Bratz Dolls are Evil

So I read this article today. And I must admit I was actually glad there is proof (meaning published books) supporting what I've felt all along: Bratz Dolls are evil.

Before you think I'm being hyper-sensitive or melodramatic let me just say I am serious. Since when is it ok for little girls to watch a cartoon and play with dolls that dress like porn stars? Fishnets: check. Ginormous high heels: check. Mini skirts: check.

And some people thought Barbie was bad. Yeash.

Anyway, the article is actually really interesting. It points out that mainstream culture has been "pornified" (for lack of a better word) and that it is increasingly difficult to guard children against it. Pornographic images and themes have seeped into everyday life so much that - get this - in Florida a judge ruled that "a porn-site operator charged with racketeering and prostitution, could not be considered as behaving outside the societal norm."

The researchers of several books about the topic have found that middle-school and high-school kids who have been heavily influenced by these pornography based images and ideas actually endorse sexual stereotypes more strongly and have a misconception about what it means to be grown-up. They are confused about what is appropriate. (Not really a surprise, I guess). But still scary and sad.

It also pointed out that 70% of girls and 90% of boys aged 13 to 14 have accessed at least once (whether accidentally or not) sexually explicit content. Scary. And sad.

The American Psychological Association found that girls are being stripped of all their value except their sexual use - and that once they subscribe to that belief they begin to self-objectify. (Did you get that? We are no longer talking about men who objectify women, these girls are choosing to objectify themselves!). Consequences of this self-objectification include cognitive problems, depression, and eating disorders. Again, scary. And sad.

I'm just glad there is a wave of people in America that recognize there is a serious problem with the way sexual content and images have crept into everyday life. I hope enough people start listening and wake up to the damage it's doing to children and our society. And I really hope that as a society we choose to fix this problem.