Barbie Shows Bratz Dollz How to Drink In Style!

This just in from the Drug Free Alliance.

"Some parents may not be aware that Mattel is marketing a Barbie 2-in-1 Party Plane & Ship Playset that 'comes with all the amenities.' Along with the reclining seats, fold down table and laptop computer, this toy, marketed for 3- to 8-year olds, comes complete with martini glasses, bar stools and a disco scene portraying scantily clad dancers holding drinks!"

Those of you who've seen our power point presentation know we've been complaining about the Bratz party plane for a couple of years now. It has a "juice bar" and Bratz CEO Isaac Larian has expressed outrage that critics have said that his dolls come with alcoholic drinks. We asked, "Who is he kidding?" But now Barbie doesn't even call their drinks "juice"?

Is Barbie different though from Bratz? When we were girls, our Barbies had black sequined slinky gowns that we think were called her "nightclub" outfit. What we understood at the time, was that when we grew up we would go to nightclubs in beautiful sexy gowns. The point is, we understood Barbie to older than we were. And although Barbie presented a pretty one-dimensional view of what grown-up women did and what they are valued for, she still seemed to us to be grown up.

The Bratz dolls are teens and even look slightly pre-teen. So when they party and drink and go clubbing, they clearly suggests these activities to younger and younger girls. Barbie has been following suit, creating a My Scene Barbie who is more teen than grown-up. She's no longer the Barbie we knew -- in more ways than one. Instead of being a trend-setter, she's trying to one-up Bratz. In true wannabe fashion, she's pushing not just a party plane but also a ship! Not a juice bar but real drinks! And explicitly to 3 year olds. Who ever would have thought we'd be longing for Barbie to be, well, Barbie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgTWToOBbfw (YOUTUBE COMMERCIAL)

Comments

[Hurricane_Gia]

"When we were girls, our Barbies had black sequined slinky gowns that we think were called her "nightclub" outfit. What we understood at the time, was that when we grew up we would go to nightclubs in beautiful sexy gowns."

All this time, I thought that was an Opera Gown, and that when I grew up I would attend the Opera.

[sharonlamb]

WOnder if this reflects social class differences. Lyn and I were discussing that we didn't know what opera was yet! I thought a wonderful night out would mean going to a nightclub where there was a band and a singer and small round tables that people in Tuxes and Gowns sat at. And I'm sure a lot of that came from movies from the 40's and 50's --Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire, Some Like It Hot, etc. My parents never went to a nightclub OR the opera!

In both cases (opera or nightclub) it's really about our parents and what we imagine they might do in such a gown...that's really the point. It wasn't what WE would do...and even so, what would we have done then? Lyn points out she remembers driving Barbie around in her pink car all dressed up; not even sure we had a destination...probably another Barbie's house. That's what's so different with all the prefab play scenes reinforced by reality TV--girls have been completely inundated with the clubbing, dancing, bar, hot tub scenes and they know exactly what they'll do.

[KAY21]

Barbie is a loser that needs to retire, i love Bratz I'm so glad that they are destroying the Barbie empire. I'm 21 and i love Bratz