At least Barbie has a job...

Before Christmas, my mother and I were in Target in the toy section. Being the wonderfully kind person that she is, my mother was looking for a present for a six year-old girl who visits her office for allergy shots. The little girl wanted a Bratz doll.

First, I was overwhelmed by the shear amount of pink in the aisle, but then, I noticed the dolls themselves. They look like 40 year-old women with an addiction to plastic surgery. They have huge faces, complete with huge eyes and lips, skimpy hair, and porn names like "Yasmin." Crazy. You can buy them dressed up like rockstars or punk girls--somewhere Kathleen Hanna is crying on the inside--or you can buy the male version of Bratz, appropriately named "Boyz Are Cool." But, the most distrubing Bratz item I saw was Chole and her mom. Geez Louise! It's basically the doll version of the Real Housewives of Orange County and their children. The mom looks about 20, as old as the daughter looks under all that make up, and both are decked out in short outfits that have matching cell phones. So, not only do little girls feel bad about themselves for not being able to look like these dolls, but moms can too! Guilt and Envy for the whole family!

I just kept repeating to my mother, "Chole and her mom!?" My mother argeed it was ridiculous, and added that she thought the Bratz dolls were ugly; nonetheless, she purchased the Bratz doll the six year-old requested. As we were leaving the ailse, I said, "At least Barbie has a job."