Dora makeover.

[Ancax]

If any of you have siblings who watch the preschool Television show, get ready for Dora to grow up. They are making Dora look older, with longer hair and she is a LOT more stereotypical from the pictures I have seen.

http://preschoolers.about.com/b/2009/03/13/new-dora-to-make-her-tween-debut-this-fall.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1047997/How-going-make-woman-Dora-Explorer.html

http://blog.mlive.com/neurotic_mom/2009/03/skanky_dora.html

I kinda think it is bad to make her from the tomboy into the stereotypical girl, as it sends a VERY mixed message to young girls.

Discuss.

 

[Psycho]

That bitch ages fast, she went from like 5 or 7 to 10 or 11 haha.
I dont know how I feel about it either way. I kind of think that its almost a natural progression girls make though where they go from tomboyish/explorative/etc, then they get a little girly, then there is a branch where they get either more girly or back to tomboyish; and then it progresses from there. My sister stayed tomboy the whole way but other girls I grew up with did this too. I think the audience that will actually stick with and watch Dora(the new one) will probably be on a similar path...

 

[Ancax]

I just thought she was fine as a tomboy.

 

[Psycho]

Oh definitely, its kind of hard to mess with change too from a business standpoint since she is so popular in those kiddie age ranges. Itd be good if they continued to market her to the 'original' dora class and kept the young dora for the new younguns though you know, depends on their budget I guess.

 

[Veedrock]

That bitch ages fast, she went from like 5 or 7 to 10 or 11 haha.

From the first article:

“For nearly ten years, Dora the Explorer has had such a strong following among preschoolers, catapulting it into the number one preschool show on commercial television,” says Gina Sirard, vice president of marketing for Mattel in a press release."

I wouldn't call that fast aging.

It was bound to happen eventually. It happened to the Rugrats after awhile.

 

[Psycho]

Well yeah, but its just funny if you look at picture progression.
You have cute little tomboy Dora and then WOW teeniebopper Dora next to her!

 

[Anti]

I'm really not liking this. They've taken it from the non-sexual, education driven girl to just like the Bratz - miniature sluts.

 

[Ancien Régime]

Never mind that the "growed up" Rugrats was a complete flop. I predict the same for this.

I don't know where it becomes "just like the Bratz" though.

In any case, I don't see what is wrong with being "girly" - It sounds like "counter-culturalism/non-conformity for the sake of non-conformity" but that's just me.

Of course, I would eliminate most "children's programming" (mainly because it's total shit - I mean this in an educational sense, and because children shouldn't be watching much TV anyway)

 

[Caelum]

I don't really have much of an opinion on the Dora issue, if you could call it that; but it seems logical that as the fan base grows older they would adapt the show to fit the interests of them. It would seem more intelligent to me to just adapt the show to a new, younger fan-base and let the old fan-base go on to other programs, but hey, I'm not a market analyst!

Of course, I would eliminate most "children's programming" (mainly because it's total shit - I mean this in an educational sense, and because children shouldn't be watching much TV anyway)

I don't particularly care about this issue and wasn't going to respond, but in hopes of not luring this off topic I wanted to respond to Ancien. I 100% disagree that all children's programming is shit from an educational standpoint. I don't know about the particular case of Dora or whatever, but I know there were several studies done (most prominently by San Diego State & Columbia iirc, but I might be off on the exact universities) where it was shown that children who actively watched programs like Sesame Street & Blue's Clues had superior problem solver skills, flexible thinking, mathematical skill etc. There is always "correlation doesn't imply causation", but the studies are compelling enough that I wouldn't regard the shows as worthless in early educational development. I know Sesame Street at least hired consultants who did heavy research in education & learning development to specifically promote those things.

Edit: At any rate, the shows have to be more educational than having your pre-schooler playing on the Wii for hours a day (<--- have known parents who allow that ...).

Edit 2: Agreeing with Doomsday that sesame street was fucking great.

 

[Doomsday]

although, i just have to say this here, sesame street was fucking awesome and dora is a bore. im serious, i could probably watch sesame street with this age again and still have loads of fun! the count had a great accent, ernie and bernie were hilarious, etc

 

[Chill Murray]

The reason you can still watch Sesame Street is because it was designed as a show that adults could watch with their kids and not be bored.

I don't know, I don't see anything overtly sexual about tween Dora. She's a little skinnier than she has to be, maybe, but other than that I don't see any of the "omg dora = bratz". The makers are trying to have the character grow with the fanbase in order to sell more merchandise, and it seems they're doing it in a tasteful manner.

The "new" Dora is not actually replacing the old one, and none of the other characters are making the same jump.

 

[pkmn Trainer Zach]

Agreeing with Doomsday.

I hate Dora's shouting. My cousins love her. :/

Anyway, while this Dora isn't exactly a Bratz doll, she's in the same genre with how her body looks. It also looks like she's wearing make-up. It's a crying shame that most girl toys now are a bunch of overly made-up anorexic bimbos.

 

[akuchi]

Depressed, disgusted, unsurprised. Can't even go off on a huge feminist rant because I'm fucking exhausted, but seriously, Christ.

 

[chaos]

Who cares, Dora the Explorer is a horrible show. It amazes me that children don't grow impatient with the repetitive "backpack backpack backpack backpack" nonsense and the "mouse arrow" that never seems to go where I think

 

[Morm]

it's also the most awkward thing. For example, in the frame, you'll have a tree right beside Dorra that is giant and unmissable. She'll go "can you spot the tree?" and then have like a 5 second wait time that is the most awkward thing in the world. Then she'll tell the kid they are correct.

Fucking stupid.

turn to 1:40 and watch from there to see my point and then chaos' illustrated in a live action dora parody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgpONnOSnZM

 

[diinbong]

They're not trying to convert everyone into sluts - they're trying to sell a character. Get over yourselves.

 

[akuchi]

They're not trying to convert everyone into sluts - they're trying to sell a character. Get over yourselves.

And you don't see the connection between what they're trying to sell and the fact they are trying to push the supposed 'beauty ideal'? You don't get that they're not trying to sell a character as much as sell an image to girls? -Girls who will go 'that's what I should look like'? I'm only surprised they didn't make her white and blonde as well. Wake the fuck up.

 

[Morm]

akuchi they have to teach dark haird lation girls to be sexy too, not everyone can be white and blonde.

 

[REQUIRED FIELD]

From the first article:

“For nearly ten years, Dora the Explorer has had such a strong following among preschoolers, catapulting it into the number one preschool show on commercial television,” says Gina Sirard, vice president of marketing for Mattel in a press release.&quot;

I wouldn't call that fast aging.

It was bound to happen eventually. It happened to the Rugrats after awhile.

and guess what, the show died after that

 

[akuchi]

akuchi they have to teach dark haird lation girls to be sexy too, not everyone can be white and blonde.

Well, quite; though generally non-white women are fetishised as 'exotic', so it's really no better.
Sigh. And people say there's no need for feminism~

 

[locopoke]

Dora was fine the way she was, I don't know why they're doing this. Also, in the picture I saw, I didn't see her with her backpack. They can't take away backpack. backpack and map are the only reason dora knows how to do ANYTHING.

WE NEED BACKPACK D:

 

[reyscarface]

And what will happen with the weird blue monkey D:
Will it be bigger, older or maybe the same?

WE NEED TO KNOW! :o

 

[Goodbar]

Well, quite; though generally non-white women are fetishised as 'exotic', so it's really no better.
Sigh. And people say there's no need for feminism~

Can't say I don't have a fetish for Latino women :P
I had a conversation not long ago about if the media affects my (and others) image of sexual desire, just like it affects girls' image of what beauty is. I guess it must have to some degree...

 

[locopoke]

And what will happen with the weird blue monkey D:
Will it be bigger, older or maybe the same?

WE NEED TO KNOW! :o

I sense the second coming of King Kong o.

 

[CaptKirby]

They want some way to stay trendy and edgy and noticeable. I think this is totally hilarious.