DALLAS (ABP) — Moms across America are fed up with overly sexy dolls, according to a Sept. 25 report from Synovate, a market-research firm.
The study, which surveyed 1,010 mothers with daughters 4 to 9 years old, found that 85 percent of moms are “tired of the sexpot dolls and characters” in stores. Nine out of 10 moms in the study said they wish young girls walking the toy-store aisles could find more positive role models on sale.
One Christian theologian welcomed the study and urged parents to push for dolls that embrace a “holistic” and less erotic view of the female body.
Meanwhile, Jim Forrest, the vice president of consumer and business insights at Synovate, said the study served as proof that the “pervasive” feelings moms have about sexualized dolls should be recognized, especially from a marketing point of view, by doll manufacturers.
“The overall feeling of the moms is that there are not enough dolls and role models that they consider are good for their daughters,” Forrest said. “They have a sense that most of what their daughters are getting in the toy store or in the media is not appropriate for them.”
Forrest said researchers used questions with no details relating to specific dolls or demographics. Instead, they asked questions regarding the selection of dolls available and whether, if the dolls were real girls, mothers would let their daughters spend time with them.
According to the report, 88 percent of moms polled wish there was a wider selection of dolls available to represent girls they would like to befriend their daughters. And 93 percent of mothers said the most important attribute for a doll is that it serve as a positive role model.
The study was commissioned by a manufacturer of wholesome dolls — AG Properties, which owns the Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears and Holly Hobbie brands. Strawberry Shortcake, which emerged in the early '80s, and Holly Hobbie, created in 1967, are traditionally “wholesome” characters, as are the Care Bears.
Other survey findings include:
— Ninety-six percent of moms think young girls are too concerned about physical appearance.
— Ninety-eight percent said they wished girls thought it's okay not to look perfect.
— When buying a doll for their daughter, 75 percent of moms surveyed said the girl's request for the doll was one of the most important factors in deciding what to buy.
— Eighty-eight percent of moms worry that young girls want to emulate the look and style of “inappropriate” types of dolls.
— Ninety percent say the most important factor is that the doll is wholesome.
Donna Mitroff, an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communications, is an expert in children and the media. In a statement about the Synovate survey, she expressed relief that parents have begun to react to the “prevalence of provocative, hyper-sexualized images” in dolls and media.
“Several important research studies have pointed out that there is a prevalence of hypersexualized images and role models in both the media and consumer products made available to young girls,” she said. “These images and role models have a direct impact on the sense of self that young girls are developing during their developmental years.”
But besides affecting body image, promiscuous-looking dolls promote an unbiblical depiction of gender roles and identity, according to some experts.
Mimi Haddad, the president of Christians for Biblical Equality, said Christians should challenge the notions of beauty and gender objectification in society.
“The body is underrated by modern media,” Haddad said. Many dolls emphasize attributes like large breasts and small waists, she said. But God created the entire body — hands, feet, ears, arms — for his work and pleasure. “Can't we look at parts of the body that aren't erotic? Let's get a more holistic view of the body. Our view of the body is far too narrow.”
Ideally, the toys parents give their children should reflect the identity and beauty that God gives women, said Haddad, a founding member of the evangelicals and gender study group of the Evangelical Theological Society.
Parents should guide children toward toys with traits that display the fruit of the Spirit or the use of God-given talents, Haddad said. For instance, a doll dressed as a doctor or scientist could contribute much more to a girl's ambitions than one dressed in a swimsuit.
“It would be interesting to devise a line of children's clothes and dolls that signified some of the redeeming work of God's kingdom,” she said. “What if we had dolls that gave the message that a young girl could be a world-famous peacemaker? Or that she could be an engineer that solves the problems of global warming? Or a Bible translator that brings the gospel to people who have never heard it in their own language?”
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— Photo available from Associated Baptist Press.