Mattel’s New “Monster High” Dolls Play On Old-School Stereotypes
August 19, 2010 by Elline Lipkin · 171 Comments
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.
This is most depressing because they could have potentially made it awesome. I mean, these are monsters for hells sake, I would think they could get a little more creative. Where's the high school stereotypical banshee tomboy? Where are the confused young cyclops struggling to compromise between size and anger, and their desire to make clothes? What about zombies trying to fit in during "red rover" and losing limbs?
Augh. I think if they had just made it a little less… mainstream, it could have been a Spongebob or Invader Zim-esque cartoon amusing multiple generations and ages. They would have made more money that way. Morons.
I’ve gotta agree with you. I’m interested in the dolls and everything (just when I thought I was a little too old to play with them XD), but I find the whole story (the obsession with boys, the obsession over looks, blah blah blah,) completely uninteresting. I mean, I’d be a heck of a lot more into it if they actually handled problems like what you said, but sadly, they don’t. Who wants to spend their time on something that’s repeated the story of many other teen shows and cartoons, just with a little twist?
Let’s throw them into situations their parents had to deal with, not boring situations such as dating and zits. I couldn’t be any more uninterested.
Despite all this, I will probably still buy a couple dolls, just because they look really fun.
Oh yeah someonehahahaha.your interested in the dolls but hate the rest of it.It’s either you like or you don’t,pick a side.(my suggestion is you pick the like side.Plus if you join like we can go against pop tarts because they hate monster high.Especially Clawdeen:(SO PICK YOUR SIDE.)
Ok, that just sounds like an elementary school would do,and why are you on this page if you don’t like monster high,PLUS QUIT DISSING IT and if you don’t know what that means it means quit making fun of.Same for you ms.blog.Monster High is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
Freaky just got fabulous — a great tagline so unfortunately wasted on these dolls. Girls are the collateral damage in these Bratz Wars. Important piece. Thanks, Elline!
OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YOU DID NOT JUST WRITE THAT.WHY DO YOU GUYS HATE MH.UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
I'm not completely sure about this. I mean yeah they could have gone all out and made huge gigantic problems for each individual accurate to their species, but that isn't very well necessary. I mean there are episodes where they face the tiniest problem due to their being the species they are. Frankie Stein is almost always losing a body part due to her being stitched together. Draculaura couldn't see herself in the mirror one episode when she went to check herself for a crush. Yes it might seem like a stereo type but many girls of this age do dress to impress and fix themselves in order to please others. Many people deal with problems in their own way so to portray young women as we see them is bad? Because being fake is how people really are.. they care about looks and being beautiful in a way.. some not to the extreme but maybe the characters can look a little more realistic with their bodies and hair. Tho.. i'm sure we can say that with alot of barbie dolls.
I agree with Shalaya on this one; I think that these doll are nothing more than a new version/revival of the old Universal Pictures horror movie merchandising meme from the 50's and 60's, except updated to today. As a fan of those old horror movies, I want one, and I'm a guy! I wish that they would make male versions of these dolls, but such is life.
There are about..3 guy characters,but i only remember two names:duece gorgon anf jackson jekyll…some one else,too…oh well.just saying cuz there are MORE than1 guy characters.
They do make three male dolls. However that is about all they made for males. I have been trying to find a male halloween costume for my ten year old son. There arent any to be found.
Heres some ideas:
1 Eliza- elizabeth bathory’s (google her, if you dont know who she is) troublesome daughter, wears lolita clothing (google the clothing if youre curious) golden brown locks, pale skin, red eyes, and a smirk upon her lips.
2 Lorena- la llorona’s (weeping woman, for you who dont know about the mexican story) daughter, depressing and wears anything hot topic worthy. Black long tousled hair, hispanic look, dead eyes, insomnia rings around her eyes
3 Lucas- la lloronas son, Lorena’s twin, looks like her, but with a more skater style, still depressing.
Also, these dolls look like the bratz if they died, so make their lips a little bit… less huge?
D< if you use my ideas, you better give Artemis Laredo some credit, because i came up with these spawns, so yeah!
Speaking from the view point of a teenager, who is also a goth; I love these dolls!
I have only Draculaura but I am going to buy Frankie Stein soon.
Sure; while they are image obsessed and have itty bitty waists, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing. Barbie has been doing that for years and no one seems to care.
Besides this gives the younger generation a chance to learn about old school monsters that aren’t poorly portrayed in Twilight. I mean, how many young girls have seen Creature from the Black Lagoon or a vampire movie without some teenager boy in it?
Oh and they need to make a witch or skeleton doll
And besides Bride of Frankenstien, there’s Bride of Dracula!
I DO care about Mattel's Barbie doll and what it does to propagate harmful beauty practices for women… and I'm sure a lot of other Ms readers care about the underlying message of Barbie too… It's ok if you like these dolls, but you've gotta hand it to them: They're just a reiteration of social expectations for young women…. nothing new about that.
"Barbie has been doing that for years and no one seems to care"??? Since when? Barbie's physique and persona have been the topic of feminist discourse for decades. I know you're pretty young, but you must be interested in feminist issues or you wouldn't be reading the Ms. blog. I think you should consider reading some classic feminist lit of the 70s-90s.
you are so right, i have a 6 yr old who absolutely loves horror movies and things that go bump, she has never been into the typical barbie, and with these shes all about them becasuse we love that kind of stuff, she doesnt like twilight she loves Underworld and an interview with a vampire. She loves the old school monsters so for her thats why she loves these dolls not because they have tiny waists and high heels and all that superfical crap all you other prude parents think of its just because there monsters. nothing more nothing less, people just need to stop criticizing every thing as if its the devil and its so bad for your kids. if you explain to your kids what is what and good and bad what does it matter if there wearing tiny skirts or lots of make up…most kids dont even notice that….they just see something they relate too
I agree with jen:3 btw,the only thing that angers me is barbie’s boobs. They look like a size D! O_o
I agree with Jen and Sadie.No actually though they look like size G for Giant.
Lol,i have clawdeen,cleo de nile,jackson jekyll,duece gorgon,draculaura,frankie stien…and..thats it :3 i think they are cute..no matter what.i love monsters! LOVE!!!
Exactly right, Elline- the empowering potentials of monstrosity seem to completely fall off the map in this line!
Thanks for your article!
Great article. I have nothing to say because you took the words out of my brain!
NO, not great article.Elline is totally dissing MH ,and as a MH fan I do not like this article. out of every type of doll she choose these to make fun of.I would rather her make fun of Barbies upper body,Tiny head,and feet than Monster High.MH is VOLTAGE.
got all monster high dolls
Bleck. Not only do they have to be ditzy, devoted to pleasing male classmates, super thin, and super feminine, but they can't even be hairy? Let it grow, sista! THAT'S a small price to pay for being scarily accepting of your body and self.
*like*
I agree! Well sorta…but any ways, lol, “let it grow sista!”
me and all my dweebs have all the monster dolls! they rule our school!
please accept my comment! this is me and my two friends life!
this is disgusting. i actually had my hopes up for a minute.
someone needs to make curvy or at least normal dolls.
and you people wonder wile child anorexia/bulimia is on the rise.
do you people not care? you want our children to starve themselves, all for the sake have
appealing to their classmate's sexual desires?
i truly can't begin to describe how revolting this is to me.
again. DISGUSTING.
O_o i don’t starve my self… I love the way i am! :3 im awesome just the way i am…and i is proud of itz! *goofy smile*
That seems like more than an unfair exaggeration. In fairness, the anatomy of a monster high doll is pretty much no boobs, all hips, all calves. They’re made to look awkward and clunky. Its a stylised sculpt. Any child can tell its not supposed to be anatomically correct.
It’s unfair on young girls to think they are so naive as to assume that they have to look like a blatantly STYLISED doll to be pretty. Everyone decides what is or is not beautiful for themselves when they get quite a bit older. There are no dolls with facial piercings or mohawks but many girls decide that is what is beautiful to them and emulate those stlyes. My favourite doll growing up was a powerpuff girl. I didnt assume I needed to saw my fingers off to be cool.
Beauty does not threaten a child. Beauty threatens adults.
These dolls were not conceived as an oppressive raffirmation of a warped body image in young girls and to perceive it as such is downright paranoid. Its so easy to see evil in any representation of the female body but we have to remember that children DONT CARE about stuff like that. Children aren’t prone to feeling down about their body type like older women are. They learn this neurotic, self-deprocating behaviour when they see older women’s paranoia and sensitivtes about themselves. A doll doesn’t talk about her diet in front of your children. A doll doesn’t watch weight loss shows in front of your children. A doll does not ask you daughter ‘Does my butt look big in this?’. How can women complain that inanimate objects are responsible for reinforcing society’s image of female beauty when THEY THEMSELVES ARE THE SOCIETY THIS IMAGE COMES FROM? Its ridicuolous. These anorexics you speak of have parents. It is not a doll company’s responsability to raise a child.
You know what people.Maybe the way you guys hate is, is Who they actually are.Also they are curvy unless you mean fat curvy and when fat curvy happens that’s when they start looking like Barbies upper body and no one wants a fat doll.
That comment above was meant for Leah.
this article is not what i had in mind to say about these dolls! no offense to ms. elline but have any of you tried to take a moment and actually go to the web site for yourselves? have your own minds as a teen i understand many of you don't play with dolls anymore but i have been able yo get my friends and sisters into it. they actully like it. so have your own minds and stop hating off these dolls! i bet you wouldn't have done it any better if you worked at Mattel and had a dead line to create a new doll! so in the words of monster high "FREAKY JUST GOT FABULOUS!!!!!!" peace!
I don't think Ms Lipkin is "hating" on these dolls. She is simply stating an observation she made in terms of the underlying message they are sending out to adolescent women. I am not going to lie, these little monster dolls are adorable, sexy, "fabulous," what have you, but they are not doing anything "new" so to speak. I think you missed Ms Lipkin's point: she is not so much talking about the dolls themselves or even that we are not teens anymore so we must hate them, Ms Lipkin is simply stating that it works on the same old stereotypes and expectations that have been fed to us for thousands of years! The geeky character is invisible, is given no other depth except that she's an outcast (and I mean look at her… she looks just like the other popular monsters). The storyline centers around the same issues, with the same kinds of women: cute-n-trendy clothes, boy-crushing, zit-hating, small0-waisted, big-lipped girlies. And we all know that not every woman fits into that cute little Barbie mold. Where are the big chicks? Where are the less-than-fashionable? Where do we get a glimpse of a more reality-based high school scene? You may be grown up and hence, not have such an impact on you. You can buy the dolls and watch the show and come out unaffected, but for an "outcast" young girl, this has greater psychological effects. Trust and believe,when I was young, these representations DID affect me…
COKIGO AND ELLINE are hating MH.
Look… I think you're all getting worked up over nothing. Yeah, they're all super-skinny and groomed to perfection, but would they have sold if they WEREN'T? I think these dolls are BEYOND AWESOME and I would kill to have had something like this when I was younger instead of only Barbies (not that I didn't love me some Barbie dolls, don't get me wrong). It's something different and I'll be interested to see where Mattel takes it.
Maybe you should ask yourself why another kind of doll wouldn't sell… maybe because, since we were infants, we've been taught to adore the slim and groomed figure? It's only new up to the monstrous point but the rest is all the same. Plus, you have to understand that the "ideal woman" we have in mind in a bourgeoisie invention. In "high / rich" culture, this is body type is preferred and hence, made possible with the big bucks. So in a sense, it does reflect A reality, but not the ultimate reality of all people.
Hello Ms. Lipkin! Thank you so much for this wonderful post! I really enjoyed it and I am glad that, despite a lot of the deterring comments, you were able to go against such a huge social tradition as is Mattel and tell it to us like it is. Good job!
this WAS NOT a good post.NOT good job .Quit HATING ON MONSTER HIGH.
Love'm all there sooooo cute,can't wait to collect them all for my daughter !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I first saw the dolls sitting on a store shelf I looked twice. I was pleased to see something so cute and girly turned fashion doll. Living Dead Dolls never hit it like this. I was GLAD to see something different, finally. My daughter is almost 12, she loves unusual things, horror, monsters, fairies, etc. and Barbie got boring when she was 6. Bratz were nothing but Barbie's with inflated heads and shrunken flashy outfits, and also lost their appeal. Luckily for her Mcfarlane made the Corpse Bride doll which became a prized treasure, and speaking of tiny unrealistic waists that one is itsy bitsy.
I never liked Barbie as a young girl nor did it influence me. I found the dolls boring, unrealistic, and ugly with their vacant stares and smiles. The only doll that I ever liked as a child was a Flower Princess by Creata, she had lavender skin, hair to match, and lavender jewel eyes. Now that was a doll worth having. But I never got fussed about her body shape, or any dolls body for that matter. I mean it was a toy and I got that the whole time. But I understand I was not impressionable in that way, which doesn't mean I should expect the same of others. When my daughter watches Nickelodeon tomorrow and sees these dolls on TV in action for the first time (and I won't deny her it, even if it is extremely stereotypical nonsense) I'll watch for her reactions. I'll talk to her about those things, the reality of them, and how she feels about it. That's the most important part.
Yes, it's a shame that these pretty little freaks are only that on the outside, and have no real life worthy problems or lessons to teach, but honestly it's an image they are selling and people are gobbling it up. I mean honestly, how unusual is it really when you can buy your goth clothing at Hot Topic at the mall? Monsters are the new in, and it is the image, not the great personalities (or the greatly lacking ones) of these dolls. Should we really be surprised? This place is hardly ready for moral filled cartoon characters when we are still obsessed with physical looks, our models and a great many actors look sickly thin, and cosmetic surgery isn't shying away into the corner. We're practically plastic ourselves, emotionally and mentally, at least the majority are. What we can do is talk to our children and put these pathetic ideas out of their heads of pimple obsession and crush-sickness, be open and honest with them, give them healthy real ideals and goals. And this cartoon will be nothing more than cute fluffy entertainment to pass the time… until they get bored with this, too.
How do you think a child is going to respond at Christmas, or their birthday if a parent plops down a present, that they excitedly tear into, and it's something completely opposite of a stereotypical doll?
You give a child a fat doll, and you're telling them the same thing as Barbie but in a different way – "it's okay to be fat" but it's not, because childhood obesity is a major thing, it means you're growing up to be a huge fat piece of lard when you're older. Exactly what is a fat doll going to come with? Food? A treadmill? Plus size clothing? That which you would have to buy special because unlike Barbies or most dolls you cant recycle their clothes onto a new doll.
how about a doll for a child that looks like… a child? My daughter has never owned a Barbie, Bratz, or other sexualized doll. All her dolls look like DOLLS, not women. Because she’s a CHILD. And, oh yes, there are actual DOLL CLOTHES that fit many different dolls.
Wow…didn’t know fat hatred was cool at Ms. Magazine.
With your line of idealogy, girls are playing with dolls like Barbies and subconsciously Mattel is planting it in their heads that they have to be pretty, thin and blonde. So hopefully, there are no kids out there playing with Monster High dolls and thinking, "Oh I cant wait to be dead, decaying with bolts in my neck when I'm older! Oh and huge boobs."
You can't harp on dolls not being realistic because they aren't meant to be, it's fiction in your hands, something to play with thats different than everyday life. No kid wants to be reminded of what they are or how they look, that is your job as a PARENT to tell them it's okay to be who they are.
Just like those millions of parents who harp on letting a tv babysit your child, people are unconsciously doing the same with toys.
Monster high dolls have no boobs.they are very small.the only bodily sexualized thing is..small waste..thin body.
Give your kid a toy, let it dictate their life, their appearence, their body and mind?
If your kids have problems, dont blame the inanimate objects, their only doing their job – Put the blame on real people – schools, other children, other children's parents, a child's own parents, society, blah blah blah.
P.S. I'll give you a clue about society and its hierarchy – it's been around for hundreds of years and the caste system probably won't ever end – because its not utopia no matter where or when you go. It's up to you to teach your kids that they can overcome it, if not, then stop with the ultra feminine babble.
From my point of view it's only the adults and mostly only women who are worried about Barbie's looks, no child worries about it until an adult puts it in her head.
While I agree with the OP's opinion and thoughts, I think we all underestimate the power of a child's imagination. When I played with Barbie's as a kid I wasn't playing Dream House. I was playing Warrior Princess or Secret Agent. Heck, half the time the dolls were stand-ins for Marvel heroines such as Storm or Rogue. Girls maybe playing with Frankie or Cleo, but they could making another world, where girls are heroes and everyone is equal.
There are Barbie-sized dolls of Storm and Rogue (not by Mattel, though). You can find them on eBay. I have Rogue from years ago.
These dolls are real wonder, my niece likes them better than barbie, especially because these dolls are so poseable.
i have been looking for these dolls since haloween, they are sold out everywhere, even on line, with a toy so hot why wasnt mattel prepared? oh did i mention u cant even get them on mattel's website
I don't get why so many commenters are so against the idea that the little silly pretty plastic things with which we fill our lives do build towards our understanding of the world around us. Toys are how we START understanding the world around us – through imagination, role-play, imitation etc. Of course no kid's going to consciously think she has to change to be more like the doll. It's not about that. It's about the hegemony of the image of womanhood presented by these dolls. It's the fact that that image is SO often a tall, white, thin, leggy and sexualised chick who likes shopping and boys, and there are SO many different kinds of woman that that leaves out.
If you went into a store looking for green ketchup and were repeatedly told, "sorry, we don't have that" and "green ketchup? No way" and "why don't you like normal ketchup?" then you might start to feel like you're a freak – or at least abnormal – for liking what you like. Difference is if a chubby little tomboy black girl can't find a single doll that looks anything like her, she might start to feel like she's a freak for being what she is.
Just because this is "the way it is" doesn't mean it's not utter bullshit. Just because it's subtle doesn't mean it's not damaging. C'mon people.
Oh thank god someone comments with a modicum of sense and media literacy.
Still being in school myself,i must say…i don’t care about what their bodies look like.in fact i’m a total nerd.sometimes i’ll renact mythology….lol im a nut for egyptian mytholaogu..lol,nut…i made a funny :3
I think that this sentense is pretty stupid. " 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." I mean seriously. It's not even trying to tell or get girls to start liking boys, and who ever wrote the article above, needs to learn that the whole "Monster High" thing is not to get anyone to like anyone or get them in a sexual realshonship, the whole thing is for kids to have fun, just like "Barbie".
If anyone is against "Monster High" and not against "Barbie" than they need to learn that if they think that it should be cancled and only that or if it should be cancled and Barbie should get more attetion, than they have a lot of learning and thinking to do. This is what I think and that I think that who ever wrote the article above, about the rude and sexualness of Monster High, needs to get a life!!! End of discussion for me!
same FOR POP tarts
A lot of people are trotting out the go-to line of "do your job as a parent, it's just a toy!" Toys absolutely influence children's understanding of themselves and the world around them. Play is how children express themselves. What bothers me the most about this is the messages that kids get about being different–it's ok to be different, but only in this way. As long as you're still thin, have good hair, etc.
They're just dolls and just because they aren't Barbie doesn't mean they're bad.
Kids aren't going to go into the dolls this much and analyze them.
I played with Ninja Turtle action figures as a kid and I never wanted to be a giant green turtle.Barbies always gave me the creeps when I was a kid.Freaky just got Fabulous and they're beating Barbie's butt.
BTW these dolls are sold out in several towns in the country.They can't restock them fast enough!
They are out-selling Barbie for the holiday season! YAHOO!
Let kids be kids and let them have their fun.
The author of this article could have done a lot more research on these dolls. I just found out about them today and know full well that there are at least three male dolls, not just one. I suspect my daughter is going to want all of them for her collection of somewhat odd horror based toys (like Living Dead Dolls). Fashion dolls like these always come with teeny waists and are often portrayed with insipid personalities. So what? Do you really think that the children who play with them don't add their own voice to the dolls when they play with them? Do you really think that young girls are stupid enough to believe that it is possible to have a fashion doll-esque body? I don't think you're giving young girls, tweens and teens, enough credit. My daughter is 12 and is concerned about her weight, but I'm fairly certain (based on my own fight with an eating disorder) that her concern is healthy and she's handling it in a healthy manner. As for boys, from what she's told me, she doesn't get the fascination and stupid behavior provoked by it that her friends are currently experiencing. Perhaps parental involvement and helping with priorities is what keeps her from being so concerned about boys and what others think rather than caring about how she really feels.
I don't agree with the opinion on the dolls. So what if they're girlie! I want one! They're MY type of dolls!
To be honest I'm both on the side of the author and not; on one side I was just saying the other day that I'm dissapointed in not only Barbie, but the Disney Princesses (who I grew up with) and every other doll out there for being the SAME, "Long hair, tiny waist, high heels, fashion" the end. And more over I was irritated that the Disney Princesses who actually EARN their happy endings;( IE: Mulan and Pochahantas as two examples) don't get any media like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty do, they aren't encouraging girls to pick up the sword and fight for themselves, they're encouraging them to sit and wait for their prince, and in these times that'll never happen, it's a false message, a simaler problum is seen here, we have monsters for crying out loud, Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, and do we see anything other than the "classic" highschool setting? No, we don't see Draculaura trying to fit in with daytime creatures, or see her trying to incooperate her own opinions into her reports and such, we don't see the monsters even TALKING about humans and how hard it is to fit in with them, we see the same old thing, we see the popular girl and her popular boyfreind, we see the nerd, we see the exchange student, we see the fashionesta and we see the "normal" girl, that's it, it's just normal highschool with some word changes really, on the other hand we should look at the audience this is intended for, I agree with some of the posters above me that children are very creative and will give their dolls their own voice and personalities… BUT… how old are these children? If we're talking about young girlss under ten then I see no real problum, if we're talking about tweens who are going to be in the same highschool situations soon then they may turn to these books and mini-episodes to see "How would Frankie handel this?" after all… Twilight seems to have impacted the teenage mind right? We need to be able to produce something fun, something age-appropriate, and something sending a positive message for young girls
I am an adult, and NOT a feminist though I do work for human rights activism. I am not a feminist because there is a rejection of me on a local and larger level based on my disabilities. Upfront, I have to say this article is good but you are forgetting something, and that is the monsters themselves.
Monsters are disabled, that's what they portray. So each of these girls IS disabled. This means there is now a mainstream doll for many youth with disabilities. A responsible parent will go over their child with the pros and cons about the images of these dolls. They are thin, but they are also CORPSES.
There are also more guys than you list, three total and more planned.
If you have doubts about the dolls' disability status take a look at Ghoulia. She's downright autistic.
EVerything has it';s flaws and it's pluses. I think you are underestimating the parent's ability to discuss the pros and cons with their kids. I have also found it is mostly adult collectors buying these up, at least on a local level. I will own each one eventually, and yes I know Mattel does bad things. So does every other toy company. If it is in the media and advertised it is NOT going to be perfect.
Then again could yo umake a toy that is perfectly ism free, appeals to the masses both aware of their privilege and unaware, sells well, and is still striking?
For those of you complaining about Clawdeen's hair, there are portrayals of her with her natural afro as well. If you want proof look at her soccer outfit, the first fashion sold separately for her. She is drawn with a cute fro. It is progress that Mattel chose a doll of color for their first release. Not perfect, but I think they ARE trying.
You know … I like this post so much more
i said their were three guys and yes.they ARE corpses.which DOES explain thinness because most are already dead. Way to go,kateryna fury! 
YAY for Kateryna Fury.
when you made this article, did you really care about the idea or did you just want to make a goody goody article so that others think youre caring and a good person?
would you rather girls say " i wanna have 500 different careers, pets, a flattering wardrobe, a super tiny waist, blonde hair and a hot boyfriend who walks around without a shirt" or have them think "i wanna buy the monster high clothes from justice because the clothes are cute" or " my favourite monster high character is draculaura because she has a lot of friends"?
part 2 of my comment
each monster high character is completely different, which means more children can relate to them.
the characters make different styles beautiful. like for example, ghoulia has glasses and she makes them look really cool. i hated my glasses but now i wanna be more like ghoulia and make something that's not very attractive into something unique.
onto my next point, who would buy a doll that's overweight, with frizzy hair that you can't brush and style, that has a boring wardrobe, and isn't very popular because of its boring personality?
the dolls have to look nice. nobody is actually gonna get neck bolt piercings to look like frankie.
Lol,good point! And I used to wear nerd glasses
I love these dolls because they are not of the norm….norm of what is out there. I have a set of all of the dolls and so do my daughters. I have never played with dolls as a child but as an adult facinated with these dolls. My dolls are tucked away. My daughters have barbies, liv dolls, bratz dolls too. They are TOYS and they love them all! It is up to us as parents to make sure to remind our children that's all they are. If your children don't know this then the problem is in the parenting!!! TALK TO YOUR KIDS:)
PS- When my daughters play with all the different types and brand of dolls at the same time, the dolls are all sisters and cousins and friends and get along. It doesn't matter if one is green, one has big lips, or one has blonde hair!!!!
Lol i have all those dolls in that pic i have 9 right now i love monster high but there lags always fall off
I have all the main dolls exept 1 and thats claden but i have her pardy doll i have 3 swimming ones and 5 main dolls 1 pardy a di think thats it idk?? lol
This is so sad.
I've been around dolls for a long time, and at first it bothered me that all the dolls seem to revolve around were
clothes, shoes, boys, and high school. But if you think about it you realize: That's all kids really 'have' to worry about. They don't have bills, they don't have terrorism, they don't have housing to worry about. Thats a parent's gig.
For the sake of a storyline, I wish they did have something else to be concerned with, but actually that 'is' all the average teenager has. For teenagers, unless the age of adulthood drops and they all have to suddenly support families, these are going to be the enduring issues. And these same issues have been the problem for decades.
But what concerns me about Monster High and what keeps me from purchasing them is that they 'look' cheap.
When I see them in the store, it just feels like Mattel didn't really put in any effort into making them. Joints look like they're coming apart, vinyl looks fragile. Sure the boxes are okay but the dolls….I don't know
The limbs are supposed to come off to make dressing easier.
I have a friend who’s had allot of the dolls for over a year and a leg came of one of the dolls because the doll was doing the splits,and Mattel sent her the Frankie for free.The rest of the dolls besides Jackson are in Perfect condition.They think Jackson came broken though.That just goes to show if you take care of the doll they don’t break.
“teen and tween set” my ass. Mattel’s target marketing age for these “dolls” is AGE SIX.
Yes, let’s foist more highly-sexualized toys on our children. Why not? I know I’d just love to see my elementary-school-aged (“tween”) daughter go out the door dressed like a sex worker.
These dolls are actually predominantly bought by adult collectors.
Monster High:
Monster High Is The Only Doll Series Of Female Dolls That I Have Ever Found With:
*Gothic/Emo Tints
*People With Different Characters
*Un-Stereotypes Suck As:
-Smart Zombies
-Vegan Vampires
-Ware Wolves & Vampires Being Friends.
*It’s Some Thing People Yound And Old Actually CAN Like
Yes There Fashionable But So What?
They Act Normal-Ish But That Thurther Proves There Point That Just Cuz There “Monsters” They Don’t Have To Be H
How dare you say that to Monster high.
Why Pick On Them? No One Did This To Barbie So Why Monster High Just Cause There Monsters? Think It Threw!
Lighten up people, they are just dolls, and if parents are sensible enough they will buy these for their teens and not toddlers, these are more popular among adult collectors. And if we’re going to point fingers, then let’s talk about Barbie, typical blonde bimbo, who ends marrying someone who’s freakin gay! I mean really, I grew up playing with Barbies and have turned out just fine, never wished to dress or look like her, I think you should worry more about who you kids are dealing with at school and on the web, we live in a world of cookiecutters, we are expected to fit in, coming from someone who is not your typical looking American, I encourage individuality, I grew up dressing different and still am unique and that has paved a very successful life for me, it’s why my hubby fell in love with me and we have 2 wonderful daughters who have been taught to be their own person and not followers like most teens now.
My girls are exposed to many different things and know the difference between right and wrong and have strong values, we’ve taught them to be kind and air to everyone no matter what they look like, and they are not influenced by peer pressure. I mean you are worried about vinyl dolls and not Hannah Montana, who looks like the typical teen and was struting around on a strip pole, great role model! I think I’ll take the fangs and mini skirts over that uncultured bimbo! I’m tired of society dictating who we should be, that’s why our country is in so much disarray, learn a little from the Japanese and Europeans, where individuality is encouraged among other things, and they seem to be way more advanced in the world of culture than we are.
Agreed! The US WAS supposed to be a FREE country.
Personally, I think you people are just trying too hard to find something wrong with these dolls. Leave us kids alone! If we like monster dolls, let us keep them! You already ruined Bratz, don’t ruin MH! I may be 12, but I REALLY speak my mind. I was really ticked when they changed Bratz and took them off the shelves for 1-2 years. Many kids were ticked. And many aren’t happy with the new looks. I speak my mind, no offense, but you guys need to stop finding flaws and let us kids have fun.
Ok! Whoever is making rude comments about monster high, im guessing your not the smartest person, because im 12! AND IM NOT TRYING TO IMMITATE THESE DOLLS! i play with them cuz there fun, and you should look in magazines, you see kids walking around with mini skirts, and bras and THAT WAS BEFORE MONSTER HIGH! So parents i hope you know when you see your child trying to immitate a doll, theres a new word ITS CALLED NO! And plus, now your going to get these dolls taken off the shelves for 1-2 years like you guys did with bratz, and your going to ruin the fun for all of the kids. I might be 12 but i speak my mind, and i dont care if your an adult, i will tell you off, so if you dont like the doll, dont buy it, dont complain about it, and be done with it, Just because the doll is skinny, has lots of make up, and has long hair dosnt mean anything, all it means is that ITS A DOLL! Its not real! Us kids immitate our parents, NOT PLASTIC ITEMS LIKE THESE AMAZING DOLLS, so shut up haters, cuz i have 10 of these dolls, and im getting my 11th today, so am i anerexic, no, am i wearing skimpy outfits, no, am i wearing makeup, HELL NO, so get over yourselfs haters no one likes haters, and when these dolls get pulled off the shelves we will blame u. ok? so SHUT UP, and try to learn some facts.
Okay. I was the first Anonymous. I don’t know who was the second one, of course. I totally agree with anonymous #2. But anyways…MH is like THE best doll line EVER! I don’t see anything wrong with it. The mini episodes are very interesting…and you people just don’t like it. Maybe it’s because you’re possible adults…or maybe you ARE trying TOO HARD. If your kid is wearing a slutty outfit, you have enough authority to say “Take that off and put on something else!” or ground them! But I have a hard time thinking that a 1-12 year old would be easily influenced from a DOLL. You protecting us from a DOLL make us feel stupid, making it sound like we’re easily influenced by a DOLL. I was always headstrong. I’m a leader, not a follower. I’m sure there’s others out there, too. SO…BACK OFF AND LET US ENJOY MONSTER HIGH! THE REASON WHY BRATZ ISN’T POPULAR ANYMORE IS BECAUSE OF THEIR LOOKS CHANGING! THEY WERE FINE BEFORE AND YOUR BIG MOUTHS RUINED ‘EM! I’M FED UP WITH ALL OF THIS BULL! Sick of it! You guys need to back off!!!
Sure, everyone have a right to their opinion, but your opinions can be destructive. So, shut up.
Kids are smarter than you think…but obviously, you adults think we’re like dumb and dumber. Sometimes, we’re smarter than the adult. I think some of you aren’t smarter than their kids.
I’m not getting ticked off again! You BETTER keep those dolls on the shelves…otherwise, many kids…including me, would get ticked and there would be problems. Keep peace, please. Sorry if I sound harsh, but I speak the truth.
As bonecas surgiram de uma maneira diferenciada das bonecas as quais brincavamos, porém apresentam um inovação e um novo olhar. As minhas filhas curtem bastante, estou aguardando que cheguem ao mercado peças para substituição(roupa, brincos,…)para que elas possam brincar e variar em suas brincadeira com é com a Barbie.
Att.
Lol I love these dolls I have Jackson Jekyll, Holt Hyde and am gonna get Deuce gorgon I collect male dolls haha I hate barbie Love ken……anyways I might get Draculaura she’s cute and gothic.
I am in love with these dolls!! I am almost 21 but, I love collecting dolls (i have the whole collection of Sailor Moon). I do not care about “being worried about looks and boys”. Helloooooo that is what most girls in high school are worried about because they have nothing else to worry about! Come on, it sterotyping highscool, and the kick ass twist is that they are the sons are daughters of MONSTERS! I grew up with classic monsters and this is just awesome for me!
I wish, I WISH there were dolls like these when I was a little girl. I might actually have to go out and get one of these MH dolls because they look like I did in high school. They’re too skinny with more hips than anything else and too-long hair and clothes that came out of a Hot Topic instead of Abercrombie & Fitch. Hell, one of them is a nerd with glasses! There are finally dolls who don’t look like every popular harpy (which is being kind) that made my life in high school miserable. MH dolls look like my friends and I did. Even if Mattel missed the mark by several yards by making them stereotypically “girlie” and sexualized them, they came incredibly close to making a true-to-high-school-life line of dolls for girls who don’t look like Barbie and her friends.
Bratz and Barbies bored me, because I didn’t look like any of them; none of them were short or wore glasses or had shoes that never fit right because their feet were too small or had small breasts and couldn’t fill out her prom dress without stick-on silicone ones. I’m 4’10″ and 105 lbs, 34A-28-36, a size 0-2, with a less-than-5 size foot. I always wear my glasses instead of contacts, roll out of bed and pull my hair into a sloppy ponytail most days, let my nail polish chip, only wear eyeliner and lip balm for makeup, shop in thrift and consignment shops for my clothes, and wear Converse All Stars and Doc Martens. I’m not the only girl out there like that, and Mattel finally picked up on it and cashed in.
You can’t fault them for making dolls they know will be a major hit with people older than the target market for them, and you can bet your ass that they’re going to cash in big on MH’s popularity with teenagers and collectors. Even if their intention was skewed, you can’t fault them for being shrewd business people.
These dolls are popular because not too many toys are as original as these. Also, the Monster High episodes are a great mix to the Monster high world.
I love MONSTER HIGH DOLLS.. my daughter only two years old n she loves them, everywhere she they are with her.. barbie n disney where racist people, why Bcuz they just came out we a african american princess n barbie was all white girls n until the 70s or 80s.. with the MONSTER HIGH we don’t race Bcuz they have different skin color..