Coca-Cola or Pepsi. McDonald’s or Burger King. Android or Apple. Marvel or DC. Often, capitalism consists of choosing between two almost identical alternatives whose differences are both subtle and immense. This dubious free will begins at a very young age. For girls in the 2000s, the choice was between two very different dolls: Barbie or Bratz. The summer movie, Barbie, that improbable cinematic adaptation of an abstract idea, has made it clear that the blonde and slender plastic woman is the queen of dolls, and has been since 1959, the year she was born. But in the last two decades, Barbara Millicent Roberts (that’s her full name) has had competition at her level on the toy store shelf for the first time: the Bratz. They are not the queens, but because they never wanted to be: they are like Belén Esteban, the princesses of the people.
“Barbie seemed too snobby, too posh to me. I didn’t identify with her,” recalls Andrea Compton. The content creator and co-host of the Cuarto Milenial podcast was born in the early 1990s, and the arrival of the Bratzfavor de Mattel en 2008, otorgándoles 100 millones de dólares en daños y perjuicios por infracción de derechos de autor. Sin embargo, en 2010, un tribunal de apelaciones revocó la decisión y dictaminó que las Bratz no infringían los derechos de autor de Barbie. El caso continuó y en 2011, otro jurado falló a favor de MGA Entertainment, otorgándoles 88,5 millones de dólares en daños y perjuicios por competencia desleal y mala conducta por parte de Mattel. Finalmente, en 2013, un tribunal de apelaciones confirmó la decisión y MGA Entertainment ganó el caso definitivamente.
A pesar de la larga batalla legal, las Bratz continuaron siendo populares entre las niñas de todo el mundo. Su éxito se debía en gran parte a su imagen fresca y moderna, que se alejaba del estereotipo de la muñque Mattel había intentado monopolizar el mercado de las muñecas y eliminar a la competencia. El caso se convirtió en un espectáculo mediático, con acusaciones de espionaje industrial, robo de secretos comerciales y testimonios de empleados descontentos. Finalmente, en 2011, un tribunal de apelaciones dictaminó que Carter Bryant era el único propietario de los derechos de autor de las Bratz y que Mattel no tenía derecho a reclamarlos. La batalla legal había terminado, pero el daño ya estaba hecho. Aunque las Bratz siguieron siendo populares durante algunos años más, su éxito comenzó a decaer a medida que las niñas se interesaban por otras tendencias y juguetes. En 2014, MGA Entertainment relanzó la marca con un nuevo diseño y una línea de productos más diversa, pero no logró recuperar el mismo nivel de éxito. A pesar de todo, las Bratz dejaron una huella en la industria de los juguetes y demostraron que Barbie no era la única opción para las niñas. El capitalismo de las muñecas había encontrado una nueva rivalidad, y las Bratz habían demostrado que podían competir con la reina rubia.
What factors contributed to the popularity of Bratz dolls among the general public compared to Barbie
Nes discusses how capitalism often presents consumers with choices between two similar options, such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi, McDonald’s or Burger King, Android or Apple, and Marvel or DC. This concept of limited choice begins at a young age, as seen in the case of dolls for girls in the 2000s, where they had to choose between Barbie or Bratz.
Barbie, the iconic blonde and slender doll, has been the reigning queen of dolls since her birth in 1959. However, in the past two decades, she faced competition from the Bratz dolls, who offered a different kind of appeal. While Barbie represented a more sophisticated image, some girls, like content creator Andrea Compton, found her too snobby and posh and didn’t identify with her.
The Bratz dolls, on the other hand, portrayed a more relatable and down-to-earth image, making them popular among the general public, similar to a beloved celebrity like Belén Esteban. They never aimed to be queens but were embraced as princesses of the people. This newfound competition challenged Barbie’s dominance for the first time.
In 2008, Mattel, the company behind Barbie, acquired the rights to the Bratz dolls, acknowledging their popularity and potential threat to Barbie’s market share. This move consolidated Mattel’s position in the doll industry, offering consumers a choice between the two competing brands. The article ends abruptly, as the next part of the text is missing.
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