Bratz: Are the girls with a “passion for fashion” kids appropriate?

• 25110004
• Jun 21, 2024
• 3 min read

Kids growing up in the early 2000s absolutely loved the cool girl quartet, however this show was one to raise many parents’ eyebrows. There was always some sort of hesitation in parents allowing their child to grow up watching the “baddie” persona show (as can be observed by the name: Bratz) out of fear of their child growing up to become a “brat”. This franchise thus ended up becoming victim to several controversies regarding its products.

There was always something about the girls: Chloe (nicknamed Angel), Jade (nicknamed Kool Kat), Sasha (nicknamed Bunny Boo) and Yasmin (nicknamed Pretty Princess) that would attract young children. The modern, urban, vibrant, diverse, fashion-focused trope, and the characters making their way in life and following their dreams would be something any young girl could easily get hooked onto. It would indulge in contemporary fashion styles and even adopt the use of a typical “valley girl” modern day teenage accent. However, the show did include the depiction of certain mature themes which would alert parents into keeping an eye on what their child was consuming. One such example would include showing sexual tension and quite mature elements of romantic interest between some characters. The characters could often be seen pointing out to “hot guys” amongst themselves and encouraging flirting, even though kids would be watching. Additionally, there have been multiple episodes where the Bratz girls are seen rivalling against another group of mean girls, with each side shaming each other on body issues and calling names.

Some of the other controversies surrounding this franchise include the oversexualization of teenage girls/minors. Bratz can be seen to have big, full lips, and the characters in the franchise are often seen wearing tight mini skirts. The characters are also shown to be

partying and going to clubs. A quote from the American Psychological Association from 2007 sums up the controversy well: “…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.”

Another example is when the dark-skinned charater Sasha was cut off from the franchise’s collection of dolls and the official artwork in Hong Kong, with claims from a Bratz customer service representative stating that the doll was just not very popular with the kids, even though the show was designed to be diversive and inclusive, without assigning races to any of the girls. However, the franchise later countered saying that this was not the case and that there needed to be proper market research done regarding the matter.

This begs the question: Should a bunch of 8-10 year olds really be allowed to engage with such a franchise? Would it be better suited for audiences that are much older, such as early teens and onwards? Perhaps, the answer would vary from parent to parent. However, what could be considered is controlled exposure to the show by the adults. Kids could be taught to determine right from wrong as they watch the show, however this responsibility would reside with the parents. Perhaps, early exposure could help the kids in making smart choices in the future, as they would be equipped with awareness and advice from their care-givers. This could also help them make a smooth transition as they grow up and eventually go through the further stages of life.