Dora – loses her way

A sillouhette of the new Dora

So, the thing that is bugging me most, and thanks to shaping-youth for blogging about this too, and getting PinkStinks all cross.

Let’s imagine our lives. Let’s remember when we were young. I do, I wanted to be a vet. Lots of kids do … lots of girls do I think. Then I kind of got put off, because I realised you needed to be good at sciences, and things like that, oh, and 7 years at university … well … then I decided that as I was good at drawing, I’d do graphics … so I did, then … well. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. But something that absolutely DID not happen to me, on my journey, was that I was NEVER ever, a tween.

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If I was a kid now though … there’d be no escaping it.

I think it’s meant to be between the ages of 8, to about 12 … those ruthless marketeers would know the precise age range, and it’s here that our girls truly start to be bombarded with messages, about what it is to be a girl, what they need to look like, own, which kind of girl they’ll be, all cleverly disguised as ‘choice’ but really, a whole heap of marketing opportunities  and top wedge to be made.

Here’s the Wiki – on ‘Tween’

Tween is an American neologism and marketing term[6] for preteen. A blend of between and teen,[4][5] “tween” in this context is generally considered to cover the age range from eight to twelve years.[5]

Tween seems sometimes to be used in such a way as to suggest it’s some sort of scientific theory (or fact) … but I think it came from the same science as pentapeptides, and lipopeptides and all those other mysterious peptide cousins

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There’s tons of great stuff about ‘tweens’ in the book Consumer Kids: How big business is grooming our children for profit. By Ed Mayo and Agnes Nairn.  

So, what’s Dora got to do with this? Well, Dora is going tween, later this year. And you have to ask yourself: “my God, WHY?”  She’s by no means perfect, she’s had some princess moments, her merchandising often betrays who she really is. However, most of the time, she’s climbing mountains, reading maps, navigating rivers, teaching us spanish and just plain old exploring. But her journey has been sabotaged, by the evil marketeers, who want to take away the dreams of girls, and turn them into nightmares. Dora, allegedly might still be solving a few mysteries, but only on her way to the mall. She’s gone and grown-up hasn’t she … and guess what, when girls grow up, they don’t want to explore and discover anymore, unless it’s new nail polish, or some great accessories or, or, well: go take a look on your highstreet. There’s plenty of ‘choice’.

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I bet you, yes I do, that once she’s ‘tweened’, we’ll be informed promptly of the educational learning value of the the new Dora, of how she is encouraging creativity in girls, and helping them ‘belong’. This is a common tactic used by websites. ‘Parents, fear not, it’s in the interests of our girls, that Dora becomes fashionista. Honest.’ Good grief. Give us a break would you. We just don’t buy it. (Forgive the pun.)

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David Attenborough has been making fantastic new programmes, about amazing events in nature airing on the BBC at the moment. My son (aged 6) LOVES them. Tonight, as usual, all amazing, moving stuff. It struck me … Dora would have loved it. Well, until she got tweened that is. Now she’d be more interested in which cropped top goes with which denim skirt. Not what she’ll need in her backpack, and where has that pesky map gone to?

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We await her arrival with baited breathe, but let’s just say, tweening ain’t our backpack.

Hardy Girls Healthy Women in the States are starting a campaign to ‘Save Dora’ – The  Let’s Go: No Makeover campaign, 

You can sign their petition HERE

Here’s a short excerpt from the petition outline page:

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That’s why we’re sending this letter to Mattel and Nickelodeon! Join us for Let’s Go: No Makeover for Dora. Help us tell the execs at Mattel and Nickelodeon 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!

Sign onto the letter below and we’ll add your name to the list of concerned parents, activists, educators, and girls who refuse to stand aside while yet another girlhood icon becomes the victim of marketers’ schemes: 

We support the campaign whole-heartedly. 

 

This is apparently the Dora behind the sillouhette