Post-feminism for children: feminism ‘repackaged’ in the Bratz films

Keywords

Bratz, children’s media, content analysis, girlhood, post-feminism, qualitative methods

Abstract

After their release in 2001, Bratz dolls carved into Barbie’s previously monopolistic share of teen doll sales. Amidst their growing popularity, cultural critics expressed a host of concerns about Bratz dolls, especially over how they sexualize youth, but the line grew to include a host of products like costumes, makeup kits, games, books, clothing, and movies. It also inspired new, similar doll lines from other toy companies. In this article, we situate the Bratz’s popularity in a specific cultural moment tied to the history of modern feminism. We use a content analysis of the Bratz movie series to explore the feminist and post-feminist thematics it contains. We identify the images of girlhood that are being marketed through the films and explore how the series repackages not only girlhood but also feminism itself in a way that encourages girls to exchange political power for purchasing power.

Original Publication Citation

Becker, Sarah, Danielle Thomas1, and Michael R. Cope. 2016. “Post-Feminism for Children: Feminism ‘Repackaged’ in the Bratz videos.” Media, Culture & Society, 38(8): 1218-1235.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2016-04-21

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6073

Publisher

SAGE

Language

english

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Sociology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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