When I attended the BowlHer'09 party in Chicago last month, one of the hot items being passed out as swag was a new fashion doll called Moxie Girlz. I saw women walking out of the party with more than 1 big Moxie Girlz box, so it wasn't surprising that they had run out of Moxie Girlz by the time I got up to the swag table. I wasn't too disappointed, because I thought they looked a bit like Bratz dolls -- and I
Bratz. Ugh. The name just rubs me raw -- brats are spoiled, selfish, kids. Bratz dolls are all about hair and fashion, which is fine, but their slutty clothing is not something I'd want my daughter wearing. And when I found out that Moxie Girlz is actually created by the company that originally created Bratz, I thought, there's no way I'm going to like these Moxie Girlz!
The Pea isn't interested in Bratz dolls either -- she says they look mean and unfriendly. So when I got back from BlogHer, I was really surprised to see her pick up the Moxie Girl contact card that I had picked up at the party and ask whether I would be reviewing the Moxie Girl doll. I said, probably not, because they looked like Bratz dolls to me. But she insisted it wasn't the same as a Bratz doll -- "Mama, she looks so pretty and nice! I don't like Bratz dolls either, but I like this one!" I was more intrigued at The Pea's attitude than anything else, so I emailed the name on the card and said I was interested in doing a Moxie Girlz review.
Welllll.....whadddayaknow -- Moxie Girlz aren't as bad as I thought! In fact, they're not bad at all! We received Sasha, and The Pea totally loves her. I'm totally reversing my initial snap judgement, and declaring for the record that the Moxie Girlz are welcome in our household. Here's why:
The Basics
Moxie Girlz is a new doll line that encourages girls ages 6-10 to be confident, creative and, as their motto goes, to "Be True! Be You! (TM)". The four core characters -- Lexa, Avery, Sasha and Sophina each have her own style and story. Each doll comes in a basic package, as well as in three themed packages:
Art-itude - the doll comes with markers and a bike that girls can decorate and personalize
Jammaz - the doll comes with music accessories so girls can pretend their doll is a rock star
Magic Hair - the doll comes with fun hair styling products that girls can use on their doll's hair and their own.
The Bongga
Wow. The Pea sure called it right. I have no idea how she made that judgement based on one small illustration, but I'm glad she did. Moxie Girlz are not Bratz. I'm relieved to see that they are much, much more appropriate for young girls! Their fashions are trendy, not skanky. They've got the big, doe-shaped eyes, but their expressions are dreamy, not sulky.
But what I really like is the message that Moxie Girlz sends to girls. Their tagline -- Be True! Be You! -- says it all, and it really resonates with my Girl-Power-conscious Pea. Yes, they're fashion dolls, but they are less about materialistic fashion and more about setting your own style. A Moxie Girl is more than just a pretty face!
The Blah
There isn't much The Pea doesn't like about this doll -- except her feet. Moxie Girlz have not feet; the shoes are the feet. They just snap onto the doll's legs at about mid-calf (our doll Sasha, came with boots). I guess it just takes some getting used to -- but since the doll came with an extra outfit, it would have been nice if an extra pair of shoes/feet/whatever were included.
The Bottom Line
Moxie Girlz dolls aren't just about primping and high fashion. I like the Moxie attitude!
I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
6 Comments, Leave yours here:
Hi Bonggamom! And readers.
I am so happy to have finally found a Blog that sees the Bratz how I do; innapropriate. I am running a media literacy workshop for teen girls and one thing we talk about is the abundance of sexualized toys for girls nowadays. Bratz being one of them. We also look at Barbie and how her image has evolved to being more risque` and materialistic. I too am very critical of all the dolls that come out. The Moxie Girlz grabbed my attention, at first I shrugged them off as Bratz-Lite. But I looked closer and liked their sweet innocent expressions and fashionable-yet-not-skin-baring-clothes. Their body structure is the same though; very skinny with large heads. But at least their lips and eyes have been toned down.
I agree with your review Bonggamom, the message the Moxie Girlz are giving is more encouraging, I hope they get more popular than the Bratz and that Mattel will not continue the line now that they’v taken them over! Have you reviewed the LIV dolls?
"Slutty" is a word that is disproportionately applied to women, and the concept behind it stems from sumptuary laws that date back to ancient Greece. These laws used fashion to segregate and seperate social classes. During the middle ages in Europe, sumptuary laws were used to seperate women by rank, and isolate prostitutes as "bad girls" who should expect rough treatment, rape, and other nasties. To this day, fashion is still used as an excuse for sexual harassment, and to judge women by clothes instead of character.
Men are never called "slutty," and the term does not apply to men in the same harmful way it does to women.
Children take off a doll's clothes either way... they use dolls to roleplay. What they end up doing is up to the parents, personal ideas, and society. It is far more damaging to introduce and normalize the concept of "slutty" to a young girl than to give her a Bratz doll.
I feel the same about Bratz dolls. That's why I was so pleasantly surprised when we went to the store to take a look at the Moxie Girlz. They have innocent looking eyes. And I also like the clothing. I love the fact that my daughter can color the clothing and the car. I can't wait to see my 6 yr old on Cmas day. :)
I Hate brats dolls their snobby and stuck up they teach little girls the wrong message in life an most of them that do play with brats grow up like the doll i huge selfish brat! but moxie girls i love the tagline to it's beter to grow up sweet than to grow up bratty i know i have a cousin about 10 years old she's played with Bratz dolls all her life and she follows in the light of the "Jade" charechter Moxie's are good Brats are bad their returning this year but i really wish they would Fire the
COmpany for making them because when i have my little girl i seirously Never want them to play with a Bratz doll ther stuck up snobby and mean they teach girls the wrong message and that not right i hpe that eveyone who sees this knows that Brats are The Wrong thing for girls and shouldn't be allowed on shelves
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You may dislike Bratz but do your research before making judgement. If you take a look at any Bratz movie yes they enjoy clothes and shopping but they also bring light to diversity, friendship, and giving back to the community.Try watching a few Bratz DVDs with an open mind and you'll have a change of heart. Bratz books have a great message as well. I'm now 19 but i started playing with Bratz at age 11. I read a Bratz book about the doll Cloe that teaches the value of hard work and not giving up on your goals, when ever i feel discouraged i remember that lesson i learned at 11. Moxie Girlz are a younger doll maybe around 10 or 12, Bratz are meant to be teenaged girls. The point i'm trying to make is fully evaluate things before making judgement you could be missing some thing. I know these are dolls but it's kinda like see someone for the first time and thinking they're snobs but really they could be the sweetest and most loyal friend to you or vice versa they could look nice and stab you in the back, but you would never know because you didn't learn more about them. But remember it's just a toy you are your child's real role model. They will come across many things in life you will want to shield them from but if you educate them they will know there self-worth because you instilled it in them.
Honestly, I'd buy my daughter Bratz any day (and change the clothes--haha) over buying another doll that has feet that come off. That sends the message that clothes are more important than the body--and this is something women especially have had issues with as foot mutilation has existed throughout the ages--from binding in Asia to women destroying their feet for high heels. Besides, anyone can see that a company who has a body part that so easily comes off just wants to force parents to keep buying accessories to replace the lost body parts. We have a Moxie doll and while she's cute, she has super cheap hair that knots like crazy, and I think the shoe thing has creeped out my daughter enough she never plays with her. The legs look extra creepy when you swap shoes as the knob that holds the "shoe" on looks like a bone sticking out--making the Moxie doll resemble someone who got into a recent machete accident.
Go buy a Barbie or if you are anti-Barbie, get a Only Hearts Club doll. Both are quite capable of teaching a child imaginative play and self esteem if the parent takes time to pick out appropriate versions or outfits (there are gazillions of outfits and looks for Barbies now).
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