The Great Jade Hunt

My sister's birthday approacheth. What to get? I rembered her telling me something about some doll she has-- a "Bratz" doll with "yellow" hair, as she says. She's turning six.

The Bratz dolls, in case you don't know (I didn't), are a popular line of dolls who have really big heads compared to their bodies, large cat-like eyes and big, inflated looking lips. They wear slutty fashions and often come with interchangeable miniskirts, tiny tops, and feet. That's right... you don't just change their shoes... you change their feet, which have the shoes painted on! A few years back there was some scandal because one of the Bratz was being sold with a thong panty.

I'm somewhat horrified that my sister is into these Bratz, but on the other hand, I remember what it was like to be my dad's child. He's extremely unconventional, and while I now appreciate my hippie upbringing, at the time, as a kid and teenager, I often just wanted candy, Guess? jeans, name-brand stupid toys (not super educational toys), and a lunch pail like everyone else's that wasn't ergonomic and made of renewable hemp or organic cotton. I usually get my sister books or art supplies. But she's in kindergarten now, and is now old enough to realize that she who has the most toys... well, she who has the most toys has the most toys, that's all. Kindergarten can be competitive. I remember!

So off to the toy superstore went DD and I.

There was a whole aisle of Bratz and Bratz paraphernalia, but it was at first difficult to find "Jade"--the somewhat Asian looking character. I was also looking for the "Bratz Kidz" line of dolls, which are more age-appropriate for my sister. The Bratz Kidz are dressed more modestly than the adult-ish Bratz, and they come with accessories like a pony or school things or fairy wings and wand. Their changes of clothes include bell bottomed jeans and little cardigans (thank God). There was no Winter Fun Jade, though... no Back to School Jade... no Jade with Pony, although there were all the other characters available...the one with "yellow" hair (Cloe), Yasmin (possibly Latina, Yasmin is a brunette), and Sasha, presumably African American. Fortunately, DD found Jade in the clearance aisle... I ended up purchasing Sasha, Jade and someone named Lilani. I chose Lilani because she seemed more rare and because she came with a fairy costume. After three days of researching Bratz, their potentially harmful affectz, their availability, and their pricez, I've gone completely nutz!