Whatever happened to the Cabbage Patch Kids? I suppose Barbie, in the 60's, when she first appeared, was a bit of a stretch for those times, too.
I dunno. I don't see the Bratz dolls as a really big deal, myself. Others apparently do. They pretty much reflect the culture of teens these days, so they're naturally popular with younger girls, just like Barbie was.
It isn't teenagers who play with fashion dolls. It's the 10-12 set, and they're going with what they see out there.
I disagree strongly with those who would put an outright ban on these dolls. That's wrong. Parents are, apparently, deciding to buy these things for their daughters, and in large number. I'd guess that lots of those parents also take their daughters to Sunday School and church, too.
Gloom and doom does not seem to be an appropriate response to children's toys.