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I had no idea that troll dolls were originally marketed to boys. I guess they were sort of unisex, now that I think about it. No more. The big tip-off? They added a Z to the end. Now it’s trollz. And any time you see that “z” it’s trouble. Girlz power is the power to shop; it’s narcissism and materialism masquerading as confidence; it’s the pink t-shirt with a crown for a 3-year-old that says “give me the credit card and no one gets hurt”; it’s girlhood as a marketing land grab, femininity as a consumer experience. So when we were kids, we thought trolls, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, Holly Hobbie and My Little Pony were cute, just as they were. Why do today’s girls only respond after a thin-and-pretty makeover?
Trolls Then
Trollz now.
Gah! That bottom pic burns my eyes! That comparison is (iz) telling.
Verbatim agree “Z” and all. You might want to share this cartoon capers/body image series I wrote abt on Shaping Youth awhile back, not sure how I missed adding ‘trollz’–
Facelifts for Kiddie Characters: Rebranding 80s icons: http://www.shapingyouth.org/?p=1748
Manga Makeovers: (Nancy Drew et al) http://www.shapingyouth.org/?p=1760
I remember when the “Treasure Troll,” fad hit in the early 90s, because my little brother (who was 7 or 8 at the time) fell in love with them and amassed quite a collection. I recall that they weren’t marketed specifically to boys or girls- my younger (female) cousin loved them too, and my brother even got his first “baby doll” (in troll form) one Christmas. I was a young teen, and I remember thinking it was cool that there was a hugely popular toy that was pretty much gender neutral.
Then, about 6 months or so after the Treasure Troll-type dolls fad exploded, a company started producing “Battle Trolls,” basically your typical action figure with a trollish head. My brother had a birthday party around that time, and since all his friends knew he liked “trolls,” he ended up with gifts of multiple Battle Trolls and several of their knock-offs. He was extremely disappointed, and I know this was one of those life events that got me interested in gender roles and marketing to children.
As such, I am completely unsurprised that they are now “sassy” TrollZ with a Z. And I had a flashback to my brother’s troll days this past Christmas, when I noticed that the previously somewhat gender-neutral Zhu-Zhu Pets had introduced Kung Zhu Pets (with accompanying “Battle Dome”) for all those unfortunate little lads who had to be taught that just playing with cute hamsters wasn’t manly enough.
The rip-off of Bratz is nothing short of blatant. Poor trollz!
I remember he Troll dolls that my sister and I loved playing with in the 60′s. They were cave men/women and came without clothes and lived in a cave decorated box –ahhh I can still smell the plastic.
I would never have made the connection, the new Trollz are so changed and I don’t think that my five year old would relate to them since we have no streetwalkers in our neighborhood. So what are the creators hoping to cash in on? The nostalgia of parents who actually played with Trolls and want their daughters to dress like hookers? Is there a market out there for that?
So sad.
GACK – so annoying! My husband and I used the good old troll dolls for our wedding cake toppers (well, cupcakes – even 14 years ago we preferred them). Now our kids play with them. So much more fun than those weird looking people statues.
Melissa @imaginationsoup