Anti-MH Blog Post

[biologistkid]

It isn't even AIMED at 6 year old girls, it has tiny tiny pieces, that get lost very easily.  It is aimed at older children, and even adults. 

That may be so, in theory, but at the stores these dolls are placed at the level of young children and among toys that actually are aimed at 6-year-old-girls. I always find Monster High on a hip-level shelf next to the Barbies, Bratz, and Liv - are we just supposed to walk by MH because it's 'not for their age group'?

The woman mentioned herself that if the dolls were successfully marketed to their target audience, she wouldn't fight so hard about the problem, but stores label the dolls for "8-11" or "6-12" or "young as 4" etc. and then place them in areas where very young girls are going to see them and be exposed to them.

It would be like playing an aggressive, violent cartoon in the middle of the day during children's programming and saying "Well, it was never intended for kids." Then don't place it amongst the children's things, and we can minimize that problem.

[Vertefae]

It isn't even AIMED at 6 year old girls, it has tiny tiny pieces, that get lost very easily.  It is aimed at older children, and even adults. 

That may be so, in theory, but at the stores these dolls are placed at the level of young children and among toys that actually are aimed at 6-year-old-girls. I always find Monster High on a hip-level shelf next to the Barbies, Bratz, and Liv - are we just supposed to walk by MH because it's 'not for their age group'?

The woman mentioned herself that if the dolls were successfully marketed to their target audience, she wouldn't fight so hard about the problem, but stores label the dolls for "8-11" or "6-12" or "young as 4" etc. and then place them in areas where very young girls are going to see them and be exposed to them.

It would be like playing an aggressive, violent cartoon in the middle of the day during children's programming and saying "Well, it was never intended for kids." Then don't place it amongst the children's things, and we can minimize that problem.

They're toys! They're in the TOY department. In fact every single section of toys has a section that goes from the top of the shelves to the bottom. Where would you like them? *shakes head*

[barbgirl1999]

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They're toys! They're in the TOY department. In fact every single section of toys has a section that goes from the top of the shelves to the bottom. Where would you like them? *shakes head*

Yeah, this...I really have no opinion on the blog, but trying to separate the dolls by age group would just be ridiculous.  I mean, there are $80 collectible Barbies on the shelf right next to "Happy Pink Bubblegum Princess Bathtime Fairy Barbie" and nobody complains.  Eventhough the collector's Barbies are obviously not meant for the same age bracket. 

If the woman doesn't want her 6 year old to play with MH, that's her business, and she can rant and rave on the internet all she wants.  But I don't think they're necessarily "too mature" for a 6 year old.  Most kids that age would never even THINK that the dolls are "too sexualized" or whatever...they just don't think like that until the adults in the world warp their little minds.  They just see them as a colorful, DIFFERENT alternative to all the cookie-cutter dolls out there. 

Heaven forbid the woman have to raise her child and just say "No" when she asks for something that she doesn't think is appropriate.   

[xeevee]

Yes, kids will ask for things not aimed for them. My son is six, he wants real swords.  I shall blame the people who make swords shall I?  Sometimes you have to say no to kids.  That mum could have said "Sorry, but that doll is meant for older kids, when you're older if you still want them I shall buy them for you, in the mean time lets see what other monster dolls are out that might be better for you."  When my son asks for something dangerous I say something similar.  She doesn't have to say that women who dress like that are mentally unstable, which is basically what she said. 

[biologistkid]

It isn't even AIMED at 6 year old girls, it has tiny tiny pieces, that get lost very easily.  It is aimed at older children, and even adults. 

That may be so, in theory, but at the stores these dolls are placed at the level of young children and among toys that actually are aimed at 6-year-old-girls. I always find Monster High on a hip-level shelf next to the Barbies, Bratz, and Liv - are we just supposed to walk by MH because it's 'not for their age group'?

The woman mentioned herself that if the dolls were successfully marketed to their target audience, she wouldn't fight so hard about the problem, but stores label the dolls for "8-11" or "6-12" or "young as 4" etc. and then place them in areas where very young girls are going to see them and be exposed to them.

It would be like playing an aggressive, violent cartoon in the middle of the day during children's programming and saying "Well, it was never intended for kids." Then don't place it amongst the children's things, and we can minimize that problem.

They're toys! They're in the TOY department. In fact every single section of toys has a section that goes from the top of the shelves to the bottom. Where would you like them? *shakes head*

You could start by putting them on a higher shelf.

I'm not asking that they put them on lockdown, and other people who have problems with these dolls aren't, either.

But do not claim they "aren't for little girls" if that's the eye level you will put them on.

As for "just saying no" (as has been mentioned) - that would be a plan of action if it happened consistently. But we have no idea how other parents are going to control their children, or whether children are going to come here with their own allowance funds, etc. All we can do is, if the dolls aren't for that age group, minimize exposure to that age group.

How hard would it be to put the dolls with, say, the collectibles?

[Yurusumaji]

Yes, kids will ask for things not aimed for them. My son is six, he wants real swords.  I shall blame the people who make swords shall I?  Sometimes you have to say no to kids.  That mum could have said "Sorry, but that doll is meant for older kids, when you're older if you still want them I shall buy them for you, in the mean time lets see what other monster dolls are out that might be better for you."  When my son asks for something dangerous I say something similar.  She doesn't have to say that women who dress like that are mentally unstable, which is basically what she said.

But if she doesn't piss and moan about it, who on Earth will buy the crap she sells?

[Vertefae]

It isn't even AIMED at 6 year old girls, it has tiny tiny pieces, that get lost very easily.  It is aimed at older children, and even adults. 

That may be so, in theory, but at the stores these dolls are placed at the level of young children and among toys that actually are aimed at 6-year-old-girls. I always find Monster High on a hip-level shelf next to the Barbies, Bratz, and Liv - are we just supposed to walk by MH because it's 'not for their age group'?

The woman mentioned herself that if the dolls were successfully marketed to their target audience, she wouldn't fight so hard about the problem, but stores label the dolls for "8-11" or "6-12" or "young as 4" etc. and then place them in areas where very young girls are going to see them and be exposed to them.

It would be like playing an aggressive, violent cartoon in the middle of the day during children's programming and saying "Well, it was never intended for kids." Then don't place it amongst the children's things, and we can minimize that problem.

They're toys! They're in the TOY department. In fact every single section of toys has a section that goes from the top of the shelves to the bottom. Where would you like them? *shakes head*

You could start by putting them on a higher shelf.

I'm not asking that they put them on lockdown, and other people who have problems with these dolls aren't, either.

But do not claim they "aren't for little girls" if that's the eye level you will put them on.

As for "just saying no" (as has been mentioned) - that would be a plan of action if it happened consistently. But we have no idea how other parents are going to control their children, or whether children are going to come here with their own allowance funds, etc. All we can do is, if the dolls aren't for that age group, minimize exposure to that age group.

How hard would it be to put the dolls with, say, the collectibles?

Um what collectibles? You do realize these are toys, meant for kids and sold at mainstream stores worldwide? Shall WalMart put up a special display for them in the jewelry department? Or maybe locked away with the hunting rifles?

[Yurusumaji]

As for "just saying no" (as has been mentioned) - that would be a plan of action if it happened consistently. But we have no idea how other parents are going to control their children, or whether children are going to come here with their own allowance funds, etc. All we can do is, if the dolls aren't for that age group, minimize exposure to that age group.

If "just saying no" does not happen consistently, then that is the fault of the parent. It has nothing to do with Mattel or the store that is putting Mattel's product on their shelves. They are a business and they are there to make money. They do not give a crap about anyone's moral compass and therefore they will do what they think they should do to increase sales as much as possible. That's the whole point. While they legally have to put age limits on their packaging, it comes down to the fact that the company does not care even the littlest bit which age group is getting their toys at any given time. They only care about the sale.

It is up to parents and consumers in general to be educated about what's out there and to have a plan of action when they feel they have to say no to something that their child wants. If you're expecting any company to operate on a moral compass and not a purely capitalist objective, you are quite mistaken about what business is like. Responsibility has always and will always lie with the parent.

[biologistkid]

If "just saying no" does not happen consistently, then that is the fault of the parent. It has nothing to do with Mattel or the store that is putting Mattel's product on their shelves. They are a business and they are there to make money. They do not give a crap about anyone's moral compass and therefore they will do what they think they should do to increase sales as much as possible. That's the whole point. While they legally have to put age limits on their packaging, it comes down to the fact that the company does not care even the littlest bit which age group is getting their toys at any given time. They only care about the sale.

It is up to parents and consumers in general to be educated about what's out there and to have a plan of action when they feel they have to say no to something that their child wants. If you're expecting any company to operate on a moral compass and not a purely capitalist objective, you are quite mistaken about what business is like. Responsibility has always and will always lie with the parent.

Yes, it is up to parents to be educated. No, people will not always do this. I am not asking for someone to slap parents on the wrist when they go to buy these dolls. I already know that companies care more about the bottom line, which is the entire problem, that because they care more about the bottom line, they won't place the dolls on a higher shelf or consider the repercussions of their designs and ideology.

Am I being a little bit idealistic in my hopes? Certainly. And I understand this (judging by the controversy I seem to have brewed up).

And if not-saying-no is the fault of the parent -- yes, I agree with that. But just as a more extreme example, that would mean that we should take off regulations of other items because, "If the parent didn't say no, that's their fault." We put items in certain places, and we put restrictions on purchases of certain items, for the safety of the children.

Video games not intended for young children are labelled as such, so parents can be educated. I don't understand what's so hard about considering moving the dolls to an area for items intended for older children, so that parents could make the association themselves.

Um what collectibles? You do realize these are toys, meant for kids and sold at mainstream stores worldwide? Shall WalMart put up a special display for them in the jewelry department? Or maybe locked away with the hunting rifles?

Um, wow, that's a little extreme. I'm not asking for the dolls to be locked up, or for identification for purchase, or for parents to be slapped on the wrist for buying them.

You could put them on a higher shelf, like I said. All I am saying is, if you're going to claim the dolls are for an older age group, put them somewhere where the older age group will be looking for them. Not in the area small children are looking for them.

And even Meijer has a separate aisle for collectibles (ie, baseball cards and figurines) so... I am not sure how hard that would be to move the dolls to.

[barbgirl1999]

Um what collectibles? You do realize these are toys, meant for kids and sold at mainstream stores worldwide? Shall WalMart put up a special display for them in the jewelry department? Or maybe locked away with the hunting rifles?

Not gonna lie...I LOLd.  The idea of locking the MH dolls away or moving them to another section of the store is just ridiculous to me.  What's next?  We move the LaDeeDas away because they too are wearing short skirts and too much makeup.  Move the Lalaloppsy dolls to the Horror Movie section because the button eyes freak out my delicate sensibilities. 

As far as I'm aware there is no spot for "collectibles" in a Love's truckstop, or a RiteAid...and these dolls aren't marketed to be "collectibles" so even if there were, it wouldn't make any sense. 

If we move everything that's not marketed towards them out of line of sight for small children, the world is going to become very tall and very inconvenient.  In my WalMart, the beer cooler is on the same aisle as the water/softdrinks/juice, so does that mean now we have to stock the beer only on the top two shelves of the cooler and fill the bottom half with Capri Sun and lunchables?

[biologistkid]

Not gonna lie...I LOLd.  The idea of locking the MH dolls away or moving them to another section of the store is just ridiculous to me.  What's next?  We move the LaDeeDas away because they too are wearing short skirts and too much makeup.  Move the Lalaloppsy dolls to the Horror Movie section because the button eyes freak out my delicate sensibilities. 

Moving them to another aisle within the toy section is 'ridiculous' ?

[dinobuzz]

My 7yr old daughter has been playing with MH since they've come out and this is her intake on them:

"I love Monster High because everyone accepts others for who they are and it is good to be different....it would be boring if we were all the same."

As for the bratz....a few years ago, my daughter had a few and liked watching some of the movies..... she paid more attention to their friendships and how they worked together in solving whatever the problem was on the show/movie than how they dressed.

I guess if a parent makes a big a deal on things like the sexuality of a doll, then the child will pay more attention to that aspect? I don't know....I never made it an issue and I'm proud of how she views things in life....like, it's what's on the inside that counts! She actually promotes everyone to be different and one way to be a good friend is to accept others for who they are.

[Yurusumaji]

I always see MH on a top shelf, so maybe it's just your area? Part of the problem here is that MH can't be any higher than it already is, due to the fact that it needs space above the shelf for the things that stores need to hang up. The aisle dividers only go so high, but I have always seen the dolls on a shelf between my waist and chest so that they can sit as high as possible while still leaving room for the accessory packs and other MH things you find with them. I'm only 5' 3", but it doesn't seem terribly low to me.

Video games are rated certain ways because of violence that cannot inherently be seen at the time of purchase. The rating is there to warn parents about the unknown. Since you can clearly see the Monster High doll and all of their accessories right then and there, parents are expected to look at it closely and make a decision based on first glance.

First glance is going to cover what parents need to know about MH to make a fairly educated decision, but first glance at a video game is not going to do this. That is why the rating system is there, so parents can make an educated decision on the fly when their kid "HAS to have this game!". Then it comes down to, "Sorry kiddo, but this game is rated M for Mature. You're not quite there yet, so let's find something similar that you can enjoy."

When your kid goes to the Monster High section and they "HAVE to have this doll right meow!", you need to be the one to look at it closely and decide whether or not your child should be playing with it. "Sorry kiddo, but this doll is for older kids. See? Right here on the box it says 8-12. Are you 8-12? Let's find something similar you can enjoy until you're old enough for that doll."

It really doesn't matter where MH ends up anyway. They are a very easy section to find due to their uniquely dark packaging and the fact that every store's MH section is pretty darn big! So whether it's higher or lower, the kid is going to notice them. There's also the friends to consider. If the kid's friends have Monster High dolls, a couple of things are going to happen. One, exposure. They'll play with the dolls, whether you like it or not. Two, desire. When you're a kid and your friends have something they love, it makes you want to have one too. These are things parents need to prepare themselves for.

The fact is that the dolls are at the front of the toy aisle where the other dolls are. There's no better place to put them. Trust a retailer to know what she's talking about. These dolls are not collectibles. They are not made to be collectibles and they are not marketed to be collectibles. Therefore, they do not belong in the collectibles section. They are dolls and they belong in the dolls section, with all of the other dolls.

[Alicat]

Not gonna lie...I LOLd.  The idea of locking the MH dolls away or moving them to another section of the store is just ridiculous to me.  What's next?  We move the LaDeeDas away because they too are wearing short skirts and too much makeup.  Move the Lalaloppsy dolls to the Horror Movie section because the button eyes freak out my delicate sensibilities. 

Moving them to another aisle within the toy section is 'ridiculous' ?

Ummm, we have to blame Wal-mart, Kmart, and any other store for this. It is in NO WAY MAttell's fault how the stores merchandise their product. Speaking as a merchandiser of a decade, this should be pointed at the stores.  They determine the resets, shelf height, colorful ads, signs, and what target age they are working toward. ( As evidenced by stated wide variable age rage). Mattell may purchase a set amount of shelving, but they cannot control where the dolls go. I have seen a variant   on this as well. Form floor to top shelf in most stores, so how can you say they are at hip-height?  So, yeah....
 

[biologistkid]

Having worked in retail as well, I don't feel throwing around that I don't understand business is helping the situation any.

I'm not saying it's Mattel's fault where the dolls are placed.

Mattel's fault: The doll's body shape, clothing, and messages sent.
Store's fault: Placing a doll intended for older children in an area where it is blatantly intended for younger children to find.
Parents' fault: Buying a doll for a child too young for said doll.

The woman in the original blog post has, at the core of her argument, very good points --- but her extreme measures (lying, slut-shaming) are what turns me off to her. If writing blog posts about the problem gets people to think about it, maybe sometime in the future there will be change.

Of course, the almighty dollar seems to win out over girls' self-esteem, so I doubt things are changing any time soon.

How can we expect parents to be educated on the effects of these sorts of toys if, every time someone makes a point to say something about it, we ignore the legitimate parts of their argument and instead tear apart everything else?