Anti-MH Blog Post

[Lon-san]

I saw this shirt in her shop: http://www.pigtailpals.com/tharesomawat.html

Pfffft... yeah right.

Ugh, that redhead! That horrible, LUSTFUL ginger! Her skirt is so short they might as well be showing her no-no place and that shirt looks a little tight too! Her shoes are untied. It's like I always say: Loose laces-loose morals! And what is that violin for? To lure men in with her SIREN SONG???

[Yurusumaji]

Store's fault: Placing a doll intended for older children in an area where it is blatantly intended for younger children to find.

I'm still not understanding your thoughts on this. The dolls are toys and can be found in the dolls section with all of the other dolls. Toys are not separated by age group. They never have been, minus infant and toddler toys. Once you leave the Little Tikes section, everything is divvied up by whether it's marketed toward girls or boys and after that all of the similar toys are found together. Animal toys, LEGOs, character toys, dolls, etc.

I'm not sure where you think they should go. I'm not sure why dolls don't belong in the aisle full of dolls.

[dinobuzz]

IMO, in today's society, people are quick to blame someone else for things, whether it's a hot coffee that they just spilt on themselves from a coffee shop, a child wanting something thing that the parent thinks is inappropiate, or someone gaining wieght from eating at McD's often.....they blame the companies.....what about self control? They have the power to decide for themselves to engage in a behaviour or not.....they have the power to say 'no' to their child.....they need to take responsibilty for themselves....and to educate on products they buy (ie, mom's suing Nutella cause it's not as healthy as they thought and they fed it to their kids~ WT?).....

In regards to MH....would the parents have the same attitude towards the dolls if they read the books, & watched the shows? Do they know that MH is a partner in the "Kind Campaign"? They would see that they support individuality, accepting others for who they are and their differences which makes the unique.....and how these things are important in friendships and working together? The concept of MH goes beyond the fashion and skinny bodies.....maybe these parents need to look beyond the exterior of things and dig a little deeper within themselves.

As a parent, I fully support MH and think this whole monster thing totally rocks! I'm happy my daughter loves them and sees the characters beyond the clothes and waist lines. 

[Rachel-Eyes]

I saw this shirt in her shop: http://www.pigtailpals.com/tharesomawat.html

Pfffft... yeah right.

Ugh, that redhead! That horrible, LUSTFUL ginger! Her skirt is so short they might as well be showing her no-no place and that shirt looks a little tight too! Her shoes are untied. It's like I always say: Loose laces-loose morals! And what is that violin for? To lure men in with her SIREN SONG???

    I just about lost it at SIREN SONG.

I think the best part about fashion dolls is the fact that their characters are blank slates so when kids use their imaginations with them, they are being creative in their own way. A child's mind will not see a sex object unless someone puts it in their minds first. They will see a character, and often use it as a tool in roleplaying and working out real-life dilemmas. That's how I played with my Barbies... the dolls are irrelevant to my fashion because I've developed it on my own.

I DON'T wear makeup and I DO wear clothes that compliment my big hips, but still love showing cleavage and legs because I'm sorry, but I am in love with both my breasts and my legs. They are my favorite things about my body. I know how to keep it classy, but I also don't feel ashamed of the body that I was given. AAAAAND I'm a virgin. That's a personal choice, but it goes against everything this woman says about how I'm apparently a hooker just because I'm a young woman and I dress like one. In fact, it's very much offensive.

I just hope that this girl doesn't end up with self-esteem issues because of the unhealthy way body image is being taught.

[PandaBerryInSpace]

I think the best part about fashion dolls is the fact that their characters are blank slates so when kids use their imaginations with them, they are being creative in their own way. A child's mind will not see a sex object unless someone puts it in their minds first. They will see a character, and often use it as a tool in roleplaying and working out real-life dilemmas. That's how I played with my Barbies... the dolls are irrelevant to my fashion because I've developed it on my own.

This, so, so much! Bringing up my niece again, she likes playing stories with her dolls. One story involved a Clawdeen/Jackson/Draculaura love triangle. It was really funny and cute. Some of her other stories can be pretty silly, but she has a blast when she does it, and it's a really creative thing for her.

[Rachel-Eyes]

Your niece sounds really adorable, PandaBerry. Keep encouraging her to be creative. That's one of the most important things, I think, that a parent/relative/mentor can do for a child.

When I was little I used to like to play "adventure" or "survival" with my Barbies, and I could do that because of what they were. Even if they were wearing dresses during their adventures, there was no reason they couldn't do it. It was MY imagination. Barbie teaches girls that girls can be anything they set their minds to, hence the reason she has like 500 careers. Keep in mind that Barbie has been around since the late '50s and HAS SEEN the evolution of feminism. To send the message to girls that they can be beautiful AND successful no matter what they do is a pretty great point to make during the time they were first created. I respect Barbie so much for that.

When I got a little older (I quit playing with them around 13 or 14), I used to just recreate scenarios from school and I used them as a way to act out fantasies. I was bullied as a kid so I love Barbies for giving me a way to get revenge fantasies out in private where no one would get hurt. It was almost like healthy therapy for me. I even liked Bratz! I never had a problem with their clothes... I honestly didn't really see them as anything different. I guess I'm too liberal but meh, whatever. I even bought some of the Bratz pirates when I was 16 because I saw them in the store and just couldn't leave them behind.

[TuxAndTails]

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?

When her points involve calling me a hooker, and saying I'm worth less as a person then those who dress conservatively, I cannot take even her legitimate arguments seriously :/

I saw this shirt in her shop: http://www.pigtailpals.com/tharesomawat.html

Pfffft... yeah right.

Ugh, that redhead! That horrible, LUSTFUL ginger! Her skirt is so short they might as well be showing her no-no place and that shirt looks a little tight too! Her shoes are untied. It's like I always say: Loose laces-loose morals! And what is that violin for? To lure men in with her SIREN SONG???

I had to try so, so hard not to burst out laughing at that.

[barbgirl1999]

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?

When her points involve calling me a hooker, and saying I'm worth less as a person then those who dress conservatively, I cannot take even her legitimate arguments seriously :/

^THIS^  So much, this.  She lost her right to be taken seriously as having any type of legitimate point with me when she stooped to slander and name-calling not just the doll, but living people who don't dress the way she thinks they should.

It's one thing to disagree with the way a doll is dressed and not allow your child to play with it, but it's something completely different to teach your child that any woman who's wearing makeup, a skirt, and heels is a "slut" or a "whore."

[saply]

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?

I understand what you're saying, but her crusade seems to be against Mattel when that is actually more of a retailer problem.

EDIT: Ah yes, I see you've already touched on this My mistake.

For what it's worth, as a mom I DO think the plush girls and the artwork on the tshirts are adorable, and I would be proud of my daughter for wearing it, but for a shirt that proclaims "There's more than one way to be a girl", I find the omission of the many other ways touched upon in this thread a bit close-minded.

[LuvlyMelody]

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?

When her points involve calling me a hooker, and saying I'm worth less as a person then those who dress conservatively, I cannot take even her legitimate arguments seriously :/

^THIS^  So much, this.  She lost her right to be taken seriously as having any type of legitimate point with me when she stooped to slander and name-calling not just the doll, but living people who don't dress the way she thinks they should.

It's one thing to disagree with the way a doll is dressed and not allow your child to play with it, but it's something completely different to teach your child that any woman who's wearing makeup, a skirt, and heels is a "slut" or a "whore."

This. Couldn't have said it better myself .

[karin_h]

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.

As others have said, they are TOYS not collectibles. With this out of the way, shall we put them only on the top shelves with the barbies below them, and the Disney dolls very near the floor? Is this the correct arrangement?   It makes no sense whatsoever, kids will still see them, and it would just make it more annoying to look for the thing you want.
As a girl, I would not only check out every section of toys (barbies, bratz, ponies, etc) but I would also check all the aisles, yes even the puzzles and baby toys section so adding another aisle just for MH is quite ridiculous as well. Hell, I'm in college and my sister and I still check all the aisles when we can.

I have been refraining from posting anything related to this but damn, this woman really needs to get a reality check. Liking sparkly things doesn't make you a bad or a good person, an neither does what dolls you play with. I feel really sorry for her daughter. What kind of disturbed mind do you need to see a Care Bear as sexual? 

[justkitter]

I have to lighten the mood by saying, I wouldn't mind the MH dolls higher up on the shelves.  I'm too fat and old to be diggin' for dolls on the bottom shelf:)

[jupiternwndrlnd]

alright guys --- lets take it down a notch.


this woman is obviously very conservative. I for one got my 8 (now 9) year old into MH BECAUSE they focus on "being different is okay!" but not everyone feels that way.
and the debate of dolls being "over-sexualized" and badly disproportionate has been around since Barbie hit the market.
The Winx Club dolls have skimpy outfits. Tinkerbell has a skimpy outfit. Barbie has big boobs and a skinny waist. Bratz dolls have skimpy outfits and hooker-makeup. They are all in the same area of the toy department.

but guess what? 9 times out of 10 the dolls end up naked anyway. cause kids like to re-dress their dolls.
or in the case of my 9 year old, she like them to be in their "bathing suit" (which is really just the molded underpants) so they can do flips and dives off the coffee table into the pool (aka carpet)

I have to lighten the mood by saying, I wouldn't mind the MH dolls higher up on the shelves.  I'm too fat and old to be diggin' for dolls on the bottom shelf:)

LOL grzankitter I totally agree there! I perfer the hip or higher area....tho being a short girl I don't want them all the way up top either!

[Taxel]

Wait, what? MH needs to not be in the toy aisles because they're for older kids? That doesn't even make any sense.

No matter how many adults collect them, Monster High dolls are playline toys aimed at children. They are not marketed as collectibles or adult-only dolls. They BELONG in the toy aisle, because they're toys. In every store around here (Walmart, TRU, Target, Fred Meyer) the toys are all arranged in a similar fashion. Infant/toddler toys, boy aisles, and girl aisles. Within the aisles similar things are placed together. All of the dolls (Barbie, Liv, Monster High, etc) are generally grouped together on the same aisle. Like someone else said, the collector Barbies are right there next to the normal Barbies. Plushies (including things like Fur Real friends) are kept in the same area. Legos and lego knock-offs are kept in the same area. All of the board games are in the same area.

Not to mention MH takes up so much space in every store I've gone into (both here and back when I lived in California) its just not possible to hide them away. Why do they take up so much space? Because they make money and have a large variety of products. In the TRU here, MH takes up 1/3 of a long aisle with three shelves plus the hanging area. They have dolls, playsets, plushies, fashion packs, and clothing for kids. They have a TON of stuff, more than the other stores who all have smaller MH sections.
And I will say they're on a more "older kids" oriented aisle in TRU. They're with things like Hunger Games, Bieber, etc. toys/merch instead of on the same aisle as the Barbies like the Walmart here. So again, like others have said, stores vary.

If a parent cannot say no to their child or doesn't care enough to actually look at the toy their child is asking for, its the parent's fault if they buy something they deem "inappropriate" (either because of the child's age, small parts, they just dislike that type of toy/style of dress, etc). Not the toy company. Not the store. The parent.

[biologistkid]

I've said it multiple times before, and I'll say it again.

I don't agree with the woman's name-calling or slut-shaming.

I do agree that there are serious issues with the dolls, and we need to consider how we can best overcome these problems.

I'm not saying that my way is necessarily correct or even plausible. It was only a suggestion, nothing more. Everyone up-in-arms about it doesn't change that fact.

I'm more bothered by the fact that we're upset at this woman for calling names, and then we have people turning right around and doing the exact same thing to her.

That's all I have to say on the matter. Anything else you want to criticise about my point can be done via PM.