Dora the Fashionista?
Not sure if you all heard about this or not, but Dora the Explorer is getting a makeover.
Nickelodeon and Mattel recently released a teaser silhouette to get folks excited about the new Dora, but instead the announcement just pissed off a lot of parents. Mattel says the makeover lets Dora grow up with her fans, many of whom are tweens now. But outraged parents argued her long hair, long legs and short skirt were too hot to handle. There are even online petitions circulating pressuring the companies to reconsider.
And you may remember a similar uproar when an updated look for Strawberry Shortcake was announced.
So what do you think? Should characters like Dora the Explorer mature with the girls who love them or do these makeovers make girls want to grow up too fast?
I dont think the characters are maturing with the girls necessary is that girls are more mature at a younger age. I mean just think about it. Our childhood cartoons didn’t wear makeup and tight fitting clothes. But anyway I am fine with the changes as long as they dont look like those slutty Bratz Dolls!
Honestly, I think there are just way too many uptight people in the world that over-react about everything.
It’s not like Dora is holding condoms and a pack of cigarettes. Her outfit and hair still look little-girly to me, just not like a five-year-old girl’s.
If this keeps the tweens interested, parents should be thankful. There are a LOT worse things young girls could get into besides a cartoon.
I don’t think Dora needs to grow up with her fans. The original Dora is cute and was the theme for my daughter’s 1st birthday. I like the new Dora, she doesn’t look sexy, just updated. And her outfit looks like what most girls are wearing.
While I think it’s stupid to say Dora is now ‘too sexy’ I do think, from a marketing perspective, that it might be a mistake to update her.
Older kids aren’t going to be checking for Dora, no matter how ‘cool’ she looks. I would continue marketing her toward the younger set. That way, instead of chasing fickle preteens, a new set of toddlers can fall in love with her.
Thing about it – Big Bird n’ them look just like they did when we kids, and they’re icons. They didn’t give him a doo rag in order to stay hip with the older kids.
I totally agree with Edward. Dora is meant for a particular age group, and I think it’s silly to make her appealing to older kids.
I think Dora is perfect the way she is….there is no need to make her any older or change her look.
I think as long as they continue to offer the old Dora, which they plan too, that it is OK for them to experiment with the new one. She doesn’t look “sexy,” she looks like a tween to me. I think their marketing guys will learn that their audience will be the tiny tots.
As for updates made to Strawberry Shortcake, I just don’t like it! She’s a classic!