The well-known toy company Bratz claimed that Kylie Jenner embodies all that its dolls have stood for since their introduction more than 20 years ago, describing her as “disruptive and rebellious to energetic and expressive.”
However, the new Jenner doll, which debuted on Tuesday, may not be the doll that some toy company devotees remember from their childhood.
For years, Jenner’s admirers and even her own family have compared her to a Bratz doll. Six minidolls from the recently released collection were modeled after some of her most recognizable red carpet outfits.
In comments revealing the news on TikTok and Instagram, some people appreciated the doll. Due to the importance of the toy among Black girls and other girls of color, many fans also expressed their dismay that the first famous Bratz doll was a white woman. For many Bratz fans, the fact that Jenner has already been charged with cultural appropriation and blackfishing, adds salt to injury.
Giving Kylie, a white lady whose face and body were modeled after Black women, her own Bratz doll before an ACTUAL Black woman is… odd, according to one commenter on X.
“First collab being with a white woman while bratz dolls were heavily influenced by women of color…,” another person wrote.
A Bratz spokesman declined to comment on how the cooperation was received on social media. Jenner’s representative also declined to respond.
On X, the platform that replaced Twitter, some users brought up the fact that Bratz dolls, which MGA Entertainment released in 2001, are frequently credited with mainstreaming and normalizing non-Eurocentric beauty. Many non-white young women identified with the Bratz dolls, which were frequently viewed as more varied than Barbie dolls, despite the fact that they were made with some racial ambiguity.
According to Dr. Jillian Hernandez, a women’s studies expert and the author of “Aesthetics of Excess: The Art & Politics of Black and Latina Embodiment,” this ambiguity has two sides.
The ambiguity of Bratz dolls, according to Hernandez, “on the one hand, made them extremely relatable to working-class girls of color, and embraced them in contrast to Barbie, who seemed much more squarely like a European American with very specific features and aesthetics.” But that same uncertainty “then sort of creates space for this kind of cultural appropriation,” according to the author.
White women who adopt physical traits “that resemble those displayed by women of the African diaspora,” such as larger lips, darker skin, or curvier bodies, are frequently praised and rewarded for doing so. While this is happening, real women of color are ignored, like in the case of this Bratz cooperation.
For women of color, dissatisfaction with popular culture is nothing new, according to Hernandez.
Given that both Jenner and the company have previously come under fire for appearing to be capitalizing on the aesthetics of women of color, some online users claimed that Jenner did in fact embody Bratz.
“The Kylie Jenner collaboration bothers me since I am a Bratz collector. One X user stated, “They selected a white girl popular for appropriation of culture, reality tv, and false lips even though 3/4 of their main dolls are ethnic. She doesn’t even have a great sense of fashion, and that’s their major thing. Pass hard.
Others criticized the doll’s skin tone and claimed that it did not accurately represent Kylie Jenner.
One X user asked, “Does Bratz aware Kylie is white?”
Another commenter said, “I noticed Kylie Jenner’s little bratz doll collection & i honestly dislike that the skin tone of the dolls resembles a black girl while she’s definitely white.
Matt Evans, a collector of dolls and the developer of TikTok (known online as Heyo Juno), claimed that both Bratz and Jenner had benefited financially from using ethnically ambiguous traits.
“Of course there are far greater people [to collaborate with] that actually have these features which Bratz pulls from, yet at the same time, that’s kind of where it started,” he stated. The doll line wasn’t produced by people of color to appeal to individuals of color. It was a doll line made to stand out and be edgy. And it just so happened that it struck a chord with the individuals it was modeling.
Evans claimed that the Jenner doll often caused the most confusion within the doll community.
“Why Kylie Jenner, even out of all the Kardashians, of all the celebrities that have been really influential or have iconic fashion or looks?” said Evans.
Others agreed with Evans’ viewpoint.
One X user said, “Of all the Celebs who come to mind whenever I think of Bratz, Kylie isn’t one of them. She has no influence, is not a style icon, and lacks even basic personality traits. However, kudos to her! White privilege triumphs once more.
Evans pointed out that despite any controversy, Jenner is a strong marketer due to her enormous impact and fan base, making her a desirable collaborator.
Jenner expressed her love for collaborating with the company in the press release announcing the development.
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved Bratz, and I’ve always wanted a Bratz doll, she added. “I have enjoyed every step of the process this past year as I worked with the Bratz team to create these dolls.”
Following the debut of the doll on Tuesday, people online suggested artists who they thought would work with Bratz in the future. These artists included singers Rihanna and Aaliyah as well as actors Marsai Martin and Keke Palmer.
Hernandez added that in the meanwhile, consumers’ sentiments and experiences with the Bratz dolls will be what gives them their representational value.
In the end, she claimed, “the market is just uninterested in confirming us.” And it’s because of the creative things we do with these things when we consume them that these things and these commodities confirm us. And I truly believe that’s the only area in which we can exercise any control.