hijack/
although this relates to Steeltrap's original question, it is a bit of a hijack.
I came across the blog when I was searching for info on the dolls.
From the WOnderchild blog at
http://wonderchild.blog-city.com/read/161275.htm
Wednesday, 30 July 2003
So Mattel has come out w/ a new line of Barbie Dolls called Flavas. Now this line is made to compete w/ the Bratz who are a line of dolls that have big lips. Now my girl actually worked on the line of the Bratz and helped come up with the design/concepts, clothing etc. The Bratz have done well, b/c although they have a urban edge, it is not planned nor is it trying to capitalize on a particular segment of the market. The Bratz never set out to be hip-hop or urban. They just tried to be cool and thus captured the teen market. What is cool to tweens
Mattel, in response to declining Barbie sales have come out w/ it's own line of dolls called Flavas. Now I read about this in the WSJ and coudln't tell if I was offended or not (typical white male response was why would this offend you?) But now I know. I am hugely offended and will tell you why.
One, these dolls are supposed to be hip-hop. I mean what is hip-hop? Newsweek had it right when they said these dolls are ghetto fabulous. They make a mockery of what the supposed hip-hop culture is. Hip-hop is not about the bling-bling or wearing baggy clothes or some projected lifestyle that mainstream can't see - prime example is how the mainstream has embraced emninen and 50, while not understanding the complexities of common, the roots or rakim.
Now you know how barbie used to have her dream house? Well, Flavas don't have a dream house, they have a a street corner. According to the most recent issue of Newsweek, the instructions state "Pull my street stand from the box, so I have a place to hang out" What the eff? Mind you her street stand is a graffiti covered wall. Again, according to the article and something the WSJ didn't mention, Mattel did not use any hiphop consultants when designing flavas. Now I am not going to comment on the diversity of Mattel's toy design deparment, but I can't imagine that it is a hotbed of ideas and thoughts from a variety of people. If you are going to desing a doll that is supposedly hiphop wouldnt it make sense to at least consult those mainstream hiphoppers? But then again if you consulted P. Diddy, Flavas might be wearing full length minks and real platinum.
Here is my open letter to Mattel:
Dear Mattel toys:
I have read about your Flavas dolls in both the Wall Street Journal as well as the current edition of Newsweek. As a member of the hip-hop generation, I find Flavas to be an insult to the very tenets of what hip-hop is and that is honesty and truth in its story telling. I understand your need to compete w/ the Bratz. However, The Bratz line differs from Flavas in very distinct ways. One, The Bratz do not claim to be hip-hop, hard or keeping it real. They, better then the promotional pictures I have seen of Flavas, better reflect trends in the teen market. This is due to one very important fact that your designers have seem to forgotten - teens are more then just hip-hop. The teen market is Eminem as much as it is Britney Spears and your line of dolls do not reflect this. Secondly, I know for a fact that the Bratz was designed with a diversity of people's opinions and ideas. Based on what I have seen thus far and what's in your press release, I cannot say the same about Flavas. Anytime you have to tell people how to correctly pronounce the name of your line is not a good idea. I mean if Flavas really represented your target audience of "tweens" and what they are about, then the market place will already know what Flava is and what it is about.
Also, I have a huge problem with the graffiti cardboard boxes and the instructions "Pull my street stand from the box, so I have a spot to hang out." One, why is hip-hop associated with hanging on the corner? Second, most of your market who is buying this doll will live in houses in very residential neighborhoods. The idea of hanging out on a street corner is as foreign to them as a backyard in New York City. What is next, you will sell bodegas that the Flavas dolls can go to to get a pack of Now & Laters?
Flavas smacks of phoniess and pandering to the teen market. As I am sure your marketing people can tell you, teens run from anything they perceive as being false. I have no doubt that you will sell these dolls b/c you have millions of dollars in advertising. However, next time you create a doll that is supposedly hip-hop, I would suggest you consult some of those who are hip-hop and maybe they can give you a better feel of what the "flava" is of hip-hop.