The Dangerous Evolution of Dolls: From Nurturing to Narcissism

The Dangerous Evolution of Dolls: From Nurturing to Narcissism
Caring for a doll is valuable developmental play and helps little girls practice caretaking. Jena Ardell/Getty
Kimberly Ells
Updated:

I happened down the toy aisle last week and was confronted with a host of hideous, creepy dolls. Fearsome mini fashionistas with pouting lips, bare stomachs, and gigantic eyes stared down at me as I scooted forward, fighting off that feeling you get when you’re in a haunted house.

The line of O.M.G. (Outrageous Millennial Girls) dolls was especially unnerving, one even sporting a bandage on her face along with neon hair, a miniskirt, mismatched thigh-highs, and the label “FIERCE” on the box. Another brand of dolls—with skin of every color of the rainbow including green, pink, and silver metallic (and microphones attached to their heads)—barely looked human.

Kimberly Ells
Kimberly Ells
Author
Kimberly Ells is the author of “The Invincible Family: Why the Global Campaign to Crush Motherhood and Fatherhood Can’t Win” and is a policy adviser for Family Watch International, where she works to protect children from early sexualization, defend parental rights, and promote the family as the fundamental unit of society. Kimberly is an avid researcher and writer on family issues and has authored policy briefs for international distribution. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English. She is married and is the mother of five children. Contact her at [email protected] and InvincibleFamily.com.
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