Are these dolls totally inappropriate?

[Itsbeen84yearss]

Just seen the ad for these on channel 5 (in between peppa episodes). Marketed as ‘opposites’? I might be being bad minded but these look highly sexualised to me. I bought my dd an lol doll once but I think it had a school uniform on. Didn’t look like these at all. Why are they like this now?? Surely it’s sending all sorts of bad messages to kids

@FuckingFlumps

Still can’t with cloths that were suitable for adults rather than children…..

But you're implying every outfit barbie dolls came with was sexy or skimpy or showing too much flesh. That's simply inaccurate. Some of her outfits were possibly a little more grown up but the vast majority were pretty normal clothes similar to those the children playing with her would have owned. Which is a distinct difference with the dolls the OP is talling about.

That was my typo, so I’m sorry it came across that I said you can’t get normal clothes. I know she did come with normal clothes as as a pp mentioned, she’s more tame now.

I meant as a whole, Barbie was based on a ‘beautiful woman’. In real life people wanted to look like her, with the boobs, the legs…

The whole concept of Barbie was a most definitely sexualised.

I suppose it skis depends what someone’s definition of sexualised means. Mini crisp tops are all the range for teenagers now, some would say they aren’t appropriate but others would agree and say of course they’re fine….

Vile!

Not much different to Bratz dolls that used to be around tbf. No one ever said anything about them... that I can remember.

Saying that, I've never encouraged the lol trend with Dd. She loves her barbies!

Clearly I’m not a cool mum because I think the outfit on the right in particular is absolutely vile for a child’s toy.

I don’t have daughters so I’m not familiar with these dolls but I’m sure I’ve read that the makers of these LOL dolls have form for this - didn’t they create a range where you dipped the LOL doll in cold water and sexy lingerie appeared?

And they also manufactured Bratz dolls which came in for similar criticism.

I did laugh at tingly and clotted - and ducking bell has nearly finished me off

They are bloody awful and make me glad my DD is too old for dolls now.
She was into Monsters High and while some of the outfits and bodily proportions were a bit dubious they were certainly diverse and embraced differences

School uniform, on a doll that looked like Barbie who was clearly an adult woman? The problem with Barbie is not her outfit

The problem with Barbie is she was a beautiful woman that kids and women wanted to look like.

She was very obviously a woman so if she was flat chested and made to look more like a child it wouldn’t be an issue but of course a school uniform wouldn’t be appropriate- because she’s an adult

Gertrude, I think 'opposites' refers to the faux-innocent Lolita look of the doll on the left contrasted with the overtly available, rubber-fetish costume of the other one.

Can't ever recall or imagine a Ken doll all dressed up for pup-play in doggie mask and leash being marketed at boys. He'd have to be boxed on all fours...

This is marginally socially acceptable grooming of very young girls indeed to see their future selves in these dolls and aspire. I do think they are harmful. No wonder older girls feel pressured to conform or flee.

My DC had baby dolls first - DS and DDs; his was a Timmy with anatomically correct bits - and then there were soft Lilly dolls and DD2 had Madeleine dolls after she had her appendix out. We succumbed to Barbies eventually via gifts.

@FlibbertyGiblets

I did laugh at tingly and clotted - and ducking bell has nearly finished me off

I hate my phone 😂🤣

Previous commenters started the "fetish club" chat, so I'm responding, that's all. Just commenting that the comparison is misleading, inappropriate and ignorant. And used to confect a sense of alarm. That IS shameful.

Gertrude, I think 'opposites' refers to the faux-innocent Lolita look of the doll on the left contrasted with the overtly available, rubber-fetish costume of the other one.

Ah, of course - Madonna/whore. Because women and girls are one or the other!

Tbf the dolls op is taking about are vile and I’m glad my dd doesn’t play with dolls.

Yanbu, horrific. Peekaboo knickers on this doll

This is just my perspective and not based on any in-depth analysis, but I've noticed that there's more pearl-clutching about "hyper-sexual" designs when the toys are BAME or BAME-coded.

Or am I going to be accused of "racism-shaming women" now?

Just another example of the slow drip-drip of sexualisation that our children are being subjected to.

I get called a prude for saying it, but I don't care.

Oh wait, this baby looking thing has hotpants and fishnets.

These are all LOL Suprise dolls.

@TrueCrimeWave

What a depressing thread.

Let’s tell all girls that if they dress in XYZ they’ll look like “hookers” or as if they’re off to a “fetish club”.

How about “wear what you fucking like in your own time & to hell with judgemental pricks. They are only clothes”.

No little girl will look at these dolls and think “hooker”. It’s YOU teaching them that.

I agree. People here are projecting so hard they're going to blow a lightbulb.

If you look at a doll which has an adult body and an outfit covering 50% of her skin and you see it as sexualised, the problem is with you, not the doll.

If you don't want your child to play with dolls which have adult bodies, there are plenty of child dolls about. Having fun coloured hair or wearing make-up doesn't make you a sex object.

@Babdoc

Grooming. In plain sight. Brainwash your daughters to be compliant little sex dolls for the patriarchy. Is that really what you want them to identify with/aspire to?

My first thoughts were a man has something to do with this.

I remember a doll which was a baby with a dummies but it had fishnet tights and a leather short shirt and tank top. So wierd. definitely in pedophile territory.

I cropped out my favourite bit of fishtights baby advert

Hang out at the Club House after school - Play some sports, rock out, dance and just have fun!

Such fun.

Why do toy makers still do this? Barbie was bad enough. It was not just the image of a beautiful adult woman, but one who was completely out of proportion of a woman with a normal BMI.
This made Barbie already grotesque and it got even worse with Bratz Dolls.

It's the same sexualisation you see with a lot of anime characters and make no mistake about it, men do jerk off to these images. It's sick to give them to little girls and basically groom them for future predators and sexually abusive men.

@rainbowmash

This is just my perspective and not based on any in-depth analysis, but I've noticed that there's more pearl-clutching about "hyper-sexual" designs when the toys are BAME or BAME-coded.

Or am I going to be accused of "racism-shaming women" now?

The doll in question is white skinned. Her dress style is fetish gear of the sort (though I doubt you are old enough to remember) seen in the Bananarama 'Venus' video or Pierre et Gilles devil women. The other doll in the picture is dressed in a Japanese 'Lolita' style. If you were a bit older you'd probably be aware that there has been a lot of fuss ('pearl clutching', as you might put it) over the years about Barbie, given that she was inspired by the German sexy cartoon doll Bild-Lilli back in the 1950s. I'm also old enough to remember the complaints about My Little Pony's wedding dress. All were white-skinned toys, even the pony, but nice try.

Who buys their kids dolls that are wearing fishnets, PVC and dog collars though??

Grim.