You can't have Dora

I read a good article in the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend while having my Saturday morning tea. Mia Freedman asks the question what we mothers teach our young daughters when we buy tea sets, fairy outfits, mini kitchens, baby dolls complete with nappies, strollers etc. OR WORSE, Barbie dolls!!! (emphasis mine) How do we teach them to be strong, independent women? Any parent who has a daughter, like myself, finds themselves in this predicament at some point.

The article ends with thank god for Dora the Explorer- "she's short, squat" with "a no-nonsense haircut". Yep, Dora is currently a hero to millions of young girls, mainly pre schoolers. She dresses in a plain t-shirt and shorts, carries a utilitarian backpack with a map in it as she explores with her sidekick monkey friend.

A new Dora The Explorer doll was unveiled a few days ago. Apparently this new doll is supposed to appeal to the "tween" market (often the domain of those slutty Bratz dolls).

If my daughter was a tween, she would of course prefer an age-appropriate doll- and I would rather she had a tween Dora than a Bratz doll any day.
Check out these Bratz dolls!

A US federal judge had the good sense to ban toymaker MGA from making any more of the pouty-lipped, provocatively dressed dolls.
One point for womankind, zero to the marketing fatcats at toy companies.