Bratz dolls have pre-adolescent figures and are sexy in a pedophilia kind of way. Is this what you want for your 7-year-old?
Mall stores are carrying the most offensive video games money can buy. The biggest seller is “Grand Theft Auto.”
Posted on 12/04/2005 11:20:04 AM PST by wagglebee
Shopping for kids seems to be getting harder every year. I hear from parents across the country who are shocked every time they shop — not just by the prices, but by the toys and other desirables on children’s wish lists.
Do we really want our 4-year old princesses dressing dolls that look like street-walkers? Do we want our teenage daughters to dress that way? Do we want our adolescent sons spending hours playing video games that make a sport of killing policemen and prostitutes? What does it say about our country that some of the most popular products are so offensive? And, what can we do about it?
At one mall, mothers have been protesting a Victoria’s Secret for a store window displaying mannequins in sexually explicit S&M poses. The mannequins model the kinds of microscopic underwear that used to be reserved for strippers, but are now on the wish lists of young teenagers.
But it was not just the merchandise but also the poses that were too offensive, even by today’s standards. Parents don’t like having to walk past sexually explicit store windows with their children — call them crazy, but they don’t think its appropriate for a family shopping mall.
And they don’t want G-strings marketed to adolescent girls. The mall management responded by accusing the politely protesting moms of violating the mall code of conduct!
Mall stores across the country are carrying many of the most offensive video games that money can buy. The all-time biggest seller, “Grand Theft Auto” — now in its third version — finally graduated to an “adults only” rating, which means the game “should only be played by persons 18 years and older” and “may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.” Several major chain stores will not carry “adults only” games, fortunately. Unfortunately, they all carry video games labeled Mature, often geared to pre-teens and young teens, even though they are “suitable for persons ages 17 and older” and contain “intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.” Believe me, they look more like X.
Parents hope that these ratings don’t matter, since it is “only a game” and since kids see so much sex and violence on TV, movies and the Internet. They do matter. Research shows that playing a game that rewards violent and offensive behaviors is even more likely to influence what kids think and do than passively watching it.
Perhaps you’re now thanking your lucky stars that you can shop for dolls instead. But millions of Bratz dolls, dressed like what used to be called “tarts” (now it’s called “attitude”), are sold to preschool and elementary school girls. These dolls have preadolescent figures and are sexy in a pedophilia kind of way. Is this the ideal you want for your darling 7-year-old?
A Bratz TV show helps sell the dolls and electronic Bratz gifts — including telephones and TVs for your child’s room. For parents and grandparents who care about their children, a TV or computer in the room may seem a very reasonable choice. Unfortunately, kids with TV’s in their room watch more TV, watch more TV that their parents would consider objectionable, read less and sleep less. And kids who watch more TV tend to be more violent, are more likely to be overweight and tend to do less well in school.
The advantage of having TV in a child’s room? There aren’t any, unless you want to see less of your child and not hear what they are watching.
Computers in a child’s bedroom are a mixed blessing. Computers are great for schoolwork, but when they are in the bedroom, children are more likely to view pornography or be “educated” in chat rooms in ways you never dreamed of. Research shows that one in five kids receive unwanted online sexual requests.
So, if there is another room in your house for your child to use a computer, instead of their bedroom, that’s a safer choice.
What can we do? If we keep buying sexualized dolls and violent video games, companies will keep promoting more of the same. One solution is to talk to family members who buy gifts for our children, letting them know, for example, what a Mature or Adults Only rating means on a video game. We can also talk to the parents of our children’s friends, to cooperatively establish standards that parents can agree on and avoid the “all my friends have it” line that is otherwise so effective.
And, we can all check Web sites such as www.toysafety.org and www.mediafamily.org to avoid the worst offenders.
Happy holidays? We will be happier if we make sure the things we buy our kids won’t harm them. And we can ask mall managers for help, starting with a real code of conduct for what is sold in their stores.
I have better luck at WalMart for clothes for my 7yo than I do in other places. When it comes to clothes for her it's WM, Peebles (they have some great sales), or the Hospice or Food Bank thrift stores.
Wonderful news:).
Thank you.........I'll check out Neopets.com and have hubby look into Zoo Tycoon..........Animal Crossing will have to wait - we've already decided no game systems this year.
I love giving out (and yes hearing:) compliments. It's something simple that my own parents taught us, but it seems so hard for people to do nowadays. But it sure makes a person's day when they receive one. I sure can't give you enough--you are doing a wonderful job it seems and this old teacher sure appreciates it. I am privileged to know so many good parents. And yes, I make sure I let them know how I think too.
Legos: the best toys ever after video games. The best thing about them is that you can't scew up with giving them; at worst, any set you give him is just more parts to build something else. And more is always better.
Oh come on, let a kid dream!
I recently was asked by my almost 11-year-old daughter for "SIMS" for the computer.
I went online and checked the reviews. "SIMS" itself was not reviewed, but "SIMS Busting Out" was.
It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever buy a SIMS game for her.
And, no, it was not rated "M" 'Pod.
The best thing about them is that you can't scew up with giving them; at worst, any set you give him is just more parts to build something else. And more is always better.
I think they're better than video games.
I think you are right.
Given the evidence, do you really believe parents care what toys their kids play with?"
Which do you think it is?
I believe that overall the culture is not as bad it seems, though some parents indulge in a mild form of child abuse via diet and entertainment.
But heaven forbid you exercise your 2nd amendment right and teach him (or your daughter) how to use a firearm....that is evil and leads to violence, (HUH?????)
The problem is that "proper" violence has been demonized. When I was a kid, if I got into a big enough argument with another kid at school, we would have a fistfight. The teachers would let that go on for a minute or two, then haul us to the principal's office, our parents would be called and we would be punished at home. But eventually, by the age of 12 or so, we learned at least the basics of conflict resolution and this didn't happen anymore. Kids today are just conditioned to let their anger build-up until they snap, then they show up in school with an arsenal similar to the ones their video game characters have and the anger explodes.
I don't think you are wrong at all. I see 2 entirely different type "parent sets."
Those that make all the noises and go through the motions of bringing cookies to the bake sale, but give the kids anything and everything they want and allow them to basically run wild with no manners.
And those that actually would like an occassional night out and get a sitter, but pay attention to homework everynight, know they can take their child(ren) out to eat with out being embarrassed, and find creative ways to keep the chilodren occupied WITHOUT spending a bucket of money.
We try our best to firmly stay planted in the latter category, and tend to gravitate toward other parents with similar attitudes. And it does work. A group of us can go out together, and bring our children, and know they will keep themselves occupied together without being disruptive to anyone else.
I agree. "Call of Duty", which I have, is easily one of my all-time favorite games.
Another lesser known one (it's not as great as "CoD," but it's still good) is called "Freedom Fighters," where in an alternative history, the Soviet Union has won the Cold War and launched the invasion of the U.S. You play an everyday schlub who has to rise up and fight to drive the commies out. To me at least, it has a good right-wing message.
What was that?
You have it pinpointed precisely........but whose fault is it? It isn't society, it isn't the schools, it's the parents who are not paying attention to what their children are reading, seeing, playing, etc........
Football is apretty danged violent sport, but our daughter loves to watch the games.......not because of the violence, but because mommy and daddy enjoy watching the games so it is a family sort of thing.
I think the whole "soccer culture" has created a lot of problems, kids are on coed teams where they are taught that boys and girls are the same, and this simply isn't true. And I think this has been a big contributer to the emergence of homosexuality among teens today.
My niece and nephew are twin five year olds, I sometimes see one of them want to play with the other and be told no that it's "boy stuff" or "girl stuff," it hurts their feelings and I feel sorry for them in that respect, but they are also learning that there is a difference.
Good grief, you're describing the girls I grew up with (including me)....but your point is well taken.
I think boys and girls can play together, and should, but at the same time can and should be taught they are different. That's how I grew up - I think I turned out pretty well.
A pick up game of softball, basketball or touch football at the park is one thing - organized sports is entirely different. Girls don't belong on boys' teams and vice versa.
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