[MineralMan]

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.

[durasell]

There is no doom or gloom. Just people who want to complain. The complaints come every year. When I was a kid there were complaints over Mad magazine and monster models. There was particular hostility saved up for a cartoon artist named Big Daddy Roth and his creation, Rat Fink.

[illinoissmith]

"I don't see the Bratz dolls as a really big deal, myself."

I think the Bratz dolls are a symptom of a dangerous shift in the relationship between the sexes. I think the cause of their popularity is the dangerous behavior of older girls. I think the effect of the dolls is to enable younger girls to more smoothly and readily adopt the same dangerous behaviors as they age.

The dangerous shift in gender relations being, thanks to the feminism, women have tremendous pressure, in their youth, to become sluts if they want any attention from males. When most women will put out, those who will not become a waste of time (in the short term, which is the typical term of concern in junior high, high school, and early in university) in the eyes of most young men. Fewer girls hold out in lieu of this pressure, and those who fail to hold out tend to go through emotionally crushing experiences that I don't believe most ever really recover from. (The male side isn't pretty either; essentially, those who indulge in this course of action become accustomed to promiscuity and immediate gratification, and require more and more unusual sexual and frequent behaviors to become satisfied, and start to see women in a more disrespectful light.)

This is an important issue to me first because I have seen it cause damage to people I have cared about, and second because I think it poses a long-term threat to our civilization (harmonious relationship between the sexes being necessary for raising children who can function as free citizens and who can compete in the world scientifically and technologically), if not corrected.

"I disagree strongly with those who would put an outright ban on these dolls."

Me too. The solution starts with individuals refusing to take part in what they disagree with, and attempting to convince other individuals, through reason and evidence, to do likewise. Boycotts and protests, also, I think are acceptable.

"Gloom and doom does not seem to be an appropriate response to children's toys."

Yeah, but all sorts of things in life indirectly connect up in all sorts of ways. I think some of the issues with toys do indeed connect to some serious issues. Though doom and gloom in particular may not be particularly useful, given the comments by people on this board who are trying to raise decent sons and daughters, I don't think this is an issue to shrug off. It is something to be aware of, and deal with intelligently