by Rachel Howells

Created on: January 03, 2010   Last Updated: October 01, 2011

Bratz dolls are weapons of mass degradation. They are terrorists against the development of integrity and self-esteem in young girls. Well meaning adults are unfortunately seduced into believing these manmade plastic creations are nothing more than innocent toys intended for child’s play.

It is often said that play is a child's work. If this is true, then what kind of work are Bratz dolls apprenticing young girls for exactly? It sees that there is something wrong when grossly exaggerated female sexuality is passed off as child’s play. Indeed, unless the goal is to tie self worth to sexuality, Bratz dolls are not appropriate for young girls and should be considered armed and dangerous.

The inappropriateness of these dolls for young, malleable minds should not be minimalized. No matter how indifferent people are over the influence of children's toys, the fact remains that the more a child is exposed to something, the more likely that child will grow up to emulate whatever that something is.

More often than not, abusive parents were once abused children and pedophiles were once victims of molestation. It is a frightening thought to imagine what lows a young girl who grows up playing with Bratz will eventually aspire to.

Bratz dolls are the porn stars, strippers and prostitutes of the Barbie aisle at the local Toys R Us. They possess all the features any nubile woman in the sex trade worth her g-string would want. The main danger of this tawdry image is that it is being marketed to impressionable young girls. These girls are already being raised in a highly sexualized environment without bringing it into their dollhouses.

Parents and educators have their hands full as it is trying to instill values and teach lessons that counteract the messages of popular culture. Educating girls against becoming the object of sexual objectification becomes more difficult when sexualization is glorified and packaged in girl-appealing glitz and glamour.

Subversive tactics to manipulate and lure young minds is nothing new because these tactics work. McDonalds uses Ronald McDonald, Hershey uses the supermarket checkout stand, and Captain Crunch uses Saturday morning cartoons. With an understanding of human psychology and a little pizzazz, marketers are quite adept at convincing the masses to even pay for things that are otherwise free - like a bottle of water or a bucket of dirt. 

In addition to coaxing people into buying things they do not need, marketing ploys can

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