The Battle Between Bratz and Barbies

May 30, 2008

A legal battle has been waged between the makers of Barbie and Bratz dolls. Seventy four percent of lilsugar readers said that they would allow their daughters to play with the iconic Barbie despite her impossible curves and the fact that her feet have never been planted firmly on the ground. But, there's a newer doll in town that has done its best in recent years to put the plastic blond bombshell out of business — Bratz. Created by a former Mattel employee, the nine-inch Bratz come gussied up with smoky eye shadow and a whole lot of attitude. Do you think she's got what it takes to bury Barbie?

38 Comments

brielleblonde 4 years 50 weeks

my mom didn't let me play with barbie when i was little. and if anything it made my want to play with her MORE! buy american girl dolls, the historic ones, so you can read them the stories. i still have my felicity doll, well its packed up in my closet somewhere, but i plan on giving it to my future daughter one day.

brielleblonde 4 years 50 weeks

my mom didn't let me play with barbie when i was little. and if anything it made my want to play with her MORE!buy american girl dolls, the historic ones, so you can read them the stories. i still have my felicity doll, well its packed up in my closet somewhere, but i plan on giving it to my future daughter one day.

KathleenxCouture 4 years 50 weeks

I don't have Cable. We do have a big screen T.V. but only use it to watch movies or play video games. I don't have children yet but I do have young 13 year old siblings (they're fraternal triplets) one of which is a girl and my mom lets her play with Bratz dolls. I think these dolls as well as the modern kid-marketed media are contributing factors to girls wanting to look older than they are and act like they are all grown up at an early age when they should still be scraping their knees and playing pretend. I, personally, think the dolls are ugly and Sluttish and should not be marketed to easily influenced pre-teens but that's just me. I think as long as the girl understands that the bratz dolls are not a real life indicator of beauty and that she doesn't need to be like them then she should be okay.

Lisara 4 years 51 weeks

I don't allow my daughter, who is 5, to have Bratz. She does have Barbies, as Barbies, while disproportionate, don't look the part of a 5 dollar whore. Not exactly the example I want my daughter playing with.

LiLRuck44 4 years 51 weeks

Lickety I thought I would add that I hate TV as well. If it were up to me alone we wouldn't own one.

lorielness 4 years 51 weeks

i loved barbie when i was little, and it's not like i aspired to be her, though i can see where some girls may. but, barbie did a lot of things like become a doctor, vet, ballerina, etc. bratz just seems to be about oooooh look at muh boyfriend's g-ride. my lip gloooossssss. blah blah. they look like the cat lady.

debdebx3 4 years 51 weeks

I have always thought barbie was a great role model and the total opposite of bratz. Bratz are just so negative. Down with Bratz.

lickety split 4 years 51 weeks

my girls have tons of barbies, bratz, american girl dolls, my twinn dolls, loving family dolls, more dolls than i can count. they have clothes, shoes, a remote control bratz car, loving family mini van, dora doll house, loving family house. all kinds of this stuff. the bratz clothing isn't a favorite because the feet come off to change shoes and then get lost, and the arms have fabric that gets caught on their fingers. but they're just toys. my 7 year old likes bratz because of their HAIR. she wants think, long hair like they have. my 9 year old just likes the remote control car. and actually prefers american girl dolls or living family dolls. i have no problem with any of the dolls. i do have a problem with tv (which we don't have) and wonder how some of you that think bratz are so awful can allow your children to watch commercial television. when we visit my dad on vacation i'm always shocked at the commercials played during "family" television programs. women are protrayed as needing hair color, hair removal, make-up, work-outs, depends under garmets, anti-depressants and headache medicine just to deal with raising a family. talk about a bad messaage for little girls; "poor ugly, out of shape, pants wetting, mom needs some medication so she doesn't lose it". no thanks.

lickety split 4 years 51 weeks

my girls have tons of barbies, bratz, american girl dolls, my twinn dolls, loving family dolls, more dolls than i can count. they have clothes, shoes, a remote control bratz car, loving family mini van, dora doll house, loving family house. all kinds of this stuff. the bratz clothing isn't a favorite because the feet come off to change shoes and then get lost, and the arms have fabric that gets caught on their fingers. but they're just toys. my 7 year old likes bratz because of their HAIR. she wants think, long hair like they have. my 9 year old just likes the remote control car. and actually prefers american girl dolls or living family dolls.i have no problem with any of the dolls. i do have a problem with tv (which we don't have) and wonder how some of you that think bratz are so awful can allow your children to watch commercial television. when we visit my dad on vacation i'm always shocked at the commercials played during "family" television programs. women are protrayed as needing hair color, hair removal, make-up, work-outs, depends under garmets, anti-depressants and headache medicine just to deal with raising a family. talk about a bad messaage for little girls; "poor ugly, out of shape, pants wetting, mom needs some medication so she doesn't lose it". no thanks.

LiLRuck44 4 years 51 weeks

Bratz dolls are off-limits in my home. I don't even like for my daughter to SEE them on display anywhere, I get all nervous and itchy when she looks at them! We do have Barbies, they're not at the top of the list of favorites though.

Kimpossible 4 years 51 weeks

The biggest problem I have with Bratz dolls is their name. I wish they were called something else. My girls do not own anything "Bratz", but they do have some Barbies. They're not as into the Barbies as I was when I was growing up. The box of barbie stuff is rarely taken out to play with.

albeli 4 years 51 weeks

My 13yo never played with them, and neither will my 22mo. They're skanky and completely banned from our home.

POPSUGAR Beauty 4 years 51 weeks

I wouldn't buy Barbie or Bratz for my little girl.

k squared 4 years 51 weeks

Wow, you know, they're just dolls. I had Barbies growing up, and I didn't care anyway or how she looked, I thought she was just pretty and I could just dress her up any way I wanted. Kids don't think this deep, or maybe I didn't. Not every girl wants to be a Bratz doll or a Barbie girl when they grow up. Bratz dolls are just more popular nowadays because they look more modern, not to mention that heavily made-up, slutty girls are glamorized and idolized in our society. Last generation had the perfect-body Barbies, now we have the Bratz. If you all are so worried about the social/emotional consequences of these dolls, try getting them American Dolls or letting them get Build-a-bears or something. These dolls aren't the only ones on the market.

lovelipgloss 4 years 51 weeks

I can't stand the Bratz dolls. If I had children I would not allow them as toys.... hopefully they'll be gone before I have girls that want them.

KathleenxCouture 4 years 51 weeks

I HATE those slutty whorish Bratz dolls. At least Barbie's clothes and makeup are usually sensible.

HipMom 4 years 51 weeks

The Bratz dolls are pretty but I think they look too slutty and set a poor example. If people make such a big deal about Barbies, what about Bratz then? I do like the cartoon version but just as decoration on notebooks and t-shirts, I think it's ok. As for the companies, I think Mattel has just cause and the Bratz guy was a bit too cocky for my taste.

HipMom 4 years 51 weeks

The Bratz dolls are pretty but I think they look too slutty and set a poor example. If people make such a big deal about Barbies, what about Bratz then? I do like the cartoon version but just as decoration on notebooks and t-shirts, I think it's ok.As for the companies, I think Mattel has just cause and the Bratz guy was a bit too cocky for my taste.

kikidawn 4 years 51 weeks

My daughters will not have bratz dolls. To me they are disgusting and have way too much makeup on and wear slutty clothes. I had Barbies as child and I may consider that ok for my daughter.. not sure yet. To be truthful though when I was a child I played more with dolls, 'house', 'mom', and 'historical times' than with Barbies. I loved pretending like I lived in the Revolutionary time period, Civil war, Medieval Europe... oh I wish I could go back for a day and throw on all my dress-up clothes and forget all my worries. I loved my childhood... wow.. totally went down memory lane there!

kikidawn 4 years 51 weeks

My daughters will not have bratz dolls. To me they are disgusting and have way too much makeup on and wear slutty clothes. I had Barbies as child and I may consider that ok for my daughter.. not sure yet.To be truthful though when I was a child I played more with dolls, 'house', 'mom', and 'historical times' than with Barbies. I loved pretending like I lived in the Revolutionary time period, Civil war, Medieval Europe... oh I wish I could go back for a day and throw on all my dress-up clothes and forget all my worries. I loved my childhood...wow.. totally went down memory lane there!

abqmama 4 years 51 weeks

I agree with most of the other posts. I don't have a daughter, but if I did I would never let her play with the Bratz dolls. They really bother me how much makeup they have on and the clothes they wear. I think the most disturbing thing to me is that they are supposed to be young girls dressing like that. At least Barbie was obviously an adult, and she didn't have the crazy makeup and awful clothes that the Bratz dolls do. I had tons of Barbies growing up and I never once thought that that was what a woman should strive to look like.

faerymagick15 4 years 51 weeks

I played with Barbie growing up and so did my daughter. But the Bratz dolls freak me out. They honestly look like street walkers!! Too much makeup, freaky clothing. I just do not like them at all. I love that Barbie has so many jobs as dolls too. Its not just a fashion doll anymore. Everything from princess to bride to doctor/veterinarian, and mom!

kiwitwist 4 years 51 weeks

No Bratz for my daughter if I have one. That is a definite!

Isista 4 years 51 weeks

I hate Bratz dolls. Barbies are at least iconic, like others have said. And while they are disproportionate, Barbies don't have nearly as much painted on makeup as the Bratz dolls. The Bratz are annoying and I like the fact that you can actually dress Barbie dolls, as opposed to snapping plastic clothes on the Bratz.Then again, I was always a tomboy, and would rather have played with Transformers and Hot Wheels as opposed to either of these dolls.

Isista 4 years 51 weeks

I hate Bratz dolls. Barbies are at least iconic, like others have said. And while they are disproportionate, Barbies don't have nearly as much painted on makeup as the Bratz dolls. The Bratz are annoying and I like the fact that you can actually dress Barbie dolls, as opposed to snapping plastic clothes on the Bratz. Then again, I was always a tomboy, and would rather have played with Transformers and Hot Wheels as opposed to either of these dolls.

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