The Superior Doll: Barbie vs Bratz

When you think of dolls from childhood, the top two are Barbie and Bratz. There are a few in between like the dolls of Monster High, Polly Pocket, and American Girl, but what makes these two so special? I will compare the two iconic dolls on diversity, authenticity, style, playability, movies, and overall girl power. 

Diversity plays a huge role in whether or not a doll will succeed in today’s age as every little girl needs representation. Let’s look at the original Barbie doll, she is white, blonde, thin, and tall, but what if you’re short, chubby, black, or Asian? How can you relate to a doll that looks nothing like you? With Barbie rolling out in 1959 and Bratz rolling out in 2001, Millennial and Gen Z girls had opened their eyes to a new form of diversity and inclusion that came with the Bratz brand. Unlike Barbie, the original Bratz doll was a four-package deal. There was Sasha, a black girl, Cloe, a white girl, Jade, an East Asian and white girl, and Yasmin, a Latina and Persian girl. With this blend of almost every race and nationality, there was a little bit of everything for any young girl to relate to. Bratz wins diversity.

The authenticity of these two dolls is so significant to the fans. Barbie has made some changes along the way with Mattel by adding more body types, LGBTQ+ dolls, various culture dolls, and dolls with disabilities. Current Barbie is not as “slay” as she once was as her face looks different with less makeup and not so snatched bone structure, as collectors, fans, and many within the r/Barbie subreddit state. Although Bratz has added a new doll, Raya, to the original fabulous four, Bratz has always remained spunky, fashionable, and multi-ethnic. It seems as though Barbie had to progress and change with the times because of the outrage of concerned mothers worried about the body image portrayal their kids viewed along with the lack of diversity pushed upon children. Mattel has strayed far from what Barbie originally stood for and got lost along the way trying to please everyone, which is impressive loyalty to fans but what Barbie originally stood for has faded. Barbie represented the “perfect” all-American white, skinny, blonde woman proudly, who could be anything and do it all, stemming from the women’s rights movement in the 1950s. Bratz wins authenticity as they never had to change to make others feel comfortable.

Barbie has had some iconic looks over the years, such as the Sporty Barbie, Cowgirl Barbie, and the striped swimsuit in her original rollout outfit. As much as Barbie has fashionable classy looks with a retro flair, Bratz takes home the trophy in style, I mean just look at them. The high-heeled boots, the belts, the glitter, sequins and bedazzles, the makeup, the eyelashes, and the layering on the Bratz dolls are top-notch and over the top in all the right ways. Bratz wins style.

What playability means to me is the sets/scenes and the storylines these dolls have. Bratz has had many sets but have any of them stuck? The “Rock Angels” set seems to be the most popular with a movie and soundtrack coming out of it, I remember I had the tour bus, but Barbie’s iconic Barbie dreamhouse trumps all. The Barbie Dreamhouse is the epitome of play to a little girl, you mean she gets an entire four-foot-tall pink dollhouse? Barbie’s iconic Corvette, dreamhouse, friends, pets, sisters, and overall storyline make imagination and play easy. Barbie wins playability. 

Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001) was the first ever Barbie movie. Bratz released their first movie Bratz the Video: Starrin’ and Stylin’ (2004). Since Barbie was already very well known across generations and the globe, their success with the films was greater as they already had a forty-year established brand underhand to the Bratz franchise. Barbie movies have significantly higher ratings, viewership, and cult-like following with their whimsical, fantasy-like movies of the early days. On top of the early films, a critically acclaimed live-action Barbie (2023) movie was released with it being, the most anticipated movie last year with an outstanding cast and director, Barbie wins the movie category.

Mattel’s Barbie is an outstanding brand that has lasted for 65 years whereas Bratz is 23 years old. Bratz has proven itself in the clear categories listed above through the eyes of a young girl with their stylish outfits, diverse cast, and the brand’s authenticity. However, Barbie’s playability, longevity, and overall brand power are superior. Barbie pushes the notion that young girls can be whoever they want stamping this with their slogan “You Can Be Anything”, not just style icons and fashionistas as opposed to Bratz with their slogan “Passion for Fashion. This is not a comparison of the two brands but rather a deep dive into what makes both dolls so special to us. What doll is your favorite?