“Let’s Go!” No Makeover for Dora!
((borrowed from http://packaginggirlhood.typepad.com/packaging_girlhood/2009/02/lets-go-no-makeover-for-dora.html))
What happened? FIRST it was Dora's Magic Talking Kitchen, THEN Dora Princess, THEN Dora Babysitter in her cousin's show, NOW DORA TWEEN. Alas, we saw the signs. The cute flower lip gloss, the pinkified look, the sudden separation of Dora and Diego shows. We could have, should have predicted this after we saw the likes of Strawberry Shortcake, Holly Hobby, and Trollz (now with the ubiquitous commodified girl power z), all made over in the cute sexy way that marketers sell maturity to girls-the sassy wink, the long flowing hair, the thin waist, the turned out hip pose of practiced lingerie models. What next? Dora the Cheerleader? Dora the fashionista with cute purse and stilettos? Dora the Pop Star with Hoppin’ Dance Club and “juice” bar? We can expect it all, because that’s what passes as “tween” in the toy department these days.
In Packaging Girlhood, we wrote extensively about Dora the Explorer as one of the best role models in girls' early worlds. She wears (or used to, anyway) shorts. She has a sidekick monkey. She has a map and a compass and a backpack! She solves problems and explores the world in Spanish and English. Her motto is "Let's go!" and it could never be construed in that wink, wink kind of way. But those adventuresome folks who created Dora no longer own her. She's owned by Viacom who can sell the rights to her to the highest bidder. That's right. The highest bidder. A bunch of greedy corporate execs own her and can use her image, re-MAKE her image, in any way they see fit to make money. But we know the truth. If the original Dora grew up, she wouldn't be a fashion icon or a shopaholic. She'd develop her map reading skills and imagine the places she could go. She’d capitalize on those problem solving skills to design new ways to bring fresh water to communities in need around the world. Maybe she’d become a world class runner or follow her love of animals and become a wildlife preservationist or biologist. We’ll never know because the only way a girl can grow up in tween town, is to narrow that symphony of choices to one note. It's such a sell out of Dora, of all girls. That’s why we’re starting a campaign! Join us and Hardy Girls Healthy Women for Let’s Go: No Makeover for Dora. Help us tell the execs at Viacom to “Let GO” of Dora. Either let her live on as her wonderful self, or create a pre-teen doll that is true to who she was as a child! Here’s what you can do:
If you have ideas and resources, let’s join together and start this campaign. Create a sign, a bumper sticker, a button, and we’ll help you promote this. Find out who to write to and we’ll update our site here. And check out Bethany Sanders’ article on www.parentdish.com ! Here's our petition. Sign it, and pass it along!!! PETITION: LET'S GO UPDATE: It's 3/8/09 and we now have over 2000 signatures thanks to Hardy Girls Healthy Women who have really gotten the word out. There's been coverage on CNN as well as in a newspaper in Mexico! Here's the link to the video of LYN speaking to New England Cable News.
What happened? FIRST it was Dora's Magic Talking Kitchen, THEN Dora Princess, THEN Dora Babysitter in her cousin's show, NOW DORA TWEEN. Alas, we saw the signs. The cute flower lip gloss, the pinkified look, the sudden separation of Dora and Diego shows. We could have, should have predicted this after we saw the likes of Strawberry Shortcake, Holly Hobby, and Trollz (now with the ubiquitous commodified girl power z), all made over in the cute sexy way that marketers sell maturity to girls-the sassy wink, the long flowing hair, the thin waist, the turned out hip pose of practiced lingerie models. What next? Dora the Cheerleader? Dora the fashionista with cute purse and stilettos? Dora the Pop Star with Hoppin’ Dance Club and “juice” bar? We can expect it all, because that’s what passes as “tween” in the toy department these days.
In Packaging Girlhood, we wrote extensively about Dora the Explorer as one of the best role models in girls' early worlds. She wears (or used to, anyway) shorts. She has a sidekick monkey. She has a map and a compass and a backpack! She solves problems and explores the world in Spanish and English. Her motto is "Let's go!" and it could never be construed in that wink, wink kind of way. But those adventuresome folks who created Dora no longer own her. She's owned by Viacom who can sell the rights to her to the highest bidder. That's right. The highest bidder. A bunch of greedy corporate execs own her and can use her image, re-MAKE her image, in any way they see fit to make money. But we know the truth. If the original Dora grew up, she wouldn't be a fashion icon or a shopaholic. She'd develop her map reading skills and imagine the places she could go. She’d capitalize on those problem solving skills to design new ways to bring fresh water to communities in need around the world. Maybe she’d become a world class runner or follow her love of animals and become a wildlife preservationist or biologist. We’ll never know because the only way a girl can grow up in tween town, is to narrow that symphony of choices to one note. It's such a sell out of Dora, of all girls. That’s why we’re starting a campaign! Join us and Hardy Girls Healthy Women for Let’s Go: No Makeover for Dora. Help us tell the execs at Viacom to “Let GO” of Dora. Either let her live on as her wonderful self, or create a pre-teen doll that is true to who she was as a child! Here’s what you can do:
- Sign our petition: tell Nickelodeon and Mattel to LET GO of Dora!
- Start your own SAVE DORA email campaign
- Blog about this
- Write a letter or an op ed for your local paper
- Spread the word to high schoolers and college students who grew up with Dora
- Let Dora Be Dora!
- Don’t Bratz My Girl Dora!
- “Let’s Go!” / No Makeover for Dora!
- Dora Explores the World, Not the Mall
- Get Your Greedy Hands Off Our Dora!
If you have ideas and resources, let’s join together and start this campaign. Create a sign, a bumper sticker, a button, and we’ll help you promote this. Find out who to write to and we’ll update our site here. And check out Bethany Sanders’ article on www.parentdish.com ! Here's our petition. Sign it, and pass it along!!! PETITION: LET'S GO UPDATE: It's 3/8/09 and we now have over 2000 signatures thanks to Hardy Girls Healthy Women who have really gotten the word out. There's been coverage on CNN as well as in a newspaper in Mexico! Here's the link to the video of LYN speaking to New England Cable News.