Just What Your First Grader Needs… A Padded Bra
Get your barf bags ready, people. The braintrust that brought the world Bratz dollz are at it again…
Bratz Twin Babyz Lingerie Dollz
Phoebe “Sugar” is described as “sweet and mild” and dressed in a fluffy pink jacket with pink and black underwear, while Roxxi “Spice” is described at ‘wild and spicy” and has an open fake leather jacket and skimpy red and black lingerie. Both dolls have baby milk bottles hanging off chains strapped to their legs.
Click to enlarge
I’m not sure if these things are being sold in the US or not but in Australia, sales are expected to reach one million this year. WTF???
But WAIT! Grab another barf bag. It gets worse…
Target stores in Australia are also selling Bratz and Barbie padded bras for little girls starting at size 6 and if you look at it in the photo below, the first two sets on the left and in the middle are very mature looking. In fact, it’s not unlike lingerie that I own. But it’s for little kids which is just gross.
The padded Bratz “bralettes” were among more than 30 different junior bra styles starting at size six on sale at a city Target store visited by the Herald Sun yesterday.The Australian Family Association warned parents against sexualising their children. “We have a growing problem with pedophilia and people viewing children as sex objects,” spokeswoman Angela Conway said. ~The Herald Sun
LITTLE GIRLS SIZE 6, people!
Click the image to enlarge
The sets in the middle and to the left are very similar to lingerie that I own except that they’re for little kids. It’s disturbing…
The spokeswoman for Funtastic, distributor of Bratz dolls said “The idea of the padding is for girls to be discreet as they develop.”
I can’t believe any self-respecting woman would propagate such a line of BS.
Target also stood by the underwear line. It provided “fashionable items that give girls modesty and style as they go through development changes”, a spokeswoman said.
Does anyone actually believe that load of crap?
The Australian Family Association is right to warn parents against sexualizing their children. I mean honestly, who would buy any of this stuff for their kids? Flame me if you must but I’m going to be uncharacteristically judgmental for a moment…
The people that buy and thus create a market for this kind of stuff are incompetent morons.
DO YOU HEAR ME? If you are buying this stuff for your kids, you really are an idiot. Grow up and BE A PARENT.
There is simply NO EXCUSE. It’s not cute. It’s not funny. Children are children. They are NOT little adults and they should NOT be sexy (unless, of course, you are in favor of child sexualization, in which case, I hope you’re reading this from jail.)
If you are as incensed as I am (and you should be) contact Target Australia and let them know your objections to padded bras for little girls.
You are not alone. Your voice matters. Make it heard.
Unfuckingbelievable.
I’ll be writing. You bet your ass I’ll be writing.
wrote em.
“Heard about your Australian stores selling padded bras for CHILDREN starting at size 6. So I guess we can go on record saying Target supports the sexualization of our children and makes stupid comments justifying it to the public. “Fashionable items that give girls modesty and style as they go through development changes.” Which is a pathetic way of saying we’ll sell anything to make a buck baby. Be a bigger person, or should I say a bigger corporation and pull this stupidity from your shelves.”
Yeah, used a lot of your phrasing like ‘our children’ as I don’t have a stitch of one. The thought of making kids into sexy young women makes me sick.
I love you. Can I join your religion? Amen SISTAH!
I am a step-mother to my daughter that lives with us full time. Her birth mother bought daughter her first bra at 7. SEVEN. That is only a drop in the huge bucket of crap.
Love this post, I must continue it on to my blog, lest I write a book here.
I have a six mos old daughter and had a hard time finding her a bathing suit this summer that wasn’t belly baring or a monokini. I was sickened as I usually am by the array of “baby booty” clothes I see in stores. Babies, toddlers and young children as well as teens should not be sexy. This post really spoke to me as I was just writing mine about marketing to kids and unhealthy foods in schools. I’m so sickened by this. My daughter will not own Bratz, watch vapid tv, or wear belly baring ensembles. It IS the sexualization of children and it’s beyond sickening.
You might enjoy seeing this. Thanks for the inspiration!
http://www.everydaymommy.net/everyday-mommy/2006/9/12/moms-for-modesty -you-should-be-ashamed-award.html
If we had a target in Canada I’d contact them again and again and again.
Thanks for sharing this.
That is sick and wrong. I will definitely be writing Target. It seems like it is very difficult to let children stay children these days. Why would people want a 6 year old to look like a little adult? I just don’t understand.
I feel sick to my stomach.
Good lord. You’re right - it’s revolting. As long as there are idiots in the world, there will be other idiots marketing to them. And ruining it for the rest of us.
Noooo, not Target. My next-door neighbor and both across-the-street neighbors have first grade girls, and none of them play with Bratz. They also dress appropriately in tops and jeans. Who are these parents that Target thinks will buy a PADDED BRA for a CHILD who wears a SIX?
I know I’ve read that girls are entering puberty earlier, some as young as nine. But there are perfectly fine undershirts available if a girl feels self-conscious. Having also started puberty early, I remember my Mom buying me a “training bra”, once I got to an A cup. Which was in the SIXTH GRADE.
I’ll write them a letter, you bet. Thanks for alerting us to this.
i read about this somewhere last night. its sick. but then again girls are wanting to be more and more like the slut idols they see on tv and in music videos lately so its not really a surprise that they came out with this shit. but who knows. maybe there is a man behind the madness.
Thank you for the info! I immediately went and wrote to Target. As a mom of three girls (a 9-year old and 3-year-old twins) and a baby boy, I am appalled! At this moment I am not even sure what else to say. What kind of a world will this be by the time our children are trying to raise their own? I sudder to think…..
Digusting. Thanks for including contact into.
This, like so many other things really frightens me for my daughter. How can I make sure that she just gets to be a kid and not a sexual object in a size 6 padded bra for eff’s sake?!
OK this is right up there with the talking Barbie that Mattel came out with that would say (among other things) “Math is hard!” I mean, for fuck’s sake. They yanked it from the shelves after a public outcry. There’s also marketing deoderant to pre-pubescents. Newsflash: kids don’t even have the hormones to have particularly stinky sweat. It’s just another nauseating money grab — all designed to make kids feel gross or bad or ugly for being the beautiful little humans they are. Why can’t these companies just let kids just be kids?
If kids have to be grown-up in any way, how about starting with the basics, like self-acceptance, self-respect, personal responsibility, and kindness?
Will definitely contact Target. Thanks for bringing to our attention (even though it’s depressing as hell).
Here’s my contribution - just sent it to Target.
I’ve recently learned that you’ve made the decision to sell padded bras for little girls down to size six. I believe they Barbie and/or Bratz branded. As the mother of a 2.5 year-old, I’m incensed you would make such a decision. Selling Bratz dolls is bad enough - these toys continue in Barbie’s underdeveloped footsteps setting little girls on the path to liposuction and breast augmentation from a tender age. You can shut off the television. You can close the magazines. I’d hate to have to stop shopping at Target. But I will if you continue to make such uninformed decisions. I will be actively working to shut down the market for this item. Sincerely, Rita Arens http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com
I think I just threw up in my mouth. That is a disgusting thing to market to young girls. Padded bras and lingerie dolls? WTF?!
I’m going to read that link you posted.
I cannot believe it…
I just cannot believe it….
The sad thing is…. is someone is buying it for their kids…
Where I would love to add my name to a register that says that this is inappropriate on so many levels… It angers me to think that there is money to be made here. That Target and Mattell and whatever other company has done research and has found that someone would buy this product…
I know that none of the bloggerers who read Izzy, Mothergoosemouse, Mommy off the record or any other mother bloggers would never buy such a product… So that has my mind thinking… just who would buy this…
It kind of makes one pine for Cabbage Patch Dolls, even if they were overpriced.
That is a very provocative outfit! hOW COME DOLLS now look so trashy and cheap? Ohh the days of innocence gone. I miss my Bionic WOMAN doll!
Izzy-
Amen. I wanted to trackback but it wouldn’t work? can you look into that? Thanks
M
“I don’t want to boycott Target - I love Target, but padded bras in a 6X is offensive.”
Amen!
Okay, does anyone have a problem with the fact that Australia has a TARGET, but Canada doesn’t??
I just got a response from Target. The USA stores are not affilitiated in any way with the Australian ones. That is a relief since I am there ALL the time. After all these responses from us, I doubt they will try to sell such garbage here for awhile.
Here is part of their response to me:
I’m sorry for any inconvenience, but you have reached the wrong company. We do not carry the bras in question.
Target Corporation, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, operates Target stores within the United States. Target Australia, a part of Coles Myer Corporation, owns the Target stores in Australia. Our two companies are not affiliated in any way.
You can find contact information for Target Australia on their Web site at http://www.target.com.au.
I hope that reassures some, and hope that Target in Australia gets it head out of it’s pouch and comes to it’s senses.
Thanks for the info!
It’s terribly saddening; this trend has been emerging in retail establishments for quite some time.
I have a 12-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old daughter, and for as long as I can remember I have had to eschew skirts (waaaay too short unless you visit boutique-style specialty children’s stores) and in many cases girls’ jeans… and for the last three years we have bought exclusively from the boys’ section for jeans and tee-shirts. Because I’ll be damned if I’ll let them wear tee-shirts with mottoes like “HOT Chick” or “I’m The Princess” or whatever.
Fucking sickening. And yet every year the clearance racks don’t have tons of minis for preteens - instead, the clothes that end up not selling are the modest shirts, loose-fitting pants, or ugly fabrics. Those little slut-skirts sell like hotcakes, and I feel the way you do, Izzy - GROW UP. BE A PARENT. DO YOUR FUCKING JOB. PROTECT YOUR KIDS.
And never will my daughters ever own a Bratz anything. It’s scummy.
What is this crap?
The fact that parents are actually buying this…these slutty dolls-I don’t understand.
What happened to, you know, regular Barbie? Is she not hooched up enough?
Miss 12 Dancing Princesses Barbie looks downright plain against those Bratz dolls, dont you know…
In light of this, I wouldn’t mind buying Barbie for my daughter.
allow me to add my vomit to the ever-growing pile (almost typed bile — heh).
I’m writing. even if they’re already trying to deny any connection to the Aussie Target. whatever. they’d sell poo-on-a-stick if they thought there was a market for it. bastards. *grumbles*
Oh. my. God. Is this a practical joke? Is it April Fool’s Day? People are selling this stuff and other people are BUYING it?? I’m writing Target. Now. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
This is scary! Boob bowls are only supposed to be for grown-ups.
I wonder who manufactured this crap. We’re all pissed at Target, but who’s the genius that designed and produced it. I’m sure Target won’t be the only ones selling this crap.
hey, baby George tagged P. FYI.
I never ceased to be amazed by how messed up this world is. I am linking over to Target Australia immediately. Small voices add up to one big shout!
These products are so unbelievably outrageous that I don’t know what else to say. Who thought these up????
I. Don’t. Believe. It.
Good god, my daughter is SEVEN and she wears a size 6. Thankfully, the only interest she has in breasts and bras right now is using mine as either a sling-shot or a hat. I’ve seen items like that before, and think they’re COMPLETELY apalling. I’d throw myself off a bridge before buying one of those things for her. It’s disgusting, and it’s creepy.
This is so entirely aggravating. I feel like so much of my mothering bandwidth is taken up by having to protect Annabelle- and she’s only 16 months for Christ sake!
I went to the Australian contact page and it looks like we can’t contact them via email - Is that correct? I think that’s bullshit… what can it possibly take to get TARGET online?
I will track down the US corp and send them something right now.
The overt sexualization in our society and how it is perpetuated in schools is really convincing me to send her to private school. I know that’s not a solution, but when she gets out there in the world and the exposure can’t be filtered through me, what are my choices? Thankfully I have a while to think about it. (I don’t think we have nice public schools here like you.)
What ever happened to Underroo’s, nice innocent, happy underroo’s. Unbelieveable!
It makes me ill.
Children are growing up fast enough these days without added lures like padded “bralettes.” The last thing this world needs is more encouragement for young girls to aspire to images of Bratz-like hos. Great post and call to action!
Gross. No Bratz dolls in our house. And no shirts that say inappropriate things. I saw a girl about 8 or 9 yo with a t-shirt that said “I stole your boyfriend” What the? And don’t get me started about the pants that say “sweet” or “angel” across the butt for little girls. Target in the US may not have padded Bratz bras, but have you taken a look at what they do have? I’m hardly a prude, but there is no way in hell my daughter will be wearing any of those bras….the ones they have hanging next to the My Little Pony panties we buy. Yuck.
I hate those things. I got rid of all of ours this summer in our yard sale - we had one Baby Bratz, but honestly, people gave them to the girls as gifts. I think we bought a few Lil’ Bratz way back when, but that’s it. Sleazy ass dolls!
US or Austrailia…the stuff out there for my girls is ridiculous. I could care less if they end up getting picked on for not having some “in” thing that is appalling. I saw little bras in JCPenneys last weekend too - not padded, but definitely a little “old” for my 10 year old!!!
Padded bras for 6 year olds is outrageous. I’m incensed.
Who approves these ideas? Have they no soul? WTF!?
We were bra shopping for my kiddo and I saw some lightly padded bras. I almost freaked out. My kiddo with boobies? NO WAY! (yes, I’m screaming!) Inappropriate with a capital I.
Um, by the time I have children, I feel like I am going to have to lock my girl in a closet.
I’ve seen so many posts about this kind of stuff lately. Is it getting worse? Or are people just now noticing? I just don’t understand what would ever possess a company to make products like these. I seriously can’t believe people buy them. But apparently they do.
[...] After reading this last week over at IzzyMom, I got fired up and started this post. Night before last, I read this on Mama Drama. [...]
I refuse to buy my daughter any Bratz doll merchandise- and when she received some for her birthday we exchanged it. The dolls look like hookers and I personally would like my daughter to play with non-hooker dolls.
Padded bras for 6 years old is obscene. It’s like the A&F Kids tee shirt for little girls a couple of years ago “So many boys so little time.” Disgusting.
UGH..on the “Toddler-Pageant Kids”….I just come to realize that if you don’t like the game…Don’t Play it!!!!
On the “Padded Bras”….
My 4 year old Niece wears a size 6x and she WILL NOT Be getting one of these Padded Bras, not that she is asking for one!! I understand that there are pre-teen girls that are this small (going through changes)that might would get one but why should they?? They should have to hide and stuff there bras like most girls did when I was a Pre-teen,lol!! And there is Wonder “What is wrong with the world today”??!!
Just MY Honest Opinion!!
:)
just saw these in target yesterday (washington dc, usa) and could not believe it. the best medicine for target would be if they collected dust on the shelves and every manager heard a personal objection from a loyal customer.
[...] So where was I? Oh yes…the kids are not to blame. I mean they have their noses rubbed in sexual imagery from childhood on and then we go and sexualize our little girls and then we give them numerous forms of media that are saturated with sexual content and imagery of the most base variety, as well as all manner of negative gender stereotyping and then when they freak dance, we call foul? What the hell did we EXPECT them to turn out like? Nuns and monks? They’re simply products of their environment and you can’t really fault them for that. [...]