Mattel’s Barbie never had her own kids, but the toy company isn’t opposed to procreation. In fact, it has now envisioned girl offspring from well-known supernatural figures–and molded them into doll form.
Deliberately scheduling the official launch of Monster High on Friday, Aug. 13, Mattel has unleashed a next-generation team of progeny from media icons Frankenstein (Frankie Stein), Dracula (Draculaura), The Werewolf (Clawdeen Wolf), The Mummy (Cleo de Nile) and a Zombie (Ghoulia Yelps). They’re all daughters, from a patrilineal line, with the exception of the sole boy character, Deuce Gorgon, son of Medusa. Of course, there were never as many woman monsters available to reproduce (Bride of Frankenstein?).
With the tagline “freaky just got fabulous,” the Monster High characters seem a mashup of Addams Family quirkiness and the new zeal for vampires and werewolves (think Twilight). As an advertising reporter pointed out, marketers seek to bridge the generational divide between adult fans of these characters and their kids.
Poised to inundate the teen and tween set with what has been called the biggest brand launch in Mattel’s history, there will be no escaping the gaggle of monstrous pals. There is already a YouTube channel in motion, a clothing line at the chain store Justice, Halloween costumes lined up through PartyCity, a series of books authored by YA superstar Lisi Harrison to be released Sept. 1, and a movie in the works with Universal Pictures. Mattel has called on well-known music video directors, choreographers and producers, as well as American Idol Allison Iraheta, who is slated to create music for an animated special debuting this fall.
Tim Kiplin, general manager for Mattel, said, “There’s a universal truth behind Monster High. Who doesn’t feel like a freak in high school?”
It’s clear that the new brand is eager to tap into girls’ desire for escape from ordinary boundaries. It’s a good premise, and certainly one with potential to deliver a subtext about “normalizing” difference and accepting a wider range of identities.
But, unfortunately, the Monster High line of dolls does exactly the opposite. The five main girl characters debut with high-heeled platform shoes, nipped waists and hyperfeminine long hair. This is what the next generation looks like, even for monster spawn?”
While Clawdeen Wolf admits her “freaky flaw” is hair that is “worthy of a shampoo commercial, and that’s just what grows on my legs,” she follows this up with, “Plucking and shaving is definitely a fulltime job, but that’s a small price to pay for being scarily fabulous.” Her favorite activity? “Shopping and flirting with the boys!”
Cleo de Nile exudes a sense of royal entitlement, not only due to her Egyptian ancestry but also because she is “captain of the fearleading squad.” Although her mean-girl streak is often curbed, sure enough the hot (and only) guy, Deuce Gorgon, is her boyfriend.
Nerd girl Ghoulia Yelps comes complete with horn-rimmed “nerd glasses,” and her pet is an owl (“Sir Hoots A Lot”).
In the YouTube webisode “Cyrano de Ghoulia,” the clique fits her with an earpiece and coaches her from afar as she meets up with her crush, seeking to “improve” her Zombie speech and manners–although her own unique speech and habits win over the guy in the end. In “Clawditions” the girls foil one another through auditions as they compete for a role in the school play. When Frankie Stein realizes she’s sprouted a pimple in “Bad Zituation” (from eating the sugar eyeballs dispensed by the vending machine), Cleo de Nile quickly whips out her cell phone and in a classic act of social aggression emails a snap to everyone. Frankie runs from the hallway into the girls’ bathroom, where her friends offer a paper bag for her head. She thanks them for standing by her, but the video ends with Cleo’s face covered in spots and Frankie innocently asking if she’s tried the new eyeballs.
Deliberately spawned for a current generation of girls, the repackaged stereotypes of Monster High offers nothing new. The series has the potential to use its supernatural characters to comment on the pressures of fitting in. But recycling themes about popularity, fashion, competition within cliques, appealing to the opposite sex and stylized femininity/sexiness is a disappointment. Telling girls that these values remain constant for women–even those of supernatural species–not only misses a creative opportunity but, more confusingly, reinforces the stranglehold of expectations that this series supposedly wants to subvert.
Above: Photo of Monster High characters. Used with permission from Mattel.
They’re just dolls!!!!! Its not like kids are gonna turn out like them. Dolls are used for creativity for the child mind not for stupid stuff like that all I gotta say is that they’re way better than barbie!!
Really? Girls nowadays want boob jobs, thin waistlines, long legs, long hair, and pout lips. That sounds like Barbie. I understand consciously we all grew up with Barbie, and most of us turned out okay, but, again, a lot of us didn’t. Should dolls be a thing of the past? No, but it’d be nice to see other options other than the hyper-sexualized, hyper-stereotyped doll lines we see nowadays. This isn’t creative at all, it’s Bratz and Twilight combined. Whoah.
It frightens me, to know that there are people out there that blame dolls for their own short comings as parents my child will know where she stands always and will know that dolls don’t create your life you do. And some of you parents need to be able to tell your children no and punish them for their actions and not say (well if those doll’s Were not around it wouldn’t be an issue) wrong the problem isn’t the show or these doll”s its the parenting skills of those who lack them!!!! And for you to act like you never got embarrassed by a pimple or something similar than you are a liar. to be concerned with ones own image is just human nature.
WRONG. If we are trying to make a better world for girls then we need to get rid of the stereotypes that hold us all back and yes that includes the dolls we buy for our children. Maybe YOU won’t buy them but someone else will and its just bad messaging for girls AND boys. We do not want to perpetuate or validate these stereotypes! It’s time they were put to rest. There are a few good confidence boosting toys for girls out there thank goodness but there needs to be more. It’s not that the dolls alone can make you grow up and turn out a certain way, it’s that this is just one aspect shaping your perspective about yourself and society. It gets reinforced with other things as you get older as well in the movies you watch, tv, fashion etc. until you “accept” these stereotypes as normal and they are NOT so we need to stop them from getting into girl’s minds from the start.
Well, I don’t think the dolls are to blame either, I grow up playing with Barbies and now I am a proud doll collector (from Monster high to Pullips or BJD) and I’m the most feminist woman you’ll ever find…Sometimes I’m even mocked because of being so “radical” as they say (I’m not radical, they just don’t wanna accept how they act sexist).
While it’s true that dolls perpetuate sexist estereotypes, it’s also true that dolls DON’T educate children, girls in this case. A parent, should talk to his/her daughter about this topic and teach her that dolls can be wrong and to think for herself and also should encourage her to discover more games than those “for girls”. But that doesn’t mean she can’t play girlish games, that’s silly.
If you do this, believe me dolls and other games won’t be a problem, no matter how sexist they are your children won’t be like that. In fact,as they are so full of stereotypes you can use them to point out the mistakes to your children
Thou I agree, while there should be no problem on a child’s education, it’s also sad how all dolls intended for little girls are perpetuating sexism
(The ones intended for collectors isn’t as estereotyped as the ones made for girls to play with)
disser.if you hate alot of 12 yr old toys and 3 yr old toys,well then you aint fun.
Do you really think that they want to be like that? It is not dolls but peer pressure that drives girls to be skinny and such. Not cartoons. Tell me one person that wishes to be barbie. Well they may say yes I want to be barbie but not the skinny waist big boobs part. But the adventure seeking magic filled land part. Its the media that affects them not dolls or cartoons
I’m fourteen and play with these dolls. I have short hair and I could care less how skinny or fat I am. How pretty or ugly I am. I play with dolls to spark my imagination while I still have one. So, as long as your raised correctly by the right parent,you’ll be fine no matter what kind of dolls you play with.
Exactly! People shouldn’t be so uptight about the way these dolls dress; Mattel doesn’t want to brainwash girls to dress like this, because it’s already how most girls dress! And it must be thought of from this viewpoint: If you’re going to demonize dolls for girls’ obsession with their bodies and how people think about them, then your probably better off just demonizing Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus for the way that they act up on stage. And then it’s grown women–dressing provactively, shaving and tweezing the hair off their legs, arms, face and such while obessing over how they need to lose a couple of pounds–that really set the example. So don’t people shouldn’t whine and complain, because the way the dolls act in the series was relevant 30 and 40 years ago, and it’s still relevant today.
Also there is not only one boy doll there is also clawd wolf holt Hyde Jackson Jekyll and Heath.
they are just dolls my daughter has been into them for 2 years they are cute and neat looking the only crime in them is that my pocket book is empty at Christmas time and birthdays lol wish they were a little cheaper and easier to come by my daughter wears the clothes with the monster highs on them and they are not provocative or anything k mart has them and well appropriate for an 8 yr. old there will always be something new these are cool looking we grew up watching Frankenstein Cleopatra and ware-wolfs and Dracula and now our kids will grow up with theirs smart move for Mattel i think and its not the same old lame barbies everyone has had for years i have bought a lot of them for my about to be 8 year old and she loves them my nieces are 5 and 6 and they have them too they got started after my daughter so instead of not knowing what your kids want now i know and i love to shop for them and surprise them instead of giving them a gift card the easy way out she hasn’t been disappointed yet and there’s always a new one the only issue i have is the cupid doll that was advertised by walmart never being at walmart for sale that was crappy of walmart and i think they should have to re offer it to customers
You are so right. Why do people try to read something into everything. They are
dolls!!!
I work in retail, and since these dolls have been in stock, I seen tween girls (In tight, little shirts, miniskirts, and “purses”) wanting these toys so badly. I took a look at the collection we have, and I was disappointed to see more big, pouty lips, tiny waists, caked on makeup, and like this article points out, very stereotypical roles that came out of these dolls. The overall stereotypes and sheer look of these dolls very much overwhelmed the idea that being different in school is alright.
So What!!! I’m MH collector, MH retailer and mom of 5 year old who obsessed with MH. This dolls were created for teenage auditory but unforturnally teenagers in US don’t pay for them much attention like elementary school age meanwhile when in Europe and Russia they are teens most favorite doll. Why? And my 5 year old doesn’t know that sexuality means at all but she loves fashion. I always was a freak at school. And that what i love about mh teaching to be yourself. My 5 year old love make up so what i [paint her nails and i bought her lip gloss.This is a game. That is adults perverted consciousnesses thinking sexually so much thinking that kids think same way. They are innocent. They don’t have those thoughts. Mh teaches friendship, school roles and a lot of good stuff. That what children see. MH FOREVER!!!!
ok why is everyboby being so rude about monster high dolls its not like nobody likes them trying to say is that dont make fun of people who like bit just like me because i am insaying about monster high i am going to get well tomorrow i am getting a monster high abbey bonerbull doll at justice my mom said to wite a book i mean write a book so ya so dont be mean thums up if you have seen me on monswter high movies or stuff andmy name is tara anyways thums up if you like this comment !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! monster high is number one ya
You’re mistaking criticism for rudeness. Aside from that, it’s very difficult to gather from your incoherent, unpunctuated “sentence” structure just what you’re saying.
Don’t feed the trolls, honey.
JJ I want to like your comment. Classic. The post above with the incoherent rant seems like it was posted by an adult trying to write like a child ??? I’m pretty sure children are far more intelligent than that.
Yes us children are accutally quiet smater lol. There is nothing wrong with these dolls i have 24 of them they are sooooo prettyim in middle skool and i play with dolls nothings wrong with it. These dolls are better than barbie because who wants to see a doll with a teenishly outfit when the doll is ment for 5plus monster high the outfits are CUTE! I lovee monster high! Always will!:)
Thank you they aint that is y we aren’t dumb enough to copy stuff and we enjoy monster high by the way my name is destiny I’m 10
Dear JJ.that is a death on Skyrim feeding the trolls.Did you watch Machinima’s 100 ways to die on skyrim part 1 and 2.You know give them a pile of carrots and they kill you,very rude of the trolls but its very funny like don’t teabag a troll what ever teabagging is and death #47 is a dragon landing on you and #21 is a giant chicken trampling you.#24 is having dance party with hagravins,#55 is thinking a dragon is a Pokemon.#51 playing tag with a werewolf.Skyrim is fun.
I love monster high. I even created a new charector Viky ( Icky ) Pertrowski. Frankie Stein’s cousin! She’s half Frankenstein and half Vo-do doll creator.( She even made herself from extra electricy left in her aunt and uncles lab ) ( Frankie’s parents)So I am gonna say somethin: you rock goul friend and if you write a book I want in!Plus I want you to add my charector ( she has red classes just like goulias but upside down and wears fluffy red slippers most of the time from goulias sleepover)An can you wish me luck on presenting my toys to Mattel! Bye! ( my name is my username for monster high )
Are you talking to monster high obsessed,sydny,or anonymous at the bottom of this page because they’re all me.either way cool.
i agree with u 100% i love monster high. im obbsessed and you dont see me walkin around in tiny skirts and sports bras. i wear skinny jeans and regular t shirts that are the right size. i just like to collect mh and play with them, and “ms.magizine,” if you dont have anything good to say, than dont say a peep. you should just just keep ur mouth closed and leave ur thoughts in your head if their bad. seriosly, pathetic, theyre just AWESOME DOLLS!!!!!!!!!!!! peace out, and tara, thumbs up.
This is yet another example of the sexualisation of children. Even though they are just dolls, girls still take on the values they represent and think trying to be sexy and boy-mad are the most important things in their lives. Children in Third World countries lose their childhoods to poverty and disease and we see that as a tragedy. Children in the West are losing their childhoods to porn and, instead of regarding it as a tragedy, corporations such as Mattel are cashing in on it, exploiting the phenomenon for financial gain.
Kate, it’s a parent’s job to show their child the difference. I grew up with Tiny Tears, that didn’t make me want children. If you cannot say NO to your child then what is the world coming to? Don’t spout about third world countries, this has NOTHING to do with that at all. As far as porn goes, it’s societies choice to ignore the under priveliged (sp), not a handful of plastic toys!
Duuuude…..the dolls actually talk about altering their bodies to be ‘prettier’ by shaving and plucking their naturally animal-like hair instead of having friends who love them as they are. This is actually disturbing.
I would have said harmless, but at least Barbie doesn’t directly tell you that a boob job is the only way to make friends. This is abhorrent. Girls should be taught to love their-selves, not tweese and wax so that someone will love them.
I agree with this article entirely. I am disturbed by any parent who allows their kids to be exposed to these dolls. The cartoon you provided is awful. What I dont understand are the parents that say “It’s harmless….It’s just a doll”. I am all for encouraging children and even adults to use their imaginations and be creative. My hair has been pink, black,red,blonde and everything in between. I can understand the creative element to this. Unfortunately Mattel to the opportuinity and failed miserably at accomplishing there supposed goal. It’s no question that big business has an objective of nothing more then to make as much money as possible. Parents shouldnt assume that a toy is perfectly suitable for a child because it is being sold at their local Walmart. Cigarettes are being sold to adults legally too and I wouldnt say that it means they are safe or unharmful because they are there for us to purchase. I believe that we are living in an age where it is near impossible to dodge these encounters altogether but it is up to parents to try their best to encourage their children to have interests that dont involve dolls wearing skanky clothing, showing large portions of skin and being beautiful. I believe that children should feel beautiful but for way more then their looks and certainly I wouldnt encourage anybody to aim for short skirts high heels excessive makeup and such to achieve physical beauty. The point is to take care of ourselves and let kids enjoy their natural looks before they reach the age where makeup becomes appealing. They are getting younger and younger. I do not blame the kids for having an interest in what is being sold to them. It is completely up to the parents to recognize the danger. Playing up the monster theme is a sneaky way to get people believing it encourages diversity. Why do the facial features and bodies on these dolls resemble that of bratz and barbies? Not much difference there. Big eyes, small button noses, ridiculously large lips all painted in makeup. Girls can feel beautiful without all the accessories. Wish more people would come to terms with that. You are not going to build your daughters self esteem by letting her play dress up or even encouraging her to fantasize about what it would be like to look like a bratz doll and dress like one. These monster dolls are no different,
I am an adult woman. I wore makeup for the first time at age fourteen after having asked my mom for some. She thought about it and decided if I wanted makeup she would choose it for me. It was a christmas gift that year and it was very sheer makeup, there was nothing heavy about it. It did not make me look much different then I did without the maekup on my face. I’ll admit I wear more makeup now then I did as a child. Thats the point though. I am n adult. Capable of handling any attention thrown my way as a result of wearing makeup. Anybody who defends these dolls….I’m sorry. I dont get you. R
very well-said. I’ve never done a message board post or anything like this ever, not a lie, but I needed to cheer for this one for some reason. I can’t watch that cartoon without physically cringing.
YOU GUYS WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND MONSTER HIGH UNLESS YOU WATCHED EVERY SINGLE SPECIAL AND WEBISODE, BOUGHT THE DOLLS AND READ THEIR DIARY’S/JOURNALS AND NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER JUST LIKE ELLINE LIPKIN,PEGGY ORENSTEIN,YOU PARENTS WHO HATE MONSTER HIGH AND EVERY ONE ELSE WHO HATES THESE DOLLS….I’M SORRY. I DON’T GET YOU. AND OH YA I’M OBSESSED WITH MONSTER HIGH AND UNLESS I’M WEARING A BATHING SUIT I DON’T REALLY LIKE SHOWING 1 CM OF SKIN FROM MY BACK OR BELLY.YOUR VERY IGNORANT IF YOU HATE MONSTER HIGH.
You said it sister! I too am OBSESSED with Monster High and have 18 dolls, all of the books, a Monster High MP3 with earbuds to match, MH headphones, flip flops, 2 Monster High backpacks, 2 Monster High shirts and a Monster High umbrella. PEOPLE OF THE WORLD THERE IS NOTHING ERONG WITH MONSTER HIGH!!!! PEOPLE TURN OUT THE WAY THEY DO BECAUSE OF THEIR PARENTS.
Thank you, Shanny
Sorry if there is anything wrong with this comment, i am just a kid.
Hear ya sista.I Have all the books,16 dolls(Toralei yesterday) and I go to a few blogs to bring monster high up.I have bad news though.Ever since my friend liked twilight shes gone from your level of obsession to not liking it any more and another friend likes twilight and is on a thread of not liking it.The really obsessed one told me she didn’t like MH any more,which I always get people saying they don’t like it,but she called it childish which I also get allot,but the bad part is that shes the one who got me into it almost a whole year ago which was 4/1/11.Was it foreshadowing its gonna be a joke,a child’s game soon afterwards.:( Either way I’m gonna be into MH longer than I was into Pokemon for 4years.Either way its good to always know about more obsessed ones out there.:))):):)):)
I blame twilight for my friends not liking MH.
I’m toatally HOOKED on Monster High! It’s the best!I got the Monster High: Ghoul Spirit Video Game for Christmas. And for any of you MH haters, I BUGGED MY MUM AND DAD FOR IT!! I wanted that game so bad. I got a MH poster for my room and a Draculaura backdrop on my comp. My cell ringtone is the Monster High theme song (jelous?) I don’t have any dolls or MH novelty yet, considering I only recently laid away High School Musical for MH. HSM stayed with me for 3 years and i’m sure MH will stay even longer. My dad LOVES it when I read, so therefore if I ask him for a book, he’ll get it for me. So I’m gonna ask my dad to buy me all the MH books. I wish MH was on TV more often though. I rely on my comp to watch MH, snd I can’t get on my comp all the time. i’m also saving up my money to buy MH dolls and other novelty
Shanny fangs a lot (haha, get it?) for saying there’s nothing wrong with Monster High. You’re toats right there isn’t.
Thumbs up Sydney. So It is no use to pay attention to MH haters. It is their opininon, we will have ours. MH dolls are impressively cute. I wish I could buy everysingle one of them. I missed out on FirstBaics and Holt and Gil. I wish Mattel will rerelease them and also slow down with new collections. I can not catch up to collect them all. My five year old is always cheerful when i get her a new one MH. Yesterday I bought her DVDs. We were watching them several times and more to go. MH are awesome. And I dont care who is not agree with me.
Thank you someone speaking for us kids
Well said!
Thx.trying to make a point saying mh isn’t what they’re saying it is.
Haters its your loss.These teach great lessons if you look on the inside.
Its just a doll gosh a doll us supposed to be a toy not something for you to talk trash about they made the dolls purrfectly! Everyone has there own oppoion and mine is its just a dolls that i like very much and as monster high says FREAKY JUST GOT FABUOUS! And it did because they are trying to prove that a girl can be herself thats the point of monster high its supposed to show theyre inner flaws and how they get over it and solve there probs. Its supposed to make young girls like myself feel better about themselves even if theyre dorks like myself or overweight it matters what is on the inside you all need to understand that dont be a hater, be a happy person who is always motovaited monster high is awesome idc what anyone says
p.s. my point about the makeup is that these dolls encourage wearing it and it is way too early in a young childs life to even think about makeup. Let kids be kids. Play get dirty, be creative. The world is too judgmental. Encouraging them to think of their appearances is a gross injustice to their youth.
So you don’t let your child play with Barbie, Bratz, or any other fashion doll whatsoever? It would be unrealistic (or more so, anyway) for the monster girls to NOT wear makeup because they’re in high school. Especially for sets like “Dawn of the Dance” where it’s a school-dance setting. How many girls in high school do you know that go to a dance WITHOUT makeup on?
I never wore make up to school or skirts and I was picked on for not being feminine. I was made to feel like a failure because I preferred to draw, write, read books and watch films, despite the fact it didn’t stop me from getting a secondary school boyfriend or, more importantly, getting good exam results. I didn’t wear make up to the leaver’s dance either and still had a decent time (although I was more excited about borrowing Manga videos from my sister’s boyfriend!). The point is, a teenage girl shouldn’t have to feel ‘unfeminine’ because they don’t give a rat’s bum about make up and dresses. Being alienated at school shouldn’t be seen as a failure, but as a brave stand of individuality and sticking with your principals. I actually first declared myself a feminist at secondary school!
I don’t have anything against make up or wearing it as an adult, I wear it to gigs and job interviews, but when you’re a teenager why should you be pressured to paint your face? What about school? Studying? Learning about who you are as a person?
My daughter does play with Barbie dolls and Bratz (all second hand, naturally!), but she also plays with Disney dolls, trucks, rag dolls, cars, Action Man (the UK GI Joe) and dolls houses. A lot of children love ‘small world’ toys because it allows them to model and act out scenarios they know either from real life or from films/TV. They’ll pick any toy that looks vaguely human if you let them.
If you only give your child one option, that’s what they’ll emulate.
Well said.
Girls from a young age want to play dress up and do makeup. Usually because they see there mothers do
It. Are you going to stop wearing makeup because your influencing your child?
Make up! Haha..What is wrong with the make up. My five year old loves make up! “Mom, can you paint my nails or put lipstick on me!” No problem! The forbidden is more attractive. There is safe make up for children. Or, you know ,children are very advanced. You will pretty amazed the 4-5 year olds know how to use computers and cellphones. My little one found youtube on my phone and watched and downloaded MH cartoons. I never show her how to do that or go on my laptop put the password and go online to play games. Remeber Pink Floyd. Or how adult generation were freak out by influence of pink floyd and now MH dolls. Do not make those dolls forbidden cause your adult mind see the problem with make up, short clothes, high heels. Children do not care about that but the care for fashion. MH FOREVER!!! The close we with children and more talk what they like and why they like better parents we will be.
I’d like to answer the people who are saying it’s “just dolls”. When a company makes a desirable product they have the opportunity to market concepts along with it — set an example outside the box. Remember the original astronaut Barbie in 1965? It puts the idea out there — women + space exploration — even if you only see the product on TV or store shelves and don’t buy it. That’s the subtext the article talks about.
Monster High is inside the box. It’s corporate-approved stereotypes — girls + shopping. Worse, it says it’s not okay to be a freak. You must work twice as hard to at least try to appear “normal”. Aren’t there any wolf boys who think the wolf girl is pretty without shaving? But that’s the “price” she pays? Price tag is more like it. You’re not beautiful unless you have these clothes and this hair and that skin. That’s why this is not okay. It’s marketed as being about diversity when it’s actually just the opposite.
To be fair, the Monster High line actually promotes individualism. Their tag lines are phrases like “Be Yourself. Be Unique. Be a Monster.” and “Freaky just got Fabulous”. All the characters have “freaky flaws” that they embrace. Yes, Clawdeen’s is fast-growing hair, but it also means she can experiment with hairstyles because it grows out so fast. Frankie’s limbs fall apart, Cleo (the mummy) is afraid of the dark, Ghoulia can only speak zombie, Deuce can turn people to stone, Jackson Jekyll turns into Holt Hyde around loud music, etc etc. So while it does use oldconventions like cheerleading and other teen girl situations, it’s trying.
..Really? Really?
So, because the dolls wear shorter skirts- some of them, not all, and certainly not in the newer outfits, and have long hair they’re terrible influences?
Oh my god! Clawdween shaves her legs and likes to shop! What a terrible influence on girls! How dare they feed stereotypes! Research a little more; it takes five minutes at the website to find out the reason she’s obsessed with shopping and fashion because she wants to open her own line of clothing. What does being a fashion designer involve? Being up to date on fashion styles. But because this is considered “stereotypical” it’s terrible.
She also kicks total ass at sports, and is proud to get dirty and shame the boys all she wants. Oh, and she’s also not interested in getting a boyfriend- she’s focused on that fashion empire goal, and nothing is going to stop her. She says that, many times in her diaries.
When was the last time any of YOU skipped shaving your legs? Or looked at a fat girl and didn’t think “just put down the burger”? You talk on and on and on about ‘protect your kids from the media’ but you’re most likely just as bad. Don’t let the girls play with make up? So dressing up is terrible?
You put on make up every day, don’t you? You’re a terrible role model. You shave your legs, put on perfume, and work to appeal to other people. You should be ashamed.
A company made a line of dolls that aren’t voice pieces. They should be boycotted. If you get past the oh my god, thin dolls- like you’d buy a fat doll for your kids- discourage obesity! How dare you want my kid fat, the cries would rage!- and past the fact that they have long legs and high heels (and if you can find me a doll that doesn’t that isn’t marketed for 4 and under you win all the internets, because Astronaut barbie who “was a rocket scientist!” had high heeled space boots) they do encourage diversity. The characters of the dolls all have different flaws, ideals, goals, and plans for the future.
The webisodes deal with bullying, teasing, pimples, and boys- all of which are on the forefront of most teenage girl’s minds. They use themes younger girls can identify with. In the Ghoulia episode you mentioned? Gee, you can impress guys just by being yourself- what a terrible message to send. Girls are fine just as they are. They should be ashamed.
Get. The hell. Over this. Stop judging everything by it’s looks, and actually get to understand it. Don’t bitch about what it isn’t doing- or what you think it isn’t doing- an look at what it does do. Girls from different backgrounds, financial and social, can get along. Relate together, have fun, and focus. Not all the girls have boyfriends- sex and dating shouldn’t be the focus of your life, making friends who’ll stick with you, thick and thin, is important. These are AMAZING messages that most things out there don’t send, that these dolls do.
Oh my god. I love you. You are freaking awesome and it’s like you read my mind. So a doll shaves her legs, it’s TERRIBLE! But their mom shaves their legs! Because they WANT to! It’s okay because as long as they’re bashing a doll they don’t like, the world is fine!
WOW! You hater this is what i mean some of us kids hit pubirty early and play with dolls so wass wrong with clawdeen wolf shaving her legs? All girls have to do it at one point
“All girls have to do it at one point”
That is exactly why it is wrong.
Don’t tell me that I’m a bad role model if I shave and put on make up in front of my kids. Look at me and wonder why the hell I think that I need to shave and put on make up in order to be accepted in society.
It’s not a bad thing to want our children to not feel the pressures of our society and culture that we have to feel.
These dolls ARE perpetuating gender-based stereotypes. They ARE putting ideas into the heads of very young and impressionable children. They ARE telling little girls that they should love fashion and do anything they can to perfect themselves so that others will like them. They ARE telling little boys that they should expect girls to always look perfect and wear high heels.
The fact of the matter is, stereotypes do way worse than just make girls want to shave their legs and wear make-up. Stereotypes effect girl’s self-esteem. Reinforcement of unrealistic ideals causes eating disorders and depression. These dolls reinforce such ideals.
And just to be clear, I am a grown woman. My six year old is not. I’m allowed to wear make-up and shave because I am capable of making decisions, living indepently, and taking care of myself. My six year old is not capable of these things and therefore not allowed. Pretty much every mainstream character however tries to force it down her throat that she needs to have a boyfriend, wear make up, and dress in tiny skirts and high heels. Not cool.
I am one of the monster high crazy girls and I am in the top class for everything (middle in math) I have written a play and two short story’s I live in a pub I hear swearing a lot but I still want to reach my goal in life of becoming a writer or photo journalist I’m 11 and still don’t shave and clawdeen doesn’t make me want to if I saw her jump under a buss I wouldn’t but I love monster high I have 39 dolls all the books every movie so far and still love it I make reviews on the Internet as my hobbie but this is what I love doing I don’t wear makeup and go running with my Best friends every Tuesday and Friday you can’t moan at something when you do it too
grow the hell up, people. They’re FASHION DOLLS. Their heads in proportion to their bodies are GINORMOUS. Their hair is long SO LITTLE GIRLS CAN PLAY WITH IT AND STYLE IT. They characters themselves aren’t anything unusual- they are exemplifying the most extreme social behavior exhibited in highschool. ALSO the author of this article is WRONG. Duece Gorgon is NOT the only male character. There is also Gil, Clawd Wolf (Clawdeen’s brother), Jackson Jekle, Holt Hyde. Not to mention the Zombie Boy Ghoulia ends up going out with AND don’t forget about DEADFAST, Ghoulia’s favorite comic book superhero. Many of the points made in this article are blanket arguments that can be made about almost ANY doll. What doll DOESN’T teach sexist standards? Baby dolls as a whole teach little girls to want kids without realistic consequences, fashion dolls like Bratz and Barbie teach unrealistic beauty standards by saying “You can be anything so long as you look good!” As Far as Monster High Dolls are concerned, at least their hobbies aren’t the front and center of attention. You don’t see them in a mall every episode, you don’t see them worrying about “fearleading” every episode, you see them interact with one another in a more realistic way than most characters do. As for their appearance, yeah, they look girly- but who the hell would want and ugly fashion doll? They have to be appealing so that people will want them- JUST LIKE ANY OTHER TOY OR PRODUCT IN EXISTENCE. So before you go ragging on something that you want to dismiss just because you don’t like it- think about your arguments better before hand. Or just don’t buy the damn things.
Also- Barbie used to have many friends- Teresa, Kira, and Chelsie, for example. There were only two guys- Ken and Steve (aka the black Ken doll) And why does no one complain that BARBIE ends up with the “only guy”? Where was that in your article?
Raven, Barbie also has a friend named Midge, who married/has a family with Alan/Allan Sherwood. One could argue that the ratio of females to males in the Barbie line or Monster High “universe” counteracts the male to female ratios in most other forms of entertainment.
I agree with you on many of your points-they are just fashion dolls. I mean, as children we cuddle teddy bears and real bears would not be so accommodating. I didn’t notice Barbie’s body as a kid unless I couldn’t get a piece of clothing on her, I didn’t notice her make-up either. I do still feel that the cartoon stands firmly on the line of female stereotypes, with more overt feminine tones than diverse ones, but girls are going to decide for themselves if they just want the dolls or want the entire Monster High “universe”.
As for “why would anyone want an ugly doll”, the complaint is “the underlying message tells girls they are not attractive or not fashionable without make-up”, so designers/manufacturers *could* make dolls that are attractive without cosmetic details. There are dolls that look “normal” such as “American Girl” and “Magic Attic Club”(out of business in 2004) so one could argue either way that “both options are available” for “normal” versus “fashion” appearances, although Barbie and other “fashion” dolls are more affordable and easier to transport and collect.
Omg lets all have a heart attack and pretend like our kids will never figure out
what sex is! Girls will never own skirts above their knees and wear dark makeup.
get over yourselves and stop blaming society for what girls think look good
.
My best friend was right.I have four Bff’s but this is the 1 who got me into MH 8 months ago.All you MH dissers out there this is what I say “you are ignorant,not smart,ignorant,crazy and weird in a bad way,creepy,and cruel.You are judging a book by its cover.In bad zit u ation it was what goes around comes around because Frankie had a zit,Cleo embarrassed her,Cleo face gets covered with zits after Frankie’s is gone.Cyrano De Ghoulia it is be your self and in clawditions it is don’t bully because it ends up with broken hearts and bones.
that was… PERFECT! your soooo right! i agree!
Thx I’m trying to get these people to wake up and quit being ignorant.They need to quit the dissing and they’re being pessimistic.
I’m probably too old to play with dolls, but I bought a few of these for myself when the first came out because I thought the adorable-but-spooky combination was whimsical and appealed to my gothy side. I’ve got a few on their display stands on a shelf, next to things like a Grim Reaper TY beanie-baby and some wind-up monsters from Japan. Another friend of mine told me about the Youtube shows, and now I’ve seen a few of them, I don’t really like the dolls/characters/Monster High concept as much as I once did.
I really was hoping for something almost Burton-esque to come out of these – they do look almost in the vein (pardon the pun) of things like Nightmare Before Christmas and the Corpse Bride, but instead of running with that and doing something creative and unique, they’ve just regurgitated the usual high-school drama nonsense. That said, their characters are not completely two-dimensional and all terrible role-models. Not all of the characters are air-headed fashionistas, though, at least Abbey Bominable, despite the wearing of fur, is actually fairly reasonable, her bio reads “Biggest Pet Peeve: The ritual of the dating. I do not understand the trapping of the boy with the bait of flirtation. . . It seems to me not honorable.” and “Favorite School Subject: Math. Numbers are the mountain beneath the snow.” – she’s quite intelligent and despite her broken English, her thoughts are clearly poetic, and can see through the nonsense of the teen crushes and treating social lives as a game.
As the series progresses, the characters do get more complex, and even princess-ego Cleo softens, and it is shown that part of her problem is living in the shadow of her imperious and arrogant sister Nefera. Also, they aren’t completely trying to show that pretending to be normal is the way to go – the pretence is there because they’re afraid of the “normie” community’s reaction to their weirdness. According to my friend, the books have more depth to the characters, apparently, but I haven’t read them, so cannot comment. Lagoona Blue’s relationship with… the fish-dude with a bowl on his head (I cannot remember his name) had her parents disapprove of her relationship because one family was “Saltwater” and the other “Freshwater” – a parallel of racial/religious divides imposed on people by the norms of their families?
Yes, the character’s appearances could be a little more original, rather than parodies of halloween costumes, horror archetypes or subcultural identities filtered through mainstream fashion (although I do like Draculaura’s pink equivalent to New Rock boots!) and their bodies less… distorted? I realise that they are caricature, but they hey have large infantilised heads, but at the same time they have pouty lups and long legs, tiny waists, curves… It’s a combination I find weird both here and in Bratz dolls. I also wish that the stories seemed less like boring high-school drama with the spookiness tacked on, and instead were a bit more creative. Yes, the spooky/monster character quirks and parody school subjects are fun, but the stories themselves are more about cliquishness, social lives, boyfriends, etc. and not really going with the fantasy element, and not really using the fantasy/horror element to its full potential as a parallel world in which to make parables and show values. At least it doesn’t present destructive relationships as true love in the way that horrible Twilight series does. The series could have done more to highlight diversity – the characters DO play to the usual high-school stereotypes for the main part, at least the main characters do. Draculaura, Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf and Cleo De Nile are the main female protagonists, the more interesting characters like Abbey and Laguna, and Ghoulia being more secondary, and I think it would be more interesting if Abbey, an outsider who is separated from even the other monsters by her impressive stature and language barrier, or Ghoulia who is clearly a nerd-stereotype, or Laguna, were more prominent, because they are the characters with interesting stories who can provide more rounded and positive role-models to young girls. Yes, it could have been better, but it’s not as dire as this article makes it out to be.
Also, there are actually quite a few male characters. Clawdeen’s brother, Deuce Gorgon, Holt Hyde, the very adorable Draculogan and Jackson Jekyll although he’s also Holt… There’s the Manny Taur, who’s a bit of a bully, Ghoulia’s boyfriend and chess-obsessive Sloe-Moe, and Heath Burns. Deuce Gorgon’s appearance, by the way, is clearly Punk Rock – that’s not exactly a nod conforming to societal norms, although I guess that punks, like goths, hippies and all the other subcultures, will have the accusation of “you can’t be non-conformist conforming to a subculture”. We’re aware of that. We’re not trying to be non-conformist and all special little snow-flakes just because we don’t want to conform to societal norms, we might just be “conforming” to subcultural norms because we actually like that particular aesthetic.
These dolls are perfect. They are so helpful to Tweens and teens. I mean, they’re not scary at all, and mos teens are in that stage of wanting to e cool and thin, and when they look at the dolls, they think “I am quite nice looking.” I’m not saying the dolls are ugly, but I’m sure you don’t want greenish skin and stiches on your face like the awesome frankie stein. It means that it doesn’t matter if you look or dress weird to other people. It’s the inside that counts. Uniqueness, dot follow those skanks. Plus, MH dolls are not too skinny or skanky, my town teenagers are. I’ve seen the webisodes to see if they were suitable for my family, an it was. They don’t focus on boyfriends, (more like friends who are boys) and yes, they sort of enjoy shopping, but most girls do. Some mh dolls don’t, which is normal. They have friends ad they’re not airheads. They have differn styles, all different, and not those stupid “pretty barbies” who are everything just cause they’re pretty. Minster High is the exact thing that I want for all girls. Maybe a smudge cheaper dolls though.
Alright people, they are dolls, better yet they are TOYS!!! What is wrong with society today is, they take things such as toys and television so literal. I have two daughters. My daughters plays with monster high dolls and whatever they want as long as it is in their age group. Parents if you don’t want your daughters wearing miniskirts and tight shirts, Get a back bone, put your foot down, sets some rules and discipline. Don’t blame toys for allowing your kids to wear such things. My daughters doesn’t act like what comes on television because of what I teach them! I can proudly say that my daughters dress conservatively, doesn’t wear make-up, is very well mannered, and very intelligent! and I am not just being a mom bragging on her daughters, but my four year old knows how to speak German, French, American English, Spanish, and some Chinese. and she plays with the dolls and watches the show. On Halloween she had a Frankie Stein outfit (which was conservative) and she was the only child I heard saying Thank you when someone gave her candy, and she was the only one I head saying excuse me when she was trying to get by people. So QUIT blaming toys and television for what they are doing. Blame Yourself because it is how you teach them. I know it is easy when they are in school for them to get influenced, but you have to set your grounds and make sure you teach them to not be influenced and to do what is right rather than what the in-crowd is doing. Sorry if I offended someone, but this is how I fill. My mother taught me to speak my mind.
I mean feel not fill!
It’s not a stereotype…most actresses are beautiful, thin, long haired beauties…actually most famous people is what I should say so while I hate that it is portrayed all over the world that there is a certain way women should look like, I also understand that it is the society we live in today and while it would be great if it weren’t, I highly doubt we can change all that, (quickly). So I buy the monster high dolls for my girl to give her some inclination to become beautiful because lets face it, life is a whole lot easier for beautiful people! I still teach her all the other important values and try to remind her that it’s what on the inside that counts but thats just BS we feed our kids because in reality it just isn’t true really.
Barbie, Monster High dolls, Bratz,Marie Claire magazine, Cosmo, People, pop stars, everything is revolving around sexuality which is somehow associated with being physically fit. Granted we have a select few who break threw but look at every single woman in the music industry/movie industry and add up how many are beautiful then add up how many are overweight or unattractive…really that would break down to a percentile of 95% beautiful & 5% not. Nothing is going to change people so either embrace it or be angry all the time. I’ve decided to just embrace it because its easier, but I respect anyone who fights for woman because changes don’t just happen on their own.
Love all of you.
I have these dolls and I play with them. They are awesome. And I have wanted a costume for so long. And I don’t go dressing in tiny skirts and super high-heeled boots. Some peeps are just crazy thinking that these dolls make us different.
Clearly these are not “just dolls”, they are going to have their own cartoon which shapes the way children “characterize” their toys. I loved Barbie as a child, and the crucial difference I’m noticing between Bratz/Monster High Dolls and Barbie is that Barbie is an adult, she several cars; a dream house; is a doctor, an astronaut, and a ballerina! I don’t think as a child, or even pre-teen I would have had a big problem with the overall appearance of the dolls(particularly shoes as they are usually the first thing to get lost), but rather would have been excited for a “creepy” option because I liked The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice. But after watching one of the episodes, they wear those awful shoes for athletic activities like chearleading. I think that if they were going for variety/diversity they could have broadened it better by making one or two of the girls very feminine by wearing skirts, make-up, etc, making one a geek, one a tomboy, a “girl next door” type who likes to dress p/wear make up on special occasions- or maybe I’ve been brainwashed by The Babysitter’s Club?
My issue is not so much with the dolls themselves (mostly because I never used Barbie as a model for how I wanted to look) but rather with the Halloween costumes that were marketed for the Monster High characters, which is how I first heard about them. I was looking at a Halloween catalogue when I saw Frankie Stein first, “Cool, they’re coming out with some alternative, gothy looks for girls!” But then I saw Clio De Nile and i couldn’t believe what the costume essentially came down to! When you think about what the character would be wearing ‘to school”, it’s hardly more than a bikini. I worked at a costume store for a long time, it was often a concern for parents that the shirts were midriffs or the skirts were too short for children’s and teen costumes, I always had suggestions for leggings, shorts, cami tops, body suits, etc. I just don’t think Clio’s costume providing a thin layer of costume with “bandage” print on it takes into account the concerns parents have about “advertising their children to pedophiles”. There is also the practical problem of the large portion of the U.S. that is cold on Halloween making the costumes unwearable.
THEY DO HAVE A GEEK EVEN THOUGH ITS A DUDE AND HES NOT ON THE FEARLEADING TEAM THERE’S STILL GHOULIA WHOSE BEEN ON IT LIKE ONCE OR TWICE.YOU RARELY SEE HER CHANGING HAIRSTYLES OR LIPSTICKS THAT OFTEN.THERE’S CLAWDEEN WHOSE THE CAPTAIN OF THE SOCCER TEAM AND A FIERCE FASHIONISTA FRANKIE AND DRACULURA ARE LIKE GIRLY GIRLS WITH CLAWDEEN AND BY THE WAY ITS SPELLED CLEO NOT CLIO WHO IS THE BOSSY PERFECTIONIST WHOSE THE MOST POPULAR GHOUL IN SCHOOL.BY THE WAY SHE WEARS THAT BECAUSE SHE’S A MUMMY,SHE CAN JUST WRAP HERSELF ALL UP IN THOSE BANDAGES AND GO TO SCHOOL IN IT.AND FOR THE COLD HALLOWEEN PART THE TRICK IS TO EITHER GIVE OUT CANDY ,DON’T GO AT ALL,OR PUT SOMETHING ELSE ON UNDER THE COSTUME,OR JUST GO AROUND DRESSED LIKE A BIG FUZZY GRIZZLY BEAR.
All capital letters really isn’t necessary to make your point. Yes, I saw the Jekyll/Hyde character, as well as Ghoulia, my point is that those characters are not as prominent as the “popular” characters, they are not equally represented, nor are they really included as main members of the group. “Clio” is how it was misspelled, hence my mistake. I’m not oblivious to the fact that Cleo is a mummy, but as some episodes have proven, bandages make a flimsy choice for a garment- which is more an “accessory” to Cleo’s wardrobe than a good representation of being a mummy whereas all the other characters have more obvious traits. Actually, I would really enjoy seeing an episode that focuses on Cleo having to moisturize her skin constantly where she doesn’t have bandages (similar to the way Clawdeen has to shave regularly to keep her wolfish hair at bay).
Your suggestions for cold Halloweens are severely lacking, I’m sure they’ll go over very well with all the eight year old girls who want to go Trick or Treating. Those costumes are not very well made, which means they don’t fit most kids properly as it is, therefore it is more difficult to fit any warm clothes underneath. With such a large campaign for the Monster High universe they could do a few episodes/dolls with some “weather friendly” styles and make those into costumes.
OKAY GUYS.THIS IS NOT A STEREOTYPE TO MY KNOWLEDGE.A STEREOTYPE IS SOMETHING LIKE ASIANS ARE THE BEST PAINTERS IN THE WORLD.I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN OPINION BUT THAT’S BASICALLY WHAT A STEREOTYPE IS.YOUR SAYING ALL TEENS AND PRETEENS ARE OBSESSED WITH AND/OR WORRIED ABOUT BOYS,SKIRTS,ZITS,MAKEUP,AND POPULARITY BUT I TELL YOU 1 THING.I’M OBSESSED WITH MONSTER HIGH AND I DON’T CARE OR WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THOSE THINGS AND I’M A PRETEEN.I RELATE TO THE SUPER FANGTASTIC GHOULIA YELPS THE MOST WHICH SOME PEOPLE CALL A REJECT BECAUSE THEY THINK SHE LOOKS VERY UNPOPULAR,IS SMART,SOME PEOPLE THINK YOUR SMART YOUR NOT PRETTY WHICH IS WHAT I SAW ON PEGGY ORENSTEINS BLOG AND ALSO THAT YOUR UNPOPULAR,AND SOME OF YOU THINK SHE’S UGLY AND/OR SHOULDN’T BE SMART BECAUSE SHES A ZOMBIE WHO DOESN’T SPEAK OR MOVE PROPERLY JUST LIKE AUTISTIC KIDS.WELL YOU KNOW WHAT I’M NOT AUTISTIC BUT AUTISTIC KIDS ARE MORE THAN LIKELY THAT ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF THEM IF THEIR IN 6TH GRADE SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE 7TH OR 8TH GRADER AND GO ON TO BE FAMOUS.I RELATE TO GHOULIA BECAUSE I’M SMART,PRETTY,AND KIND JUST LIKE HER.SO IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MONSTER HIGH THAT MEANS YOU MRS.LIPKIN AND MRS.ORENSTEIN YOU BETTER BE OKAY WITH IT AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT WHILE YOU CONTACT MATTEL SPECIFICALLY GARRET SANDERS AND APOLOGIZE FOR FOR WRITING YOUR MEAN ARTICLES.SO WITH THAT BEING SAID HAVE A CREEPERIC DAY OR GOOD DAY.:):):):):):):):):):)
Go easy on the capital letters, I’m listening! The Sleepover episode is portraying “the stereotypical girl” as far as the “girls only care about clothes, make up, and talking about boys” aspect. People in this message board are NOT saying teens only care about the things you listed, we ARE saying that the show presents teens in a stereotypical way. It’s exactly why I like the episodes that feature Ghoulia and Legoona, because Dodgeskull shows how being a geek can help you in sports and Legoona struggles with her boyfriend not telling his prejudiced parents about their relationship. The concern of people who post here is that (pre)teens will get the negative messages that you accuse Peggy Orenstein of blogging about. You are misunderstanding what people are saying, and this leads you to think they are being “mean” when all they are trying to do is potentially get Mattel’s (and other toy designer’s) attention to realize that they have the potential to give young girls a wide variety of positive characters to identify with.
Hey Jessie if you look at Abbeys BIO you can also tell that she cares about none of that stuff you listed and also I read your reply to Sydny and you know there’s an invention called sewing,hemming,and bobby pins,and/or if that doesn’t work well then they got the wrong size and its known that about a few years ago that a 5 almost 6 year old girl who is 35 pounds at an 11 year olds chest who the 11 year old is up to her mothers nose/forehead when the mom is 5ft 2 would be skinny back then but perfect sized now is our problem in the world now.luckily the costume makers have gone by old times weight things,good for them.We have a problem with truly obsess kids and really skinny kids.Back then if I were that weight my mom and dad would’ve taken me to the doctor and stick needles in me to make me fatter.That girl will be 6 in a few days and shes really skinny but doctors say shes a perfect weight.We also have a problem with shortness.See draculaura,she’s very short.shes basically the size of me.and i,m like 4.8.Your about to find yourself in some angry faces soon.I hated every doll and I basically wasn’t very happy when my cousin gave me a Barbie for Christmas and I wasn’t a fan of monster high till one of my best friends from kindergarten got me into it.She got me the doll that matched me the most.You and your dissing monster high continued,it looks like you’ve got a hefty army of dissers on your hands,if you get them taken of the shelves even in the biggest store that carries a few 100 or in any store in them unless its Christmas/they’re sold out your in trouble for some boycotting,This is 1 thing I’m not shy about.I only get shy when it comes to something like asking to buy a doll of of eBay or saying I’ll do something but don’t do like writing to 4h saying that they’re liars,but I will start a boycott,and don’t even get me started on if MAD made fun of Monster High.
well, the truth is… i’m in to monster high, but NONE of my friends are, and i’m a tween. but younger girls try NOT to copy them. besides, i have the Draculara doll and the worst for her is long legs! it sould be ENCOARAGED! the barbies were different. sure, the episodes were bad… but that was for the ability to LAUGH at and relate to not yourself (ok, maybe sometimes) but others!
siceriy,
Katie!
Hihi Gouls and ( mum/were/goul/cam/stein/mer/normie) mom’s!I love MH!People hear me out.( no negative comments please) If I will have a goul when I get older, I’ll not procade my goul to play piano,read a lot, play with dolls or even take after me! Because that’s what monster high is about, it’s about being your freaky, fantabous self.Cleo is very comepitve and is very sensitive some times.Goulia is sweet and very smart ( not saying all of them are sumb )plus caring.Frankie is very bright, open to new ideas and tries to let her friends open there eyes to new ideas.Blue is very confident and always has good ideas when her goul friends are down.Lala ( draculaura ) is very tiny, compares herself to others and cares to much about guys.Clawdeen is very strong loves to race an is sometimes jealous.Spectra is very lonely, quiet and is an outsider, but still has a lil happiness hanging with goul friends. Abby is very strong, and is very sorry if she freezes you ( if she notices ).She is trying to fit in because she still dosen’t understand this culture. You see moms?All of them are different and aren’t trying to change your kids.But you really should get to know them before you point a finger or make a phone call.Ok you shouldn’t be reading them a monster high book by Lisi Hartison.I want you to listen to your kids an listen to why they like monster high.Start your kid off with ONE MONSTER HIGH DOLL.ONE!If she she likes playing with one get one more etc.If you really want more info moms I’d say call the company and ask about them and which one is good to start with for your kid.If youre not still convinced, read the diary of one of the dolls.Please just get more info about somethin before, you point a finger.
Thanks I am really touched! I am gonna be a author so…….
That was so good.Did you see that comment on the Melly Carver monster high wiki page about this blog.I wrote that so ya.
OMG, this are FASHION DOLLS! For those of you that have said ” I never grew up puttiing make up, I’m a feminist! This dolls are sexist! Rant Rant Rant!” Don’t buy the dolls for you girls or simply PARENT THEM in knowing what is good for their age. I LOVE Monster High! I’m a 21 yr old college student collector and mom to a 1 yr old boy. If I had a girl I’d let her play with these dolls and teach her that these are DOLLs that’s why they skirts are tiny but for her they need to be appropriate. For make up, lip gloss and glitter
that looks adorable! She’d have to know that these girls are in HS and can wear make up when they are 16 and older. ( I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair or wear make up till I was 15 and my parents taught me why and they are still to date AWESOME parents!) Dolls do not educate your children, you do. They may make an image for them but as parents we need to let are kids see these as just DOLLS and nothing more 
YAY no more dissers no more dissers it looks like we drove them away……for now.Now that I’m writing this there are going to be dissers on here again,but it’s still good to know there aren’t dissers on here any more for the time being.Stage 2.Writing on other blogs so that we can get more people to like Monster High.I think its going to be a bit harder now,but they’re judging a book by its cover and its not fair.People never hated on the fat Barbie and if they have its quit rare to see one do so.I like Monster High and they teach great lessons people should know,but don’t.It’s probably one of my fav things to do besides play DC Universe Online.
Why can’t kids just enjoy the new toy on the market without being bombarded with ridiculous statements about deep thinking ideas that don’t actually mean anything. I wonder what sort of people you are if the first thing you think of when seeing a TOY doll is ‘her skirt is short’ or ‘her lips are pouty’. When did we stop kids being kids and push them into adult thinking by your own instability of the world. My boy likes Moshi Monsters, does that make him want to grow hair or live in a dustbin? (like dustbin beaver). Some of the comments on here are just incredibly ridiculous. If you don’t like them then don’t comment, keep your disgusting (mostly) comments in your head. Did your parents never teach you that if you have nothing nice to say then say nothing at all? I will, for one, be getting these for my step daughter. They are neither degrading nor implicating any kind of un-necessary need for a child to change her image. Remember girls world? Did that make you want to grow hair from the middle of your head? Did battleships make you want to blow up ships in real life? GET A GRIP and leave my kids to be kids without these terrible thoughts in their heads!
I like your idea Viki.
i like daracula
After reading this article about dolls and the overall objectifying of beauty and women, it’s sad what a world we live in. It is so hard for girls growing up in this society, where beauty is what counts and average goes on with their average lives. Advertising companies tell us as children what we should be and shouldn’t be; they practically run our lives and make decisions for us. If only there were someone in their lives to look after these young girls, to guide them, mentor them, explain what true beauty is and nurture them as they grow. It’s such a shame, really.
See what I mean disser a few days after i say we ran them away.I seriously do not believe what your saying.If you look closer at it and read the tagline its Be Yourself,Be Unique,Be a Monster.Let me guess you read this article,want to go with what they say so your not the antagonist,and you like to read covers.Sigh what every disser does.Can’t you get past the skinny part.Feminist’s go mess with the people who created I’m and I know it instead of the best creation from Mattel.
i love moster high for all those people who love it to ahhhhhhh i crazy for moster high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I also crazy for MH.I’m like the defender of it trying to go from blog to blog trying to get people to realize they’re wrong if they say they hate it for looks,makeup,and boys.It’s more than that,and even though they have bios doesn’t mean you have to go by the bio.It’s to teach you about the character,but that doesn’t mean you can’t make up different things like Clawdeen shaves 1 time a week.like I said
I CRAZY FOR MH.YAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
It can also be Holt saying i crazy for mh,but like
YAA,YAAA,YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t want to be mean,I’m just very defensive over this subject so I’ll be back on 4/1/12.Thats the day I got my first MH doll.
just love it more every day all i talk about is mh mh mh mh mh mh so **** cool
my daughter plays with MH dolls. she also plays with her brother’s star wars figures. she likes make-up and jewelry and pretty dresses. She also likes bugs and snakes and t-ball. point is – it’s a toy. you want your girls to grow up strong and self-confident? banning dolls isn’t going to help you much. Tell your daughters how pretty and smart and talented they are. Tell them often. Let them be as sporty or crafty or prissy or nerdy as they wanna be. Support them all the way. let them know how much you love and appreciate them. If they grow up always knowing that they are valued just for being who they are you will end up with a happy and confident daughter. regardless of what kind of dolls she is playing with.
dolls when we could stop this song.For once I agree with PEGGY ORENSTEIN about showing sex to the youngsters.My friend who is #3 came over and we were bored so we went online to Barbie.com for no reason.Well 1 of the games said GIVE KEN A HOT NEW LOOK and we were like and this is a site for kids so we were like what next will the title change to Make Ken Look Sexy for Barbie so I was like I’m going to rat them out.My son also had an academic pep rally and the song they remade was I’M SEXY AND I KNOW IT AND WAS TURNED INTO I’M BRAINY AND I KNOW IT AND APPARENTLY THEY HAD TO WIGGLE.I’m questioning, why this song?It must be because it appeals to kids.Well lets backtrack to Hooters.Theres one I go to every week because my hubbie plays sports therein the summers and there are diverse,smarter than the others and a little prettier.I’m just saying you may think its a song I think its just wrong.
My daughter is a weirdo. Always has been. She’s drastically thin (despite the healthiest eating habits I’ve ever seen in a kid), super pale, double-jointed all over. She likes reptiles and amphibians, gets dirty, writes poetry, reads enormous novels and discusses philosophy at an adult level. She just turned 12 and won’t even wear sheer lip gloss to a formal event. She lives in her ratty old jeans and a collection of t-shirts. She struggled for years after starting school because of her differences. Amazingly, kids tormented her for being thin and attractive. Kids started acting afraid of her, calling her a freak. Even her friends, in attempt to be supportive, labelled her “the pretty one” which only damaged her self image further because she knows she’s more than that. We have always encouraged her uniqueness. I’ve never told her she should try to fit in, but for a long time she did. She was too afraid to show her true self.
When I first saw these monster high characters I was disappointed by their appearance, I’ll admit. When my daughter (10 at the time) started telling me how amazing it was to see the freaks and weirdos take center stage, though, I listened. She identified with these characters not because they were girly, or thin, or pretty, but because they represented how she had always felt. Since then she has acquired 3 of the dolls and a few accessories. We play with them together. We talk about their clothing. She told me the length of Draculara’s skirt bothered her, but only until she thought about the fact that this was a fictional monster. We talk about the characters’ interactions in the videos. She tells me the lessons she sees in them, or tells me if she feels an episode was lacking a message. Far from influencing her to be more “feminine”, the idea of accepting strangeness has strengthened her resolve to be herself; for her that means a bare face, skinned knees, and band shirts. She celebrates herself now. In the process she’s learned a lot about herself, her friends, and people she thought were her friends. She cut a Cleo out of her life. She informed me she has all the time in the world for dating, so there’s no need to start now. Like Clawdine she plans to be a force in the fashion industry. Like Ghoulia she’s brilliant. Like Draculara she tends to be timid and unsure, but not nearly so much any more.
These dolls had an interesting peripheral effect on my daughter as well. She had been so afraid of being scared as a young child that we had to constantly be on guard. We couldn’t talk about werewolves, carnivorous dinosaurs, ghosts, anything spooky. She refused to go into costume stores because they have scary things. Even creepy music freaked her out. I’m a horror fanatic, as is my husband, so this was parent hell. I think these dolls were a nice bridge for her. They’re creepy without being gory or threatening. Not long after she became interested in MH she started watching sci-fi creature movies. Now she’s reading Stephen King, watching Jurassic Park until we make her change the channel, watching Monster Man and Faceoff. Nothing bothers her anymore.
They totally cut out my other 2 comments so im just gonna leave now but Monster High good,Pervert songs like i’m sexy and I know it bad.so like MH:).
What worries me most about this topic is that people are acting like no one in the world looks like this. Sure, it’s not a vast majority of teenaged girls that do, but there are enough to say that a person can actually look like one of these dolls and not have surgery or be dangerously thin. I think that it’s unfair to say that these dolls are negatively influencing girls just because they look this way when there are girls out there who actually look like this in the real world. At least these dolls don’t look like Barbies. You remember those, right? The dolls with the ankles so thin and the boobs so big that if they were life sized they’d topple over and break? I think that the Monster High dolls are some of the most realistic dolls I’ve seen in my life. They don’t have overly inflated chests or huge hips, the bodies of these dolls are realistically proportioned. They just look like super fit teenaged girls, which is what they are supposed look like. Heck, these dolls even have height differences, which is not a common thing for dolls at all. I think that considering the other types of fashion dolls out there, these are the lesser evil. Sure, all of the dolls are super fit, but at least they look human, which is ironic because they are supposed to be monsters. You do have to remember that Mattel still has to make money and they will not be able to do that by selling dolls that have pimples or are over weight. Instead the represent the acceptance of difference through the different types of monsters that these dolls represent. I think that this is a very clever way of showing diversity with a single brand of dolls without having to risk loosing money because one doll has a less appealing body type than another.
They are dolls… of monsters… why do people pick apart girls toys like this? Women have the distinct problem of getting mad at anyone or anything that is “pretty” The dolls aren’t real and clearly never will be. I don’t see anyone saying anything about all the male superhero toys, movies, books. Aren’t they portraying males the “wrong” way too? So it’s ok to see “perfect” looking male toys but not girl toys? Bit of a double standard isn’t it? Look at the teen “idols” on tv and then really think about who girls are trying to look/be like.. the real people they see on TV not a doll. I have a 6 and a 7 year old daughter and they love MH and neither one of them sees the dolls as something that looks or can be real. They pretend with them, that’s it, they don’t try to BE them. An even so what if they wanted to be like Frankie Stein? She’s covered in scars, how is that being perfect looking?
I think a lot of the debate going on here comes from a misunderstanding of the true problem. The dolls are not the issue.
I was a very girly girl when I was young and collected Barbies. Throughout my youth I can look back and see that they did have a huge negative impact on my personality. But it wasn’t from the dolls.
Not once can I remember feeling bad about myself because of Barbie’s looks. Nor did I think I needed a boyfriend because of Ken. In fact, the doll was merely pretty. Her identity came from me. What started making trouble was the movies. The tv specials. All the programs that reinforced the stereotypes. The bios too. Anything that gave Barbie a character.
What I’m saying is that to a little girl a pretty doll is just that, a pretty doll. It is a blank slate to imprint early imaginative characters on. The real problem is the characterization of these girls (and guys). The terrible bios and awful cartoons that mandate the characters’ behaviors is what parents should be cautious of.
If you want to buy your child a doll then do it. Just don’t let them read the bios. Encourage them to create their own personalities for the dolls. And for the love of everything, teach them about acceptance. More childhood issues come from girl-on-girl bullying then from any toy on the market.
Hell, if your brave, buy one and wipe it clean. Hand your child some paint and let her really create. Take it from a writer/doll remodeler, there is nothing more empowering then creating your own character.
You no i hate when people judge books by their covers. These dolls are at least some what different from other dolls like Barbie who’s always perfect, encouraging girls to be perfect, which in reality is solved with $1,000s of dollars in plastic surgery. These girls know they have flaws and know that thats what makes them unique. They encourage girls to embrace their flaws and not hide them. Ive watched all the tv specials, read all 3 books and have 50 dolls. SO U NO WHAT IF YOU PAYED A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION TO THE LITTLE DETAILS U WOULD REALIZE THESE ARE NOT BAD DOLLS AT ALL.
Monster high love it! Haters hate it! Thats just what makes the world go round! Hehe! Ima tween i love monster high! It is so awesome! Ive read all of the books so far! Monster high shows how unique each and every single monster (or person) can be. They all have theyre freaky flaws, so do we! Its not sexist in anyway or anything like that! So what if they wear makeup it makes them feel good about themselves less, is more! Look at poor draculaura she cant see herself in the mirrior, for all she knows her makeup could make her look like a clown but thats just a flaw, we all have them. Monster high is good, dont hate on it everyone has their own oppions they should have made a haters blog for it because seeing all of the hate comments made me mad! Haters dont you have anything better to do? Lol! Monster high forever! P.S my fave doll is….. Well all of them! But Draculaura most! She was my first one ever!
I love monster high !:*
adoro a monster high espesial a los nuevos y no creia que avia una escuela de moustros asta que aparesieron las monster high espesia a frankie me encanta algun dia quiero ser como ella no cuando muera cuando sea grande
Elline, thank you for your comment directing me here from Shaping Youth’s related post recently upon the launch of similar sexualized dolls (Bratzillaz) and the proliferation of same in the marketplace tamping down ‘choice’ into a mere memory: http://www.shapingyouth.org/bratzillaz-novi-stars-monster-high-same-sexualized-snorefest/
We have a loooooong way to go in educating consumers about the pitfalls of stereotypes/sexualization in a culture so desensitized to same…The trashy, flashy cues to kids are couched in monstrously lame attempts to ‘be different’ when they’re really selling ‘same ol’ in the form of brattitude.
Only ‘new news’ btwn the time you wrote this 2010, and the attempts to reframe the MH brand with ‘good’ via brandwashing in 2012 (which further obfuscates the message to kids too young to ‘get it’ since it’s mashed up w/webisodes showing a heavy dose of relational aggression/mean girl antics repeatedly) is the mega-marketing push behind it funded by Mattel.
Expect your comments to peak again as the movie release ramps up and the minions are deployed. Guaranteed.
I love Monster High…
I like Monster High as well but there’s some competition on the block now with the new Bratzillaz Dolls. We’ll see who comes out on top!
I’m a mother of 3 daughters in various age ranges, 22, 17 & 9. All my daughters LOVE Monster High dolls and not one of them wear makeup, dresses, short skirts, high heels, exposed skin or have low self esteem because they feel they don’t conform to what the dolls look like or to peer pressure. They are strong girls who feel they are beautiful inside and out, without the need for it. Why? Because as a single mother, I raised them right. I worked hard to support them, kept an open ear to all their daily stories & concerns, I discuss what is right and what is wrong and I lead by example. People, your CHILDREN can not dress inappropriately, unless you approve and pay for the clothes, makeup, heels, etc. My girls know if an outfit on a doll doesn’t look appropriate and they will point it out. That hasn’t been a problem with these dolls and THAT’S EXACTLY WHY THEY LOVE THEM. If shaving, waxing & plucking is an issue with some of you, I’d like to see how you’re getting along without doing it and how many of you guys on here who’d really be interested in anyone who doesn’t. I’m not interested in any guys uni-brow and hope he’d pluck it, come on! There is a line of acceptance to vanity. To any young girls on here, what I’d tell my daughters about all the above negative comments against Monster High is, part of being different is knowing when to walk away and not listen or conform to other’s opinions.
A lot of you feminine people, who claim that children should be children and not worry about fashion and make up seem to forgett that alot little girls love to dress up und try the make up of their mothers! Did any of you feminist mothers try on the shoes and dresses of your mothers or paint your face with make-up? I did and I didn’t even watch cartoon. All I had where Snowhite and Tom and Jerry. I had only one or to Barbies and not much dresses for them. I loved pretty dresses just because they were pretty and it feels good to wear something beautiful than something boring! And this were not because of some media stuff but because I’m a girl and this is what a lot girls like (not all). Whats wrong about a girl that whants to wear pretty things? These dolls are created for these kinds of girls. Sure there are girls that prefer other things like being outside, playing in the dirt and read adventure books. For these girls there are also enought great toys. You all should remember that there are diffenrent girls who like to play with different things. And I hope that most mothers give their children to chose between different toys and toys they like and not the toys there mothers like!
I don’t think toys have much influence on the way kids dress and act, I think that’s their friends.
When I was a kid, I played with Hot Wheels and Legos and Breyer horses. But look at me. At sixteen, I (under my own volition) am wearing miniskirts and high heels, I got my first Barbie for Christmas last year, and I’m expanding my My Little Pony collection.
Many women (myself included) feel more comfortable with shaved legs. It has nothing to do with sexism.
I disagree with this. My sister likes MonsterHigh. My sisters play with Barbie. They also love 18 inch dolls such as Our Generation and American Girl. I still lo ve dolls. Monster High is not teaching girls everthing this article says. The motto of it is: Be Yourself Be Unique Be a Monster. Its saying that monsters are unique, but even though they may be different, but you shouldn’t be someone your not. That’sa great thing to be teaching kids, in my opinion. In the series Monster High is about bringing monsters with deifferences together. There’s an movue where they bring the werewolves and vampires together. They hate eachother. But in the end, they learn that they can be friends. I think monster high is different from Barbie, in a good way. Online, there’s a series of short episodes about barbie and the dream house.One is about when they discover there’s no more GLITTER in the city. They get really upset. I still like barbie, but that’s just dum.
You know what bothers me about the line? Draculaura’s VEGAN diet! I know not letting a character kill is a way to make a line safe for children, but substituting blood with massive doses of Iron supplements is like encouraging kids to do “supplement abuse”, and that is when parents put their feet down. So why couldn’t Mattel give the vegan diet to the Werewolves instead? I mean after watching part of a Werewolf movie, I see that a werewolf eating meat is rather disturbing and unoriginal!
yay! I agree! I feel rhe same way :3
*like*
Well said.