Anti-MH Blog Post

[saply]

I definitely feel that she stole her own child's innocence here. Most young children around her daughter's age have no idea about sexualization or anything relating to it. However, once that knowledge is introduced, it can really jack them up depending on how you handle it. They may look at a character and think they want to look like her because she's pretty, which is exactly what they're designed to be. But I doubt they look at a doll wearing a mini-skirt and tank and think, "Wow, what a sexy girl. I want to look just like her to attract guys."

Exactly! I always wanted to be Jessica Rabbit when I was a kid just because I thought she was pretty. The overt sexualization pretty much flew completely over my head.

[CoverGoth]

Exactly! I always wanted to be Jessica Rabbit when I was a kid just because I thought she was pretty. The overt sexualization pretty much flew completely over my head.

Pfft, I STILL want to be Jessica Rabbit! "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way."

[ElusiveLily]

"Monster High stands for acceptance, understanding and tolerance."

You know, it probably wouldn't hurt for this woman to actually watch the episodes. She might learn something from them. While she doesn't like girls being taught that they have to wear skimpy clothes and be thin to be accepted, which is understandable, she's just turning around and teaching the exact opposite. Telling a woman she has to be chubby and wear homely looking clothing to be worth something is just as wrong and anti-feminist as saying a woman has to doll herself up. Either way, you're focusing on a woman's appearance and not the woman. 

[xeevee]

When I was younger I used to wear short skirts, and indeed roll my school uniform up so it was shorter.  I had nothing to do with wanting to attract attention, and everything to do with running with more freedom.  Oh yes, but I must have had something wrong with me though, my heart wasn't full... that's why I did it.

[dinobuzz]

I so wanted to leave my comments on that lady's blog but decided to refrain from doing so.....not to mention, I didn't want her to have my email address.....

[Rachel-Eyes]

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 :/

And see, this is what I think is really sad because she actually has some very good posts concerning bullying. As a victim of bullying myself, this is an issue that I really take to heart.

I just can hardly believe that someone who writes so passionately about accepting other people for who they are would go out of her way to install values in her kids that teaches them that some people are not real people because of the way that they dress. (Or the fact that they smoke, that they are skinny, that they aren't politicians, etc.)

[dinobuzz]

Wow...I briefly went through some of that blog's posts from that lady on other Mattel dolls, and she's on a "book burning" kick on any toy it seems....she pushed the ideas of MH or should I say, almost any other doll out there, as hooker, smoking, skinny dolls that are evil, onto her daughter. Then her daughter turns around and repeats the stuff to other adults and the mom praises her up & down and then tells the world about it. To me, she's judging the book by its cover.....it seems she hasn't even looked into depth, what the whole MH thing is about.... to me, that woman is pretty much thinking all Disney toys are evil (I may be exaggerating here).....

She spends a lot of time writing multiple articles to Mattel on how much she hates their products.....which she has a right to, but really, sounds like she has an indepth personal issue that she should deal with instead of brainwashing her kids. My take on it is, if your child is self assured/confident and knows right from wrong, a doll isn't gonna make them into rebels....really, why does a 6yr old need to know about sexualization or what a hooker is at that age? Sounds like the mom needs to prove to others what a good mom is and shows everyone when her little girl talks about dolls being inappropriate and all evil like. Kind of creepy IMO.

My daughter is the same age as the blogger's and in no way does my daughter see MH as what the lady is preaching. My daughter has her own thoughts and tells me that MH is about being unique, accepting others for who they are, how working together helps solve problems and how its good to be kind to others and not to be a bully. In no way have I planted anything into her mind that the dolls are inappropriate, look like hookers or are evil. The blogger's daughter's views are of her mother's and is just repeating what she's been told.

I usually don't bother with nonsense on blogs (IMO) but I feel that this woman is definitely judging the book by it's cover here and is not fully informed on what MH stands for.

[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 :/

And see, this is what I think is really sad because she actually has some very good posts concerning bullying. As a victim of bullying myself, this is an issue that I really take to heart.

I just can hardly believe that someone who writes so passionately about accepting other people for who they are would go out of her way to install values in her kids that teaches them that some people are not real people because of the way that they dress. (Or the fact that they smoke, that they are skinny, that they aren't politicians, etc.)

Yeah, exactly :/ I was reading through her blog and a lot of her non-doll/toy posts are actually very good and have some good arguments, but I just cannot defend someone who feels the need to rip apart anyone who isn't exactly like her.
Her essential thin-shaming bothers me especially; for quite a few people, being thin isn't a choice. My best friend is very athletic (was a cheerleader and gymnast in middle school and now takes dance), eats enough, and gets outside a lot, but she fits into size 0 (though she is a bit short, she'd probably be a few sizes bigger if she was taller like me xD). In any case, I hate it when people like that blogger try and imply that being thin is bad or not as good as being chubby, even when the thin person in question doesn't have any kind of eating disorder and is perfectly healthy :/

[octocorn]

After reading a few of her posts I feel like she absolutely hates my industry.  I do hair, and the salon I work for does some of these little girls princess parties she was railing against.  I've never seen children being held down and forced to have their faces covered in glitter or rhinestones, period.  She acts like a salon day is akin to child abuse.  I absolutely despise when people assume that people who work in the beauty industry are all idiots.

[Crowning_Glory13]

Sigh...I really wish people would let their kids be kids....I did not think of my body until I was in the 6th grade. My parents told me what was appropriate on how to dress and why...but other then letting me have Heman toys I was really free to be a kid...I wish kids have more of that. I can say yes MH has some interesting clothing that can be a little on the uneasy side for me to want to give to a young girl, but they also have some outfits that are neat and could see a child wanting to wear that and look really cool. I think it parents just talked to their kids more about the positives in them...and what make them a good and strong person...a toy wont sway them differently.

[Folly]

After reading a few of her posts I feel like she absolutely hates my industry.  I do hair, and the salon I work for does some of these little girls princess parties she was railing against.  I've never seen children being held down and forced to have their faces covered in glitter or rhinestones, period.  She acts like a salon day is akin to child abuse.  I absolutely despise when people assume that people who work in the beauty industry are all idiots.

I hate it when people assume any little girl getting a makeover is being forced into it by their parents :T I don't know about anyone else, but I LOVED being prettied up when I was little!  Plus it made for fun bonding time with my mom... seems kinda sad to discourage that kind of "fun girly time" :<  But you know... apparently the only way to have a full and happy heart is to put zero effort into your appearance!

[gustystarr]

 I have been reading this thred for a while and I have been wondering since when have dolls become a kids role model insted of there imganiary compianons? Oringally dolls were made for a child enjoyment not there role model simpley because they didn't come with they're own personailty the fun of it was to make up what they were and what they did and how they lived and to take them on pertend adventures. Now by that standred that means a kid is actully there own role model considering they made up there dolls world and suposevily wish to follow it. Give it now though most dolls come with there own set behavors and personaities which I think sort of ruins a bit of the imganieary part but still if as a kid you don't pertend your dolls "evil" by how shes dressed(what kid does that or thinks like that?) how can her doll set a bad example honesty?

 From what I've read none of the MH girls are really mean or drity to one another and there clothes are a bit qustionable but not to a six year old and I'm gonna hope not to many six year olds look up to there doll rather than there parents when they need a role model. I never went to my doll for advice on how to dress or how to act or what to do with my life. Really who does? "Oh and my biggest infuleance in life was my Clawdeen Wolf Monster High doll. I want to thank her for showing me how to dress and act." Really give me a break. There toys which many people grow out of in there teens anyways. And they bering back memories of good times and being a kid and such. Most six year olds would never even think of any doll as what that mom is telling her kid to think of them as. It's also sad that from the start she knew exactly what she was gonna have her child be and is problably not letting her choose what career choice she may like. I'm not even going to start there, I guess I just can't understand how she can be so hateful throws other woman and think there any lesser than her because of there sense of style or choice of work field. I almost reminds me of how back in the day woman who worked were looked down apon and I guess I just get really ticked at that sortof thing. Rant over, I'm going to step back a bit for now cause I feel much better getting it all out.

[dinobuzz]

I was thinking the same thing gustystar.....if a doll is your kid's role model, then maybe the parents need to take a closer look at themselves or whoever is in their lives....and I totally agree with that the blogger clogged the child's mind with unneccessary mature subjects that probably could be discussed probably at a more appropiate age.....adults need to let their kids be just that, kids!

[Rachel-Eyes]

Well, I guess dolls are in a teeny tiny way kind of like role models because they are representations of humans, so giving them characteristics can be like telling very, very little kids that "this is what a human does and you are a human."

But that's no different than a kid looking up to a cartoon character. When I was in preschool, I LOVED Bugs Bunny. I used to say that I was going to marry him. I just thought he was the coolest thing in the whole world. Does that mean that I still feel that way now? Well, not entirely. While he is still one of my favorite fictional characters (and still my favorite Looney Tune), I've grown up and learned that a cartoon character is not who I want to be. Even though the people at Warner Bros. took great care to make him solely a defensive character by making him only attack when provoked, I can see now how maybe he could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, and even more importantly I know that everything he does is a work of FICTION. Just like these dolls are.

Sometimes I will stop on a Looney Tunes block when I'm flipping stations and I see one on tv, or I'll go through a spell where I watch a lot of the old cartoons on Youtube. It makes me feel nostalgic for how much I used to love the cartoons when I was growing up, but I also understand how it has an adult appeal to. I kind of feel like girls who grew up playing with Monster High will sort of have the same idea... obviously we're all adults here and get how they charming they are as collectors dolls, but it will be something all the more special to the kids because they will have grown up with them.

I would be okay with a parent's stance against the dolls for a number of reasons, but she is transferring her hatred of high school bullies into harmless dolls and it really isn't healthy.

[TuxAndTails]

I just read her post "Perched". My gosh, this woman has problems. What, exactly, is wrong with some girls talking to a boy? Maybe they were a group of school friends and they were talking to him instead of each other because he was telling a story or a joke or something. And even if he wasn't and they were just "vying for his attention"... what's the issue? Girls that age often are interested in boys, it's not bad or horrible, it's just the way it is. And they were talking, not taking pictures of themselves making out to put on Instagram or something.
I feel so sorry for her kid xP When she's a teen her mom is most likely going to treat her like a boy.