If you thought Barbie was bad, Bratz dolls have notoriously been hated by parents everywhere for being even more highly sexualized. Similar to Barbie’s new advertisement to promote girls’ aspirational dreams, Vancouver artist Wendy Tsao is transforming Bratz dolls into notable, real-life badass women.
Wendy Tsao
She created her project Mighty Dolls as a way to empower girls and reinforce the positive influence and message notable women, like Malala Yousafzai and Waris Dirie, represent. She even includes quotes alongside photos of the dolls to provide inspiration. In an interview with Seventeen, Tsao explained that her goal is to allow girls to dream:
READ: Why Does My Daughter’s Barbie Come With Sexy Lingerie?
“I wonder if a child who plays with a doll of someone who is a real person who did some amazing things when they grow up might think more about real-life things and appreciate more the real potential that lies within all of us, than when she or he plays with say, a Disney character or Bratz doll.
Perhaps a child can’t appreciate these role models, because these women are famous adults. Maybe we need to show children that these remarkable women were once children too. And that everyone has potential.”
She’s also taking suggestions on her site for other potential dolls–some suggestions already include Rosa Parks, Venus Williams, Aung San Suu Kyi, Leymah Gbowee, Emma Watson, Michelle Bachelet, Oprah Winfrey and Amelia Earhart. Of course, we suggest Golda Meir and the first female Jewish astronaut Judith Resnik.
We absolutely love this project, and hope her dolls inspire women and girls everywhere–and know they’re more than just a pretty face.
