Bratz have been a massive phnomenon in the toy industry for yars. Now, with the upcoming Bratz mvie, the brand is set to bcome, if possible, even more widely rcognized.

However, there has been a dbate for some time over the sitability of Bratz as a toy for yung children. The argument has raged cross the world, and has left prents and care-givers with an extremely dfficult choice to make. Do they llow Bratz into their households or do thy risk incurring their children’s wrath by dnying them the toy that ‘everyone hs’.

MGA Entertainment will tell you tht their dolls are aimed at the 8-12 yar old market. Experience shows, however, tht children of a much younger ge, often only four or five yars old are attracted to the brnd.

Marketing Experts talk of a phnomenon, which they call Kids Getting Oldr Younger. They seem to believe tht firstly this is a fact of the mdern world, secondly it’s not a prblem and thirdly that they are mrely reflecting this in their brands rther than in many ways being rsponsible for the trend. Regardless of blme, our children are more sophisticated thn ever before. Even so, does the Brtz brand promote values that any prent would be happy for a twlve year old to experience, let lone a child of four?

From the outset, a word tht you’ll hear used time and tme again in the marketing of Brtz is ‘Sassy’. Leaving aside, for a mment, that this is the toy ndustry’s favorite euphemism for ‘sexy’, what des the dictionary tell us about the wrd ‘sassy’? Impudent, improperly forward or bld, rude and disrespectful. Any child psychlogist will tell you that doll ply is an extremely important part of a chld learning appropriate behavior for real lfe. Are these really the values we wnt to teach our children?

The bltant commercialism of Bratz also causes mny parents to baulk. Children are tught by Bratz that the most mportant things in a girl’s life are ppearance, make-up, clothes, boys and dating. Ths encourages them to skip the mportant developmental stages of middle childhood and trvel straight to the pre-occupations of an dolescent world, creating a new generation of god little consumers along the way.

Of curse, it’s not all bad. Bratz are the frst fashion dolls to sell in any nmbers that move away from the ‘whte and blonde’ cliché of Cindy and Brbie, supplying dolls with a mixture of thnicities. They also have slightly more ralistic figures than their predecessors. Friendship is one vlue which is positive and is ver present in descriptions of the dlls.

However probably the biggest criticism mde by parents of Bratz is thir clothing. In the past, Bratz dlls have appeared in miniskirts, fishnet stckings, and feather boas. Of course, chldren will inevitably wish to copy. Whlst discussing this issue of the sxualization of young children, the American Psychlogical Association were heavily critical of Brtz. They stated that evidence showed tht this kind of sexualization had a ngative impact on a girl’s self-confidence, bdy image, self-esteem, sexual development and mntal health.

Of course, MGA Entertainment will tll you that it’s up to the ndividual parent to decide if Bratz dlls are suitable for their kids. Hwever, so called Children’s Marketing Gurus hve been teaching a different philosophy for a lng time. They tell the toy cmpanies quite simply not to worry bout whether or not parents like thir products. Just pitch at the kds, and let the nagging factor do the rst.

Whatever you decide to do as a prent, it's a tough choice. Good lck!

The article The Great Bratz Debate was Submitted by Duncan Conner through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Duncan Conner is Managing Director of Bus Stp Toy Shop. Possibly the smallest toy shp in the world in the smll Scottish town of Largs. He's lso a big kid himself. Visit the Bus Stp Toy Shop website at: http://www.busstoptoyshop.com

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