 by Reese DoWittNavigation |
"Dora the Explorer" explores her girly sideCertain things in this world are timeless and never-changing: the evergreen, the diamond, and, of course, the cartoon character. The cartoon character never ages. We don’t follow Rainbow Bright to prom or head to the retirement home with Fred and Wilma. Cartoons don’t grow up with us; they exist as they are for new generations of youngsters eventually to grow up and grow out of them. Well, Nickelodeon would like to change all that. Realizing that they have found huge success with their animated series Dora The Explorer they are refusing to let Dora’s fans grow out of her. Instead, they are opting to revamp her image so that a new version of Dora can appeal to an older group of girls.
Nickelodeon is redesigning an older version of Dora to make her appear “more feminine” in an attempt to hang on to Dora’s fans as they grow out of their diapers. The cable network’s reps did not specify what “feminizing” Dora will entail, but you can certainly surmise that her pink cotton T-shirt and ruffle socks will no longer pass muster. Nickelodeon is faced with the competition from such teen juggernauts as Hannah Montana and High School Musical and have reported in a press release that they are “eager to find ways to retain Dora’s preschool fans as they mature.” It looks as though that will mean that Dora will be trading in her map for mascara. The new Dora, I imagine, will be a few inches taller than her younger counterpart and will perhaps lose her short locks. (After all, Dora, if you are going to be running around getting all sweaty from exploring, you are going to need a high ponytail that says, “I’m sporty, but still girly.”) Maybe she will trade in her shorts for some fancy hip-hugging capris or perhaps a cargo-style mini-skirt (’cause skirts are the go-to apparel when traipsing through the jungle). I would gather that the rest of Dora’s “improvements” might entail changes such as these:
Dora has been a hugely successful character for two pioneering reasons: 1. She is bilingual; she opens young minds up to different cultures and people. 2. She is a female character who appeals to both girls and boys because she isn’t dowsed in flowers and pink bows. My five-year-old nephews, who are as rough and tumble as it gets, love their “Dora the Explora.” She coexists for them right alongside The Transformers and Batman as if she were any other action hero. Her character is so universally likeable because she is just an average kid who likes to explore. If the only way for Nickelodeon to market their already beloved character to older girls is to glam her up, then I think that sends a message that, sure, girls can do anything, but they better look pretty while doing it. At the end of the day, we don’t really know yet what making Dora “more feminine” will entail. Maybe they mean she will have more episodes exploring while having her “monthly friend” accompany her or that she will speak more to the importance of a good athletic bra while climbing a mountain. The only thing we can say for certain is that the Dora of today isn’t girly enough to be perceived as profitable to pre-teen audiences and there will be some changes. I am open to perhaps a tiny bit of change, but if she comes off the drawing board looking anything like the Bratz, then the people at Nickelodeon can expect a strongly worded letter from my nephews and me.
Really, the world needs Dora just the way she is. Someone who represents the girls that would rather toss their dolls to the wayside and instead go out and climb a tree. Little girls that were like me and maybe like many of you. What do you think about Dora getting a makeover? Do you think it is sending a bad message to young girls or is giving her a new look not a big deal? Submitted by on August 28, 2008 - 9:00am. |
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I don't like it
I think Dora is fine just the way she is. My twin 5 year old cousins are just like your nephews. They love Dora just as much as they love Transformers and Spiderman. Also, if they make a more feminine Dora, are they going to have two shows running? I can't imagine that they would want to lose their preschool audience for pre-teens.
kristina.michelle
why?
no need to change...
it's like "Rugrats all growed up" ... not good.
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got Cloverfield? 1-18-08-underground.com does...I thought most cartoon characters got younger!
Scoobydoo and friends, The Flintstones... do cartoons really get older? The thing about cartoons is that they're not supposed to stick with their crowd - they remain the same, and hook the next batch of little kids. My cartoons certainly didn't grow up with me, and I look back at them with undying love because of the feelings I had for them at the time. I can't imagine how horrible it would be if the Planeteers wound up getting married and having kids, or if Huey, Dewey and Louie became teenagers when I did.
The great thing about Dora is that she's so appealing to everyone, regardless of gender. It seems like a pretty horrid message to send out to kids that you can be a tomboy when you're a kid, but you need to be feminine when you grow up.
And can I just say that you completely crack me up? I laughed my head off about Dora and her exploration with her monthly friend and appropriate undergarments.
No need to change her!
dumbest idea ever
Watching my nephews enjoying Dora the Explorer, I always thought she was too good to be true. Don't they understand that boys like Dora, too? If they have to age her (which seems stupid anyway), why make her more "feminine" and risk losing half the audience?
Oh no!
Let's wait and see...
They better not!
They better not change Dora. I mean, why change something that's so succesful, and risk losing a great chunk of your audience? If she's appealing to a certain age group, stick with it, instead of trying to change her into something more girly... Next thing you'll know they're changing her side-kick monkey as well... :S
Love, peace and ice-cream~
The bratz look like ducks.
Well, they do! My niece and nephew both love Dora. I'm pretty positive they femmed her up for the princess story or is this considered too masculine?
I know there's not a huge amount of pink, but doesn't the flowing hair make up for that?
First the Rugrats and NOW Dora!!!
toys are already there
I assume this might be how she would look. Her face is thinner, hair is longer and she has a longer, leaner body.
My little sister is into Dora and I've found that a lot of the dolls made of her are very feminine. There are toys of her dressed like a fairy, a princess, a mermaid and... whatever the one above is supposed to be. These toys seem to sell well, so I guess Nick is only going where they've already seen profits. I think its sad though. Little girls could use a few more female role models who aren't dressed in heels.
Nah...
I don't see why making Dora older means that they have to make her what's classed as more feminine? Not all girls suddenly want to wear pink and sparkly things once they reach the age of ten, or was that just me?
I think it's awesome that my little sister has a character that she can relate to that is female. I know I didn't (Power Rangers, anyone? =D).
I like Dora, she is my no.1
I like Dora, she is my no.1 favorite explorer ever! So no need to change. :) And when I was younger I allways wanted to be Robin, of Batman. He is my no.1 fave side-kick.. ;D
If I only had hair like that.. *sigh*
Nooo!!
i don't mind Dora changing her look for one-off episodes because she goes back to her normal, everyday relatable self. to change her to appeal to older kids might sound like a good idea but messing with established money making entities doesn't always pan out- how many great shows have we lost because the "network" got involved once it was sucessful?
i worked in a day care center earlier this year where little boys were proud to take on the role of Dora in their games. the only time gender came up was when i volunteered to be Boots. since Boots is a boy and i'm a girl i couldn't be Boots. once i pointed out that the boys were being Dora they had no problem with me saying i wanted to be Boots. :)
i love Dora, she has honestly taught me some spanish. i want her to stay the same so my nephew (who is 9 months) will be able to watch, learn and enjoy her show when he gets older.
thanks for the post Reese.
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Dora NOOO!
As a progressive I understand the marketing perspective to changing Dora, but hey didn't they think of the new diaper babies, can they relate anymore?
*sigh*
Bratz
Those Bratz dolls are SCARY!
Poor Dora :-( She is great the way she is!