Mothers tired of ‘overly sexy’ dolls

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, 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 serves 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 OK 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 for Communication in Los Angeles, is an expert in children and the media. In a statement about the 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 hyper-sexualized 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.” (ABP)