Dora The Explorer Growing Up? Horrors!
In case you aren't an American who has or works with young children, you may not know what all the fuss is about.
Dora the Explorer is a popular cartoon character on the Nickelodeon cable television network. She was introduced at the end of the 20th century, and became extremely popular with the pre-tween or pre-preteen set. The very young girl (age about 5), goes on little adventures to find things or help people, and is nice to everybody.
But now Nickelodeon and Mattel, the toy company, have unveiled a version that shows Dora in her tween/preteen years. Parents are horrified.
Part of this is because they first hinted at the new version's look with a silhouette.
Parents, grow up. Have you looked at your daughter lately, the one who was 5 years old when she started watching Dora in 2000? Doesn't she look a little taller than she did? Doesn't she look a little less androgynous and more (Gulp) girlish? Hasn't she found that her, uh, pants and (OMG!) shirts don't fit her quite the way they used to?
I have news for you: kids grow up. I understand that, as concerned parents, you don't want your children to know this. But in today's world they can learn it anywhere. They might learns from friends or even on the (OMG!) Internet that it will happen. Some of them might even discover that they could grow up to be, dare I use the word, teenagers?
We live in an amoral world. Soon, your young children might even (horrors!) ask to play with dolls that aren't built like babies. I hear there's this new doll called "Barbie?" She actually has, you know, bumps. For God's sake keep your children away from that!
(Lorien Loveshade, who spends a lot of time with young children, contributed to this report)
Comments
Sometimes it's the parents who need to grow up. Wake up, Mom and Dad: Your kids aren't f**king Peter Pan and Wendy!
Posted by: Gary | March 29, 2009 01:36 PM
Parents, your little kids are probably already more capable than you think. Kids can surprise you. I doubt very much they'll be bothered by Dora being both 5 and 10. They watch TV shows where the kids get older. It's a part of life. I'm sure preteen Dora will still be a good role model!
Posted by: TawTew the Naturally Perfumed | April 1, 2009 12:42 AM
If you Americans are that upset about a preteen Dora, just wait til she hits 13! OMG!
Posted by: Candid Carl | April 1, 2009 04:15 AM
Cartoon characters are not real people? And Barbie doesn't have nipples? You didn't know that?
This is just more sexualization of children. Next it will be teen Dora, or Dora the Whore.
Dora is five years old and needs to stay that way!
Posted by: Andina | April 2, 2009 06:11 AM
Kids should be able to grow up if they want to. How would you like being 5 years old for 9 years?
Posted by: Free Will | April 4, 2009 10:23 AM
They're still keeping Dora as a 5 year old! So don't worry ppl you'll still have your little Dora! :)
Posted by: Lorien Loveshade | April 4, 2009 06:04 PM
I used to have the brain of a 5 year old. But I had to give it back.
Posted by: Banana | April 5, 2009 04:00 AM
I'm waiting to see "Dora Does Dallas."
Posted by: Simon Adams | April 8, 2009 04:58 PM
Silly people. If we lock our childen up and don't let them grow up they will be perfect
Posted by: Vernon Avaritt | April 20, 2009 01:11 PM
I heard they might be recruiting Kelli Garner to do the preteen Dora's voice. Kelli's out now in Taking Woodstock. But as I know some of you have cameos in that movie, I suppose you know that. Is this a little self-publicity?
Posted by: Hollywood Hal | August 29, 2009 01:14 AM
Actually, no self-publicity. We met Kelli Garner, but so do a lot of other people (though none of them as utterly cool as me, of course). We wish Kelli well.
Posted by: Reverend Loveshade | September 10, 2009 09:13 AM
As a media cynic I'm not seeing this as a "let's prevent our kids from growing up" thing, I'm looking at it as a "Big Business beginning to sell a stereotype to a younger crowd" kind of thing. Girls may be beginning to fill out more at the age that Mattel is selling these dolls to, but turning Dora into a more fashion oriented figure instead of her more gender neutral role as a child is telling girls that fashion is as important as saving the world. This attempts to hook naive girls into a gender stereotype, putting undue pressure on them to buy clothes to look like Dora and be like her. It sticks with girls. They buy into the stereotype and problems arise as they get older, by listening to what the media tells them how to look and how thin to be, as shown by the increase of eating disorders in the US. The message that this new Dora sends is not a positive one. It does not tell girls that intelligence or kindness are the most important aspects a girl should have. It also places the same importance on materialism and fashion as well. Is this what we really want our girls to be exhibiting at a young age?
Posted by: Media Cynic | September 11, 2009 11:31 PM
I have a 2 year old daughter who loves dora. However she loves dora with backpack, map, boots, and Diego. If they are going to make a tween Dora they should also allow the other characters a transition into her older life. I also think they should have made her resemble little Dora better.
Posted by: Jessenia | September 12, 2009 04:47 AM
Great site, how do I subscribe?
Posted by: Kelli Garner | September 30, 2009 06:24 PM
Kelli,
Sorry I didn't respond before. One of my fellows saw your comment and thought it was spam. I get your reference but they didn't.
We don't really do trackbacks or pings so should take them off--we get too many spammers. All I can suggest is you check back.
Lorien loved you in G-Force, by the way, and of course TawTew and I had fun being two of a zillion extras in Taking Woodstock.
I heard you're filming a new movie, so hope it goes well. And think about being a Discordian!
Posted by: Reverend Loveshade | October 9, 2009 08:56 PM
I think that pretween Dora, in design, is quite a nice character model, pending how the show ends up. She could turn out to be a great role model for girls around that age; lets think about it. They loved Dora growing up, they learned from her, and wanted to follow the example set by her. God forbid we want a 'good' role model like Dora compared to Miley Cyrus as she grows up.
I believe that if the writers and producers do their job right, Dora will remain a good example for those girls and girls who watch her in the future. Girls, especially at the pretween/preteen age are hyper-sensitive about growing up (I remember it) and it can be a scary time in one's life. Self esteem fluxuates, the body begins to go through obvious changes, and young girls may need a more (and I use this term lightly) 'mature' character to move through this time with.
It's not that we need to 'lock our kids away to keep them perfect and innocent,' but they need to have good examples set for them as they transition into the next stage of their life, because they won't be and can't be little children forever.
Posted by: Seeingbeyondthehype | February 24, 2010 09:18 AM
I am a big fan of Dora The Explorer. My son has gone crazy for it ever since 6 months old! Isa rocks!
Posted by: Motorcycle Rider | April 7, 2010 06:10 AM
Could not agree more with you. The same thing has happend to me.
- - - - -
We rarely post comments posted by bots, but sometimes we can't resist. Apparently this poster went through cartoon puberty too. (Spam link removed)
Posted by: Dance Beats | May 6, 2010 11:22 PM