So many of us grew up playing with dolls when we were little girls. But as we got older, we realized how unlike real women they actually are. With their heavy makeup and insane outfits, they represent a bizarre perception of what beauty is.
So we were beyond ecstatic when we discovered that artist Wendy Tsao is changing the conversation. Using Bratz dolls, a very popular brand with a innumerable design flaws that have long made women everywhere cringe, she removed their excessive amounts of makeup and changed their clothes, turning them into real-life feminist role models in the process.
Nobel Prize winner and education champion Malala Yousafzai, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, model and social activist Waris Dirie, first Canadian female astronaut Roberta Bondar and animal rights warrior Jane Goodall are among the crop of strong females Tsao decided to honor with spot-on makeovers. And the results are perfection!
Tsao’s desire to participate in such a project began when she grasped just how much children identify with and find comfort in their toys. Rather than celebrating countless fictional characters, she felt that there were just as many, if not more, real women who deserved to have children look up to them. Hence, these inspiring role models were shrunk down to doll size, making young gals’ search for girl power a whole lot easier.
We couldn’t be more thrilled that Tsao created such meaningful works of art with an actual message behind them. Now, let’s get these ladies on the shelf and give our fellow girls real feminists to admire!
What other feminist icons would you like to see in doll form, collegiettes?