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jmann

macrumors 604
Original poster
Say hello to Tween Dora The Explorer.

Earlier this month, PopCrunch commenters found themselves in a lively discussion about a proposed effort to turn television’s beloved Dora The Explorer into a leggings-wearing, lip-glossing popping full-fledged tween.

The move to age Dora has turned into a public relations nightmare for Nickelodeon and Mattel–with thousands parents protesting that they’re just not ready for their little girls to see Dora all grown up.

In an animated image released by Mattel/Nickelodeon on Monday, the tween version of the Nickelodeon character Dora the Explorer was revealed, and company officials say the uproar over Dora’s makeover is just one big misunderstanding.

0317dora_article.jpg


I think it's funny really. :p It's just a cartoon character.

article linky
 

G5Unit

macrumors 68020
Apr 3, 2005
2,107
10
I'm calling the cops
How exactly do they intend on animating her this way? Seems like it would cost a fortune! Unless they are moving away from traditional hand drawn Dora.

Oh and they should just keep her the same, the last thing I need is seeing 12 year olds(or younger) trying to look 5 years older than they are.

/get off my lawn
 

Capt Underpants

macrumors 68030
Jul 23, 2003
2,862
3
Austin, Texas
I think it's funny really. :p It's just a cartoon character.

I don't particularly blame the parents on this one. Sure, it's just a cartoon character -- but the kids probably spend a lot of time watching the show, and they probably see Dora as someone who they look up to/want to be like.

They're being exposed to standards of beauty that simply are not attainable -- whether they realize it or not.

Keep Dora a bit plump and awkward looking, I say.
 

G5Unit

macrumors 68020
Apr 3, 2005
2,107
10
I'm calling the cops
Really? We're at a point where being height-weight proportionate is now unattainable? Great...

I guess what Capt was saying was that the previous Dora was not really meant to resemble a person correctly; essentially she was cartoon proportioned. So girls would most likely not be trying to look like her.

The new Dora seems to try to look a lot more like a person anatomically speaking, but she also looks to be about my age now(17).

The moms are worried that their young daughters are going to try and look like this unrealistically pretty, almost human character.


(I worded that whole post pretty bad, please give me the benefit of the doubt:D)
 

NT1440

macrumors G5
May 18, 2008
14,695
21,246
How exactly do they intend on animating her this way? Seems like it would cost a fortune! Unless they are moving away from traditional hand drawn Dora.

Oh and they should just keep her the same, the last thing I need is seeing 12 year olds(or younger) trying to look 5 years older than they are.

/get off my lawn

Cartoons haven't been hand drawn in years and years. Even south park is computer generated. I really doubt Dora fell in that extreme minority of hand drawn cartoons.
 

LeeTom

macrumors 68000
May 31, 2004
1,581
291
The moms are worried that their young daughters are going to try and look like this unrealistically pretty, almost human character.

Yeah, I'm not sure that one looks any more like a real person than the other, but you're forgiven because you admitted to writing poorly. :)
 

dmr727

macrumors G4
Dec 29, 2007
10,422
5,166
NYC
This is obviously a case of Conservatives getting nervous that Dora would soon start pushing a butch lesbian agenda upon our youth - forcing Mattel/Nickelodeon to doll her up a little.
 

sysiphus

macrumors 6502a
May 7, 2006
816
1
Here's a better idea--instead of worrying about what stupid shows are on TV, don't let your kids watch much TV! My family let us kids watch Sesame Street (once in a while as a treat), and we'd watch the Olympics--beyond that, it was a special treat to watch a Disney tape etc...in the mean time, Legos and books made for much more constructive pastimes. Heck, my 8-year-old sister was teaching me to read/spell when I was 4. Fun game for her getting to play "school", and it was a lifesaver for my parents to have two kids who loved to read when we traveled.
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
Here's a better idea--instead of worrying about what stupid shows are on TV, don't let your kids watch much TV! My family let us kids watch Sesame Street (once in a while as a treat), and we'd watch the Olympics--beyond that, it was a special treat to watch a Disney tape etc...in the mean time, Legos and books made for much more constructive pastimes. Heck, my 8-year-old sister was teaching me to read/spell when I was 4. Fun game for her getting to play "school", and it was a lifesaver for my parents to have two kids who loved to read when we traveled.

And I was given an Amiga and programming book when I was 5, and look how messed up I am :p.
But yea. Isn't this what kids are wearing these days? Though she does look like Barbies South American friend now.
 

lord patton

macrumors 65816
Jun 6, 2005
1,052
12
Chicago
Here's a better idea--instead of worrying about what stupid shows are on TV, don't let your kids watch much TV! My family let us kids watch Sesame Street (once in a while as a treat), and we'd watch the Olympics--beyond that, it was a special treat to watch a Disney tape etc...in the mean time, Legos and books made for much more constructive pastimes. Heck, my 8-year-old sister was teaching me to read/spell when I was 4. Fun game for her getting to play "school", and it was a lifesaver for my parents to have two kids who loved to read when we traveled.

Boy, do I agree with that. My 3-year old watches TV *zero* times a day. The only electronics she gets is mommy's iPhone with videos of her cousins when she poops on the potty. Legos, reading, physical manipulation of 3-dimensional objects, etc, that's the ticket.

As for Dora, she looks like a lot of the 7th and 8th graders I teach, so it seems normal to me.
 

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,934
17,425
This is obviously a case of Conservatives getting nervous that Dora would soon start pushing a butch lesbian agenda upon our youth - forcing Mattel/Nickelodeon to doll her up a little.

Does anyone else find it ironic (Alanis) that these are the same Moms that were screaming 'Girl Power!' with the Spice Girls, and running around with different highlights in their hair with fake beautymarks on their face, legwarmers on their feet, screaming that Madonna is so hot and awesome, dressing up Barbie to be so sexy and successful, and "Jem is Truly Outrageous!" when they were the same age as their kids now? Even more so, when they went around with baby dolls in their hands and feeding them their milk bottles when they cried?

And they're mad over Dora's new look, when they're showing and giving their kids the example of being a (pre)teen mother.

Hypocrites, the whole lot.

BL.
 

obeygiant

macrumors 601
Jan 14, 2002
4,183
4,099
totally cool
I don't think it offensive at all.

Maybe Backpack will be a purse, and map will be a TomTom.

I wonder what Boots will be sporting?
 

DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,826
6,880
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
How exactly do they intend on animating her this way? Seems like it would cost a fortune! Unless they are moving away from traditional hand drawn Dora.

Oh and they should just keep her the same, the last thing I need is seeing 12 year olds(or younger) trying to look 5 years older than they are.

/get off my lawn

This unfortunately has been going on for years now. What part of the world you live in, wish I lived there so I would be disgusted at perverts in the mall checking out my daughter who doesn't dress 5yrs older than a tween - barely showers (keeps the boys away, makes me barf during laundry).

I don't think it offensive at all.

Maybe Backpack will be a purse, and map will be a TomTom.

I wonder what Boots will be sporting?

Boots? You DON'T want to know!
 

SkyBell

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2006
6,603
219
Texas, unfortunately.
I can understand why some people would be a little upset, but I do believe most of them are overreacting. Kids try to look older then they are, it's pretty much built into our genes.
 

obeygiant

macrumors 601
Jan 14, 2002
4,183
4,099
totally cool
From a business standpoint its pretty sound. There are enough episodes of the original Dora for kids to discover again and again and not get bored. However, viewership drops somewhere around ages 5-6 and Nickelodeon feels the need to keep up with those kids that have moved out of the prime age bracket. Kids that feel too old for the original Dora may feel better with the updated Dora. Even if they only retain half of their original following they'll be making money.
 
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