury found that a Mattel designer came up with the Bratz name and characters and secretly took the idea to MGA.
What Bratz Dolls Represent to Youngsters
The Bratz dolls arrived on the scene in the summer of 2001 to dismal sales that steadily increased in less than a year's time. Ultimately, the following year was met by a frenzy of young girls who self-identified with the pouty baby-faced characters who dressed edgy and at times very provocative. Arriving during a time when pop stars included the likes of the not-yet-legal Britney Spears, Bratz dolls were hip, young and contemporary.
In addition, the Bratz dolls offered an array of dolls of various skin tones, without particular emphasis on race or ethnicity. For instance, unlike Barbie, a dark-skinned Bratz doll was not identified as African-American. This way, with an ambiguous ethnicity, dark-skinned children of ancestry as diverse as East Indian and Brazilian could find connection with the doll whose skin tone matched their own. Mattel’s Barbie automatically identified all darker-skinned dolls ethnically. Sales for the world-famous Barbie dolls soon began to drop as young girls began to ask for the Bratz dolls instead of the traditional Barbie.
What Social Scientists Believe About the Bratz Brand
While the Bratz gained favor by young people because of their chic gear and "brat-ittude", fresh concerns over the body image and lifestyle the Bratz dolls promoted were raised by the American Psychological Association. They established recently a "Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls" a created a report where they identified various societal elements that contribute to poor self-image in young females. An excerpt reads,
"Bratz dolls come dressed in sexualized clothing such as miniskirts, fishnet stockings, and feather boas. Although these dolls may present no more sexualization of girls or women than is seen in MTV videos, it is worrisome when dolls designed specifically for 4- to 8-year-olds are associated with an objectified adult sexuality."
The task force went on to identify ways parents could be pro-active in combating the negative affects of these messages.
Will the End of Bratz Mean Something More Provocative To Come Along?
While the original Bratz dolls will be discontinued, subsequent dolls appear to safe from obscurity just yet. In the meantime, be prepared for MGA to appeal the initial decision rendered on December 3. In a public announcement, MGA states:
"The broad [judge’s] order is surprising given these foregoing sentiments and MGA looks forward to its opportunity to present its appeal to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.”
It's not clear how this ruling affects the popular Bratz brand in relation to Mattel's other products.The Bratz brand has spawned dozens of spin-off products, including a popular straight-to-DVD movie series, girls' underwear, food products and books. In addition to Bratz dolls, MGA carries the Rescue Pets brand and creates toy items for Marvel.
Khadijah Ali-Coleman - Khadijah Ali-Coleman was the founding writer for the Youth Development site here on www.suite101.com. Khadijah Ali-Coleman is based in ...
