This week, on Tuesday the 1st of August, Bratz doll manufacturing company together with MGA Entertainment, made an announcement regarding their new collaboration with reality TV personality, Kylie Jenner.
First of its kind, this collaboration includes a celebrity Bratz doll collection and will include six different versions of the doll that’s meant to look like Kylie. The mini figurines features looks that Kylie has worn through the years, some of which include her 2019 and 2022 MET Gala looks.
Jasmin Larian, the creative director for Bratz, shared in a press release sent to Today news that their reasoning for choosing the billionaire businesswoman was because Kylie is the embodiment of the Bratz brand.
“Kylie truly embodies everything Bratz has stood for since its inception 22 years ago — from being disruptive and rebellious to energetic and expressive. Not only will this collaboration expand to Kylie’s millions of fans, but it will also reach the audiences that grew up with Bratz and are excited to relive the Y2K Bratz lifestyle today.” – Jasmin said. She also added that they couldn’t be prouder to welcome Kylie into the Bratz family.
Even though this is a huge opportunity and a monumental move for the Bratz company, they instead received the most backlash on social media, as users have expressed their criticism and disappointment for this new collaboration.
The dolls that the fans are up in arms about, all depict different Kylie Jenner looks, but what makes them even more noticeable is their brown skin complexion. And as we all know, Kylie is a white woman with very fair complexion.
This is making the collaboration very problematic and insensitive, especially since Kylie Jenner and her sisters have repeatedly been accused of cultural appropriation, specifically appropriating Black beauty standards.
One X user posted: Giving Kylie (a white woman who modelled her face/body around Black women) her own Bratz doll (which is an arguably more Urban/Black presenting doll) before an ACTUAL Black woman is… weird”.
Another user on Instagram commented that this was the worst collab ever.
“The worst collab ever. There’s so many other girls you guys could’ve picked, who actually love Bratz and HAVE fashion sense”.
Main Image: BuzzFeed
