Choose MOGO

Ah, childhood. The fun, the games, the high heels, the weight control regimens, the thong underwear, the moms and tots classes for practicing come hither looks. In case you haven’t been paying attention, the products being marketed to our kids have gotten a major facelift (and lipo), and the ‘tudes they’re promoting have become more than a little sexualized. When I saw this article (free registration required) in the NY Times about “beloved” characters being “reimagined” for the 21st century, I was inspired to write about it, but then I saw that Dr. Robyn over at Kiss My Assets beat me to it and wrote a great post analyzing this new trend.

Characters from past childhoods are being retooled — made thinner and cuter, if girls and more muscular and cool if guys — to supposedly appeal to a new, hip generation of kids. But with these renovations come new images of what boys and girls are supposed to act and look like. When I was a kid, my toy horse looked like a horse. Now young girls can pony up to get Strutz, slutty-looking horses wearing high heels, made for “girls who are on the cutting edge of what’s hot in fashion.” For 4-8 year-olds.

Of course, since tots, kids and tweens don’t have a lot of disposable cash (though that’s changing), it’s parents (usually mom) who are snapping up products such as high heels for infants (yes, they’re supposed to be a joke, but still!), or lower back temporary tattoos, or porn-like Halloween costumes, not to mention kiddie thongs, bras and t-shirts with suggestible sayings. The issue of the hypersexualization of children — especially young girls — is starting to get media attention, but with the insane number of media messages and ads kids are exposed to each day, the “playing field” is a little uneven.

So, what about these newer, thinner characters, and products once only part of the adult realm that are now marketed to today’s kids and tweens? Harmless fun? A major concern? What’s the MOGO choice?

~ Marsha