bratz

Bratz is the name of a line of 10 inch (254 mm) dolls produced by MGA Entertainment starting at the end of 2001. They are created in both genders, "Bratz Boyz" having followed Bratz "girls" shortly after the girl dolls entered the toy market.

History

The Beginning of the Passion for Fashion (2001-2003)

Bratz dolls are characterized by an oversized head, with wide eyes, full lips,a nearly absent nose, a small body, and shoes that snap on and off (without shoes they have no feet). The original four characters were Yasmin (based on CEO Isaac Larian's own daughter, Jasmin) Sasha, Cloe and Jade. Over the course of the lines that followed, Meygan (who "moved away" for a while and then came back), Dana, Fianna, Nevra, Tiana, Kumi, Felicia, Katia, and Kiana (who has been officially discontinued, see below) have joined the "Bratz Pack," most of whom were introduced either with playsets or as collector's edition dolls. Four sets of "Twiins," Roxxi and Phoebe, Tess and Nona, Oriana and Valentina, and Krysta and Lela, have also joined the Bratz Pack. Oriana and Valentina were later joined by their identical triplet sister, Sierrna, in a special "Triiiplets" set. Character May Lin was only produced once, as a special collector doll wearing a kimono as part of the Tokyo-A-Go-Go collection. New members of the Bratzpack to debut in 2006 include Lilee (the 2006 Sweet Heart), Leah (Spring Break), Wicked Twiins Ciara and Diona, 4th edition Twiins Krysta and Lela, and Sisterz Kiani, (NOT to be confused with the aforementioned and officially discontinued Kiana) and Lilani.

Since the release of the Bratz it became to symbolize "Girl Power" on doll lines. Every year, they won numerous awards and for that, the Bratz is the #1 fashion doll line today.

Every year, the Bratz collections include a "basic" line, at least one or two budget collections, and at least two or three feature collections. The basic lines such as Flaunt It!, Xpress It!, Funk Out! and Step Out! feature the Bratz with two complete mix and matchable outfits. Each collection has brought in new shoe styles and accessories (Bratz with pierced ears began with the release of Funk Out! and the new "ring" accessory was introduced in the Step Out! line). Budget lines include I-Candy and Hollywood Style Sportz and Birthday Bash, which feature the Bratz in one outfit with minimal accessories. "Real" eyelashes first appeared in the Girls Nite Out collection, then again in the Wild Wild West collection and on Holiday Katia. Head molds that featured the girls with open-mouthed smiles were initially featured in the Formal Funk collection. The unique Head Gamez line moved the Bratz' snap-on feature one step further by allowing the consumer to customize their own Bratz by snapping the Bratz head on and off a specially designed body. A variety of Bratz Head Gamez fashion heads were sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, and a gift set complete with one body, four heads and four separate fashion looks was released to the general market. Collectible posters have been included with the Bratz since 2001, and collectible cards were introduced during 2004. Other dolls released through the years include collectible keychains, ornaments, collectible stickers/trading cards, and cosmetics.

The Bratz World concept has taken the dolls to Tokyo, in the Tokyo-A-Go-Go collection, and London in the Punkz (boys only) and Pretty n' Punk line, with themed fashions and playsets to match. Tokyo A-Go-Go Bratz had anime-style eyes, Tokyo-inspired fashions, wildly colored, micro-braided hair, and "cyberpet" companions. Punkz had the Bratz dressed in London punk-culture attire, including studded and buckled vinyl jackets, wild hair colors and styles, and dark makeup contrasting with paler skin tones. Each doll came with a pet; the girls each had a dog, and the boys each had a cat. Two lines which were not officially part of the Bratz World series, but carry on the Bratz World theme are Fabulous, a Las Vegas-inspired line, and Ooh La La, which is set in Paris. Fabulous saw the return of Tiana, and the wardrobe included fur coats, bra tops, miniskirts, and snakeskin boots. Ooh La La featured the return of Kumi, and the dolls in the series were dressed in berets, houndstooth and floral prints, jewel tones, and painted-on gloves and stockings. The Ooh La La dolls also included a matching pot of lip gloss for the owner.

Bratz World and Bratz Rock Angelz (2004-2005)

2005 collections include Play Sportz (each Bratz girl dressed for there favorite sport, with coordinating accessories), I-Candy (neon, candy colored outfits and matching painted legs), Live In Concert/ Space Angelz Pop Stars (out-of-this-world space suits, headsets, anime eyes and wild matching make-up; included with the dolls was the CD single "Bein' Who We Are"), Treasures! ("Rogue Vogue" pirate style, complete with a treasure chest), DynaMite (vinyl catsuits and stiletto boots reminiscent of The Matrix or Charlie's Angels), Rock It! (boys only), Step Out! (celebrating the Bratz 5th anniversary and included a silicone bracelet; proceeds helped benefit the Step Out 2 Help Out foundation), Step Off! (the Boyz dressed in repeat Funk Out! fashions), Birthday Bash (80's inspired party dresses and leggings, plus a doll-sized gift bag/box), Campfire (warm winter camping gear and furry boots), Midnight Dance (a goth-esque collection with capes and detailed masks), Hollywood Style (dressed for a Hollywood premiere in repeat Bratz formal fashions), Wild Wild West (which included cowboy boots, cowboy hats, denim and suede, and big belt buckles), and Rock Angelz (70's rocker style).

A special collector's edition called Big Bratz features 2 foot tall versions of the Bratz. Introduced in 2003 with Yasmin and adding a member of the Bratzpack annually, the limited edition dolls come with a certificate of authenticity and are dressed in fall/winter fashions showcasing the girl's passion for fashion. To date, Yasmin, Cloe, Felicia, and Meygan have been made as Big Bratz.

In addition to the dolls, the Bratz line includes playsets, vehicles, accessories, Lil Bratz, the Bratz Babyz, plush Petz, ("Catz", "Dogz" and "Foxz"), collectible posters and a video game. In August of 2004, a straight-to-video animated movie, Bratz, the video: Starrin & Stylin', was released.

During fall 2005, MGA released their flagship collection, Bratz Rock Angelz. Bratz Cloe, Yasmin, Jade, Sasha, Roxxi (sold exclusively with the Rock Angelz Concert Stage), and Meygan- their #1 fan club president (sold exclusively at K-mart) were dressed in 70's inspired rock attire, and each girl (except Meygan) had a guitar and a mini CD single including 2 songs (one character exclusive song and the other 'So Good' the lead single). Many tie-in products were also released, including boomboxes, CD towers, guitars, and fashion accessories. The CD, Rock Angelz, reached #79 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in 2005, credited to Bratz Rock Angelz. The album has debuted #1 on Billboard's Children's Chart. The single "So Good" reached #14 on the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart and #23 on the UK Singles Chart the same year. The videogame of the same name was released on various gaming platforms (Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and PC). The third person adventure game allowed the player to customize one of the Bratz girls while following them around the world to investigate stories for Bratz Magazine. The DVD, Rock Angelz, was released in September 2005 and showcased the Bratz in a computer-animated adventure as they started up their own fashion magazine.

At the end of 2005, a Bratz Mobile released on as a T 290a Mobile Phone by Sony Ericsson. It contains exclusive Bratz wallpapers, true ringtones, Bratz-based games and a screensaver. The mobile phone includes a battery charger, a speaker phone and a hands free ear bud.

From the beginning to the end of 2005 more than 200 million Bratz dolls have been sold worldwide, with 125 million in 2005 alone.

Genie Magic, Forever Diamondz (2006-present)

Following the success of the Bratz Rock Angelz collection, MGA Entertainment retooled and upgraded the Bratz machine and blasted out of the gates in the beginning of 2006 with their flagship collection of the year Bratz Genie Magic. The collection included Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha, Jade, and Meygan, dressed in extravagant and elaborate Moroccan/Egyptian/Bohemian-style fashions. Also included in the Bratz Genie Magic collection is Katia, who was released in a Genie Magic bottle that converted itself into a late night lounge. Several merchandising items related to the Bratz Genie Magic collection were released, including a Genie Magic Secret Spot Desk Clock, a Genie Magic Deluxe Canopy, a Genie Magic Magical Mood Lamp, and a Genie Magic Fortune Teller.

Next to the Bratz Rock Angelz, the Bratz Genie Magic collection would prove to be one of the biggest selling Bratz collections in the company's history. Highlighting the release of the Bratz Genie Magic collection was the release of the Bratz Genie Magic DVD and CD in April 2006. The CD included tracks from both the DVD and the "Bratz" animated television series, and it reached #106 on Billboard's Top 200 and #6 on the Kid Audio Chart. It also won the Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award.

MGA Entertainment had been enjoying tremendous success with Bratz Genie Magic when suddenly the company made the shocking announcement that one of the most beloved characters in the Bratz Pack, Kiana, was officially being discontinued. In May 2006 legal issues forced the company to remove Kiana from the Bratz Pack. Mattel, Inc. claimed that they owned a trademark to the name "Kianna" with their Teen Trends doll line and that MGA Entertainment's Bratz Wild Wild West Kiana doll infringed upon their trademark. Despite both dolls' names having slightly different spellings and despite both dolls having completely different personalities, Mattel insisted that both names were the same. MGA Entertainment thus ceased further usage of the name "Kiana" and will not produce any more Bratz dolls bearing the name.

However, this would be a part of a series of cancellations made by MGA Entertainment: The company had planned to release Leah and Roxxi in a "Wave 2" edition of the Bratz Midnight Dance collection, but the company discontinued the collection before any additional characters were to have been added. Also, Nevra and Jade were cancelled from the Bratz Play Sportz collection for unknown reasons (although, it appears that the cancellation of Nevra from Bratz Play Sportz is an indication that MGA Entertainment has recently began phasing Nevra out).

In August 2006, MGA Entertainment released its platinum vintage Bratz collection, Bratz Forever Diamondz. The characters featured in this collection are Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha, Jade, and a new character named Sharidan. Included with each doll in the Bratz Forever Diamondz collection is a diamond gem with a certificate of authentication. Also included with each doll in the collection is a code that girls enter on the Bratz official website, where they have a chance to win a one carat (200 mg) diamond.

At $29.99 US, Bratz Forever Diamondz is one of the most expensive Bratz doll collections ever released. Also included with the Bratz Forever Diamondz collection is a "Fashion Show On The Go" rolling runway playset, a Fashion Design Kit Studio, the RC Cruiser, and Funky Fashion Makeover styling heads. Fianna, Katia, and Vinessa also appear in the Bratz Forever Diamondz collection, although they come in different packaging, most likely without the diamond gem, because they are being retailed at $19.99 US.

Even before the formal release of Bratz Forever Diamondz, the collection had apparently already won the Australian Girls Toy of the Year award. On September 26, 2006, a new DVD and CD soundtrack will be released with the same title. In addition, video game manufacturer THQ will release the Bratz Forever Diamondz video game for PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance on September 18, 2006. THQ hopes for the same or greater success for Bratz Forever Diamondz, just like the same success that they achieved with the Bratz Rock Angelz video game, which has sold over 1.4 million copies worldwide in the 4th quarter of 2005 and became the #1 girl video game in 2005. [1] [2]

MGA Entertainment, Avi Arad Productions and Crystal Sky Pictures are to team up to bring Bratz to the theaters with a live action feature film for 2007. [3] PDF

MGA, along with Canadian based fashion designer Marie Saint Pierre, are teaming up to create and exclusive line of French-Canadian Bratz called, Haute Couture en Coulisse. The line will feature 3 new exclusive Bratz characters. They line will debut in Sensation Mode part of Montreal Fashion Week on October 10, 2006.

Controversy

Loose morals and focus on image

Some parents have criticized the Bratz for being "unrealistic" and claim they promote materialism and consumerism. They also criticize the commercials for showing girls who look 11 years old wearing revealing clothes and lots of makeup, when the girls are usually at the age of 14. Others have claimed that each of the Bratz seem to have very shallow personalities of their own, with only superficial things such as clothes differentiating one from another.

Dads And Daughters

The parental group Dads and Daughters was outraged by the release of the Bratz Secret Date collection. The dolls were packaged with a Bratz and matched with a mystery Boyz doll behind the door on the left. A window showing the doll's feet would provide a clue to which Boyz doll it was, especially important in the quest for the rare Bryce doll, available in only 1 of every 24 boxes. The group complained that the dolls sent a negative message, said they were forcing young girls to grow up too soon, and allegedly promoting the idea of sneaking out of the house to go on blind dates with complete strangers. They also took issue with accessories that appeared to be champagne bottles and glasses, and called for MGA to remove the dolls from the market even though MGA claims to have the bottles as sparkling cider. MGA held fast, and the Secret Date collection (later renamed Blind Date) continued to sell.

Bratz Babyz

The Bratz Babyz have also been the target of complaints, especially the "Babyz Night Out" fashion pack, the "Brattoo Parlor" playset, and the fact that the Big Babyz have a piece of fabric under their skirts that some feel looks like a thong. This piece actually serves a functional purpose, namely to keep the doll's skirt from riding up over her hips. Later releases of Bratz Babyz skirts had the "thong" converted to full coverage bottoms.

Culture Confusion

May Lin sparked a bit of controversy because her name is Chinese, yet the doll was portrayed as Japanese. On top of that, her name is misspelled; a more appropriate spelling would have been something like "Meilin" or "Mei-lin." This made it appear that the design team had not properly researched appropriate names for the doll and merely picked a name that would be perceived to be Japanese by the general public, thereby perpetuating misconceptions about the Chinese and Japanese cultures being one and the same. May Lin was only produced once, and there for, will not be produced ever again.Similarly, the Style It Jade doll's alternate shirt featured a Chinese take-out box with a Japanese flag on it. However, there are rumors that May Lin may appear in Ice Champions, despite this.

Bratz movies

For the animated TV series by 4Kids TV, see Bratz (TV series)

Direct-to-Home Video feature length movies

Livin' It Up With Bratz (2006)

The first Bratz Interactive DVD movie " Livin' It Up With Bratz" will be released on August 1, 2006. It is computer animated and everything looks very different from Rock Angelz and Genie Magic. It is a movie/game. It works for all DVD players, but you will need a DVD remote control. You first start off by selecting a Bratz character and follow her story throughout the movie. It gives you options of what you can choose in some of the movie. The second Movie/Game will be released later.

Bratz Babyz: The Movie (2006)

Based on the baby version of the Bratz, Bratz Babyz: the Movie, a hand-drawn animated movie. It will be released on September 12, 2006. Later the video game manufacturer, THQ will release a video game with the same name based on that movie for Game Boy Advance. A division of THQ, ValuSoft makes a different game with the same name for the PC.

Bratz - Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz (2006)

Based on the both the Bratz Passion 4 Fashion and the new Bratz Forever Diamondz collections, the four Bratz girls -- Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha, and Jade -- have returned. In the movie, Burdine Maxwell and her bumbling interns Kirstee and Kaycee (i.e., The Tweevils) have returned, in their persistent quest to dethrone Bratz Magazine. Both Bratz Magazine and Your Thing Magazine compete in a reality road show, where each team has to find and sponsor a teen designer, who'll get to enter a big fashion contest in New York City. During the contest, the Bratz meet a new friend named Sharidan (also spelled as Sheridan) and go on a nationwide fashion tour, promoting their totally hot and dazzling new looks and showing that diamonds really are a girl's best friend.

This movie is scheduled for release on September 26, 2006 and the Bratz Forever Diamondz collection itself is scheduled for release on August 1, 2006. A videogame based on Forever Diamondz is also scheduled for release in 2006.

Glitz & Glamour (2006)

The second in two Bratz Computer Animated and interactive DVD movies on November 14th, 2006. This DVD will be based on the Bratzline, an advice section from the Livin' It Up With The Bratz DVD, where the Bratz characters Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha, and Jade answer questions about real girls' problems.

See also

• List of Bratz characters
• List of Bratz products

Music Productions

• Bratz: Rock Angelz
• Bratz: Genie Magic (album)
• Bratz: Forever Diamondz (album)

External links

• Bratz.com: The official Bratz website.
• MGA Entertainment: Manufacturer of the Bratz dolls.
• Bratz Checklist: A Bratz checklist with picture links.
• Bratz v Barbie: The London Times meets the Bratz creators.
• Bratz Toys: Bratz pictures and reviews.