After a
grassroots campaign initiated by the Campaign for a
Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and Dads and Daughters (DADs),
Hasbro announced today that they were cancelling their planned
line of dolls based on the Pussycat Dolls, a real-life burlesque
troupe turned music group famous for their sexualized lyrics and
dance routines. On Monday, CCFC and DADs launched a
letter-writing campaign urging the toy giant to reverse its
plan to market the blatantly eroticized dolls to girls as young
as six. Today, the efforts of parents around the country were
rewarded when Hasbro issued the following statement:
“Hasbro and Interscope have jointly
agreed that Hasbro will not move forward with the line of dolls
based on the recording group, The Pussycat Dolls. Interscope’s
current creative direction and images for the recording group
are focused on a much older target than we had anticipated at
the time of our original discussions, thereby making a doll line
inappropriate for Hasbro.” (Note: Interscope is the record label
that created and manages the Pussycat Dolls group.)
"We’re thrilled that Hasbro
responded to the concerns expressed by the many people who
participated in our letter-writing campaign, and that they are
putting the well-being of children above their bottom line,”
said Dr. Susan Linn, CCFC’s co-founder, “Hasbro’s decision
underscores the importance of working together to stop the
commercial exploitation of children."
Lisa Flythe, a CCFC member who had
written to Hasbro and first alerted CCFC about the dolls, was
gratified by Hasbro’s decision: “As a parent of a four-year-old
girl, I’m grateful that Hasbro has decided not to join with
other toy, media and marketing companies in escalating the
sexualization of little girls. I hope that other companies will
follow their example.”
Dads & Daughters President Joe
Kelly called Hasbro’s decision a victory for families and
responsible corporate practice. “We asked Hasbro executives to
imagine encouraging their own six-year-old daughters and
granddaughters to engage in developmentally unhealthy behavior.
It appears that they did that, and then made the right decision
for their families, our families, and the company.”
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free
Childhood is a national coalition of health care professionals,
educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents who counter the
harmful effects of marketing to children through action,
advocacy, education, research, and collaboration among
organizations and individuals who care about children. CCFC
supports the rights of children to grow up – and the rights of
parents to raise them – without being undermined by rampant
commercialism. For more information, please visit:
www.commercialfreechildhood.org
If you wish to thank Hasbro, letters should be sent
to:
Alfred J. Verrecchia
President and CEO
Hasbro Inc.
1027 Newport Ave
Pawtucket, RI 02862
or faxed to 401-727-5544
Info Box
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